Review: How The Light Gets in by Clare Fisher

The exciting new book from award winning short story writer and novelist, Clare Fisher. A book of very short stories that explores the spaces between light and dark and how we find our way from one to the other. From buffering Skype chats and the truth about beards, to fried chicken shops and the things smartphones make you less likely to do when alone in a public place, Fisher paints a complex, funny and moving portrait of contemporary British life.

Review: This short story collection was excellent. It entertained me in the same way that observational comedy does, because these short stories are born of real life observations. 

The stories are grouped together in themes so you know the kind of thing to expect from each section, I really liked that about the structure of this book. They also really vary in length, some being a page and a half or two pages and some being 5 or 6 pages so you get variety as you read. 

Due to the fact that each of these stories are different and can be told from different points of view, have different protagonists or are written in a different person, this book was really great for picking up when i had a few minutes to spare and reading through a few of the stories. I also found this book really great to read in between other novels because by the time I was a few stories in, it felt like a bit of a comfort to come back to it. 

These stories are all observations on real life so they all featured people and places I could recognise, the information person in Victoria coach station, the person working in Leeds train station. Some of the book also feature different dialects and accents and I love when authors are brave enough to do that and get it right. These stories are mainly set in Leeds or London and I have lived in and around both of those cities and so I could recognise aspects of both and aspects of the characters living there to. 

Not all of these stories have a happy ending, or an ending at all but that didn't take away any of my enjoyment of this collection at all. I really enjoyed this book, it was refreshingly honest and would be a really great introduction if you are looking to get into reading short stories or to expand your short story collection. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: How to Keep a Secret by Sarah Morgan

Three generations of Stewart women, all with secrets to keep…

Matriarch Nancy knows she hasn't been the best mother but how can she ever tell her daughters the reason why? Lauren and Jenna are as close as two sisters can be and they made a pact years ago to keep a devastating secret from their mother – but is it time to come clean? Lauren's teenage daughter Mackenzie masks her own pain by keeping her mother at a distance. Her mother, aunt and grandmother keep trying to reach her but will it take a stranger to show her the true meaning of family?

When life changes in an instant, the Stewart women are thrown together for a summer and suddenly they must relearn how to be a family. And whilst unravelling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, it could also be their finest moment . . .

Review: I have read quite a few books by Sarah Morgan, devouring each one in no time flat. When I read Sarah's note at the beginning of this new novel that this story was something of a departure for her, dealing with broader relationships and not being part of a series as other books have been, I have to admit I was intrigued. Having plunged in and finished the book in no time at all, I can confidently state that I very much enjoyed the new format and look forward to more like it. 

As the title suggests, this book deals with secrets; in fact, more and more just keep on emerging as you turn the pages. It is all done very skilfully. The main characters in the story are females from 3 generations of the same family, all of whom are in crisis in their own ways and looking to find strength from one and other. Jenna and Lauren are sisters, while Nancy is their mother and Mack is the teenage daughter of Lauren. The family is brought together by a tragic event, but a character from the past may prove an unexpected saviour. The action takes place primarily in Martha's Vineyard, so there are lovely beaches, mansions and yachts sprinkled throughout the story. 

I can heartily recommend this book. It is full to the brim with strong characters and, of course, a succession of secrets. I couldn't work out how it would end right to the last chapter; always a good feature in a novel. The descriptions of the setting transported me to the seaside so that I could imagine the sun shining down on a calm ocean. Although you could obviously read it anywhere, I think this would make a great book to pack in your luggage for a summer holiday. 

To pre-order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Decided Not To Finish 5/6/18

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This was originally meant to be decided not to finish too soon but I just thought I would share some that I decided not to finish with you...

Review: Random Acts of Kindness Part 4 by Victoria Walters

Escape to the beautiful town of Littlewood with Part 4 in an exciting new serial from Victoria Walters!  

Welcome to Littlewood, a small town community with a big heart...

Summer is drawing to a close as Huntley Manor is due to have its grand re-opening. 

Abbie is determined to save the hotel from closure but she has to remember her own career too… As she and Thomas grow ever closer, will she end up making Littlewood her home for good? Or will she set up her own PR company back in London…?

