Guest Review: Christmas Miracles at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland

It should be the most wonderful time of the year for Samantha and Josh as they prepare for the arrival of their first baby. But life at Hedgehog Hollow rarely goes to plan and the pair are faced with adversaries, old and new, and unexpected challenges to overcome.

Fizz's job at the heart of the rescue centre is a dream come true but her personal life is more like a nightmare. With her love life a disaster and her past about to dramatically catch up with her, she needs the love and support of her Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever.

As the snow falls over Hedgehog Hollow, will Samantha and Fizz find the Christmas miracle they need to overcome their heartache and find happiness?

Review: This is the sixth, and, sadly, last, book in the Hedgehog Hollow series, which has chronicled events in the life of Samantha and the hedgehog rescue centre she established in the Yorkshire Wolds. As with previous books in the series, the author has helpfully included details of recurring characters, a ‘story so far’ section and lists of useful facts about hedgehogs for those lucky enough to meet these cute and interesting animals. I have read all of these books in order as they were published and have enjoyed getting to know Samantha and the increasing cast of characters surrounding her. I was particularly looking forward to this one, as I love stories set in the run up to Christmas and beyond.

This story features most of the characters readers of the series will have encountered so far, but focuses mainly on Samantha and her friend and colleague Fizz. Samantha and husband Josh are excitedly looking forward to the arrival of their first child just after Christmas, although there is a busy time ahead before then. Fizz, on the other hand, is not so happy, with problems in her love life and a secret she has kept for many years about to be revealed. There is plenty of drama ahead for both girls, with happy and sad times, but luckily they are surrounded by the Hedgehog Hollow family to offer support, and hopefully there may be a Christmas miracle or two.

This is a wonderful end to this series of stories. I can recommend it without hesitation, but, as usual would suggest reading all the books in order to get the most out of the series. I found this possibly the most dramatic of all the stories in the series, with one worry after another about Samantha and her friends; just when one problem was solved, another was waiting round the corner it seemed. This made it a book that was very enjoyable, but not easy to put down. I shall miss hearing about Samantha and her ever expanding family, but at the same time look forward to reading more from Jessica Redland.

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Loved So Much I Had To Buy a Copy for my Personal Library 6.9.22

 

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 is a 

list formed of books I read for review and then bought a beautiful finished copy, books I borrowed from the library and then bought myself a copy or books I had a copy of and then bought a special edition of after reading and loving them for a while...

Movie Review: Was Bullet Train as Explosive as it Looks in The Trailers?

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Guest Review: London Clay: Journeys in the Deep City By Tom Chivers

What secrets lie beneath a city?

Tom Chivers follows hidden pathways, explores lost islands and uncovers the geological mysteries that burst up through the pavement and bubble to the surface of our streets. From Roman ruins to a submerged playhouse, from an abandoned Tube station to underground rivers, Chivers leads us on a journey into the depths of the city he loves.

A lyrical interrogation of a capital city, a landscape and our connection to place, London Clay celebrates urban edgelands: in-between spaces where the natural world and the metropolis collide. Through a combination of historical research, vivid reportage and personal memoir, it will transform how you see London, and cities everywhere.

Review: It is difficult to categorise this book. The title suggests it is a book about geology, but it is more than that; it is a book about what lies beneath the metropolis of London, and includes, in addition to geology, descriptions of archeology, history, geography, natural history, folklore and reflections on modern life, including the Coronavirus pandemic.

The author, Tom Chivers, is a poet and an arts producer, so sees things with a poet’s eye, and this is reflected in his writing style. The book comprises eight chapters, mainly describing walks along the course of London’s “lost” rivers, such as the Walbrook, Fleet and Lea, which flow into the River Thames and which, for some of their course, have been paved or tarmacked over, or incorporated into the sewer system. There is an outline map at the start of each of the chapters, which are further sub-divided into several sections. The book is well-researched, with numerous notes and an index at the end.

As someone born and brought up in north London, although not having lived there for almost fifty years, I was intrigued by this book. The author is from south London, so there is more of a bias towards south of the Thames. Not being familiar with some of the areas, I would have liked there to have been more details in the maps, and possibly a large map in the book’s prologue giving an overview. The main theme of the book is how London continues to renew itself, with modern builds covering Victorian, Tudor, Saxon and Roman structures, all overlying a layer of London clay shaped by river valleys that have influenced the development of the city. Although a fairly niche book, I found the more I read, the more interested I became in the various strands of the narrative. It should appeal not just to readers wanting to know more about London, but to anyone with an interest in how a city develops.

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

September 2022 TBR: New Book Releases and Audiobooks I Want To Read!

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August 2022 Reading Wrap Up

August was a great reading month for me. I listened to audiobooks during road trips in the car, had the time and the headspace to sit down and read not only eBooks but physical books too AND I attended a ton of book events which always motivates more reading. 

So here's everything I read. I'll also include my videos with some of the reading processes for you to see. 

eBooks

Physical Books

Audiobooks

My Videos

September 2022 TBR: New Book Releases and Audiobooks I Want To Read

 September is a tricky month for reading because I go back to work and so I will only really have time for auiobooks and maybe a couple of actual books if I get any time to read at the weekends. It's all a little bit unknown and so I don't want to overload my TBR!

There are, of course,  plenty of books coming out that I want to read though and so I want to highlight some of those as well as some of the audiobooks I'll be choosing from. 

September Releases

15th September

29th September

8th September

30th August

30th August

29th September

Audiobooks to Read/Leftovers From August TBR