Eszter has to decide whether it is time to go back to Hungary... But what has she got to return to? She has no career to speak of, and their home is filled with painful memories of her beloved husband. But can a new job, a new home and a surprise new dog convince Eszter and Zoe to stay?

Louise wants to tell Alex how she feels but decides she needs to show him after pushing him away for so long. Will a grand gesture be enough to show him she won't run away this time?

As the town of Littlewood comes together to help Huntley Manor, we’ll find out if kindness really does have the power to save the day….  

Review: I was so excited to read the final part in this series and let met tell you, it did not let me down! I really wanted to find out how the story was going to pan out and what was going to happen to everyone and Victoria Walters did not let me down! It's so hard to gush about this without giving spoilers away so I'm going to assume that you've read the other parts, if not go away and do that and then come back to this review...

I loved reading about Abbie's ending because Abbie is such an independent woman and knows what she wants. Sometimes that can come across as not being willing to accept help but when she lets her guard down, things will be a whole lot easier for her. Abbie can come across as someone who is not entirely open to love and sometimes even friendship but she shows her softer side in this part and I loved her ending as well!

Eszter is someone who has really grown on me as the series has gone on but now I really love reading about Her and Zoe and their relationship with Zoe's grandmother. Their part of the story also involves a lot of eating cakes and drinking coffee which is awesome. One of my favorite scenes involved Eszter and Abbie and a cream tea. I could almost taste the scone drizzled with jam because of the way this author described them!

And then there's Louise, I think she might be my favourite. Whereas Eszter has been involved in a 'will they? won't they?' about going back to Hungary, Louise has very much been involved in a 'will they? won't they?' of the romantic kind and so we have the agonising waiting and wondering with her drawn out until the very last minute in this series. Louise is amazing and I would love her to be my friend!

I have so enjoyed this series and it has really encouraged me to try out random acts of kindness and also see the kindness in others. I've also really enjoyed the fact that this series has been releases sporadically so I can leap upon it the moment it hits my kindle, turn off my phone and spend just over an hour immersed in the world of Littlewood, Louise, Abbie and Eszter!

To order your copy now, just click here!

Guest Review: A Clear Blue Sky By Jonny Bairstow & Duncan Hamilton

It's time for another guest reveiw from my sport/history series and this one has a Yorkshire theme-yey!

As a young boy of eight, Jonny Bairstow was dealt a cruel blow. His father David ‘Bluey’ Bairstow, the combative and very popular wicketkeeper and captain of Yorkshire, took his own life at the age of forty-six.

David left behind Jonny, Jonny’s sister Becky and half-brother Andy, and his wife Janet, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer at the time of his death. From these incredibly tough circumstances, Jonny and his family strived to find an even keel and come to terms with the loss of their father and husband.

Jonny found his way through his dedication to sport. He was a gifted and natural athlete, with potential careers ahead of him in rugby and football, but he eventually chose cricket and came to build a career that followed in his father’s footsteps, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the sport and breaking the record for most Test runs in a year by a wicketkeeper.

Written with multiple-award-winning writer Duncan Hamilton, this is an incredible story of triumph over adversity and a memoir with far-reaching lessons about determination and the will to overcome.

Review: This is the autobiography of the Yorkshire and England cricketer Jonny Bairstow, written with the assistance of Duncan Hamilton.

Any description of Jonny Bairstow has to face up to the fact that his father, David Bairstow, who also played cricket for Yorkshire and England, took his own life when Jonny was eight years old. The book describes the circumstances surrounding this event and its aftermath. As well as being an account of Jonny's life and sporting career, it is also a tribute to his late father.

Thus, there are two strands running simultaneously through the book. The main strand covers Jonny's upbringing and his cricketing career to date, whilst the second strand is concerned with his father David's career. The book describes Jonny's early life, his schooling, his progression through Yorkshire's cricketing academy and Yorkshire's first eleven and his being capped for England. Although there are sad moments, I found the book to be uplifting and shows a very thoughtful side to Jonny Bairstow's character. What comes across very strongly is the support he received from various quarters, but most particularly from his family.

I found the book interesting and thought provoking. I was drawn to it since I am a cricketer myself and first encountered Jonny when he was a small boy and acted as scorer in a club cricket match in which I was playing. Now, I am looking forward to seeing him playing in a Test Match at Headingley later this summer. Even if you are not a cricket fan, this story of overcoming initial setbacks will be inspiring.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review of Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland

Today I am lucky enough to be on the blog tour celebrating the paperback release of Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland, click here to order your copy now. You can read what it's all about and my thoughts below! Don't forget to visit the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content, interviews and reviews!

You'll never forget the day you meet Robin Wilde!

Robin Wilde is an awesome single mum. She's great at her job. Her best friend Lacey and bonkers Auntie Kath love her and little Lyla Blue to the moon and back. From the outside, everything looks just fine.

But behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things sometimes feel . . . grey. And lonely. 

After 4 years (and 2 months and 24 days!) of single-mum-dom, it's time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life!

A little courage, creativity and help from the wonderful women around her go a long way. And Robin is about to embark on quite an adventure . . .

Review: I really enjoyed this book and if you are a fan of Louise's YouTube channel you will definitely be able to see tons of her on every page! I actually listened to this on audiobook and can really recommend that format as well as the paperback because the narrators did such a great job. 

This book centres around Robin Wilde and she is just a great character to read about and the kind of woman that makes you grateful for character-centric books like this. She is great to read about because she is just like you and me. She has her faults and she has her insecurities and they are the kind of things that we can all relate to. The other reason she is so easy to relate to and easy to sympathise with is because she is a real mum. You read about so many mums in fiction and see so many mums on social media who have it altogether,  their children always do as they are told, they look great and their house is always tidy, but Robin is a real mum. There is one particular scene involving Robin in her pants that is absolutely hilarious and had me giggling away!

You don't need to have heard of this author before to enjoy this book, so don't worry about not having seen Louise's videos. I listened to this book with my mum and she has never seen Sprinkle of Glitter, showing that if you go into this book because you just like the sound of it, you're going to enjoy it too! There are a whole host of supporting characters in this novel as well, as I said, I am so pleased that this is a character driven novel. These other characters are also hilarious! There's Robin's Auntie Kath, Robin's daughter Lyla and just a couple of disastrous dates. 

On the whole this was just a really fun read with lots of laughs, plenty to relate to but also some things to think about. You can tell that this author put their heart and soul into the book, it really comes to life between the pages and I can't wait for the next one!

Award-winning lifestyle and beauty blogger, fashion designer and number one bestselling author Louise Pentland has long dreamed of publishing her first novel, coming true in June 2017 when Wilde Like Me was published in hardback by Zaffre. As well as a hugely popular YouTuber, Louise is a UN Global Ambassador for Gender Equality, Louise was shortlisted for 2016's Glamour Woman of The Year and recently won InStyle 'Best High-Street Fashion YouTuber' and the Shorty Award for 'Best YouTube Guru'.  In 2016, she released her second collection for fashion retailer SIMPLY BE (sizes 10-32) and her second LOUISE LIVE UK tour was a sell-out this summer. Her non-fiction book Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter hit the Sunday Times number one bestseller slot in summer 2015.

Join the conversation: #WILDELIKEME

@LouisePentland

https://www.youtube.com/user/Sprinkleofglitter

June TBR

Well June is going to be a busy month so I am anticipating plenty of audiobooks. I'm doing quite a bit of travelling again but with tiring days in between so who knows what my wrap up will look like!

As always I will list June releases I want to read as well as other books I'm hoping to get to. Publication dates listed are all UK dates unless otherwise stated!

June Releases

Out June 1st

Out June 1st

Out June 1st

Out June 4th

Out June 7th

Out June 7th

Out June 14th

Out June 14th

Out June 14th

Out June 14th

Out June 14th

Out June 14th

Paperback Out June 28th

Out June 28th

Other Books I Hope To Read

Ok having looked at this, there's no way I'm going to read all of these but I have a great sleection to choose from right??