Monday, 21 December 2020
Guest Review: The Dandelion Years by Erica James
'Someone had made a perfect job of creating a place in which to hide a notebook . . . there was no address, only a date: September 1943 . . .'
Ashcombe was the most beautiful house Saskia had ever seen as a little girl. A rambling cottage on the edge of a Suffolk village, it provided a perfect sanctuary to hide from the tragedy which shattered her childhood.
Now an adult, Saskia is still living at Ashcombe and as a book restorer devotes her days tending to broken and battered books, daydreaming about the people who had once turned their pages. When she discovers a hidden notebook - and realises someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to hide a story of their own - Saskia finds herself drawn into a heart-rending tale of wartime love.
Review: As a fan of Erica James’ writing, I have been steadily working through her backlist of published novels. They always draw me into the world of the characters depicted, no matter when or where they are set. This book was no exception. I was quickly hooked by the story, or I should say stories, as there are two distinct tales here, one in the present time and the other in the past.
The central character here is Saskia Granger, who has lived with her father and two grandfathers in a lovely Suffolk cottage since a tragedy robbed her of her mother and the men of their wives. The family has always been involved with books: her father is a bookseller while she is now a book restorer. A job she and her father undertake to value the book collection of a deceased professor leads her to the discovery of a hidden notebook telling a true story of wartime romance and tragedy. It also brings her into contact with Matthew, who has inherited the said books. Saskia’s initial dislike of Matthew begins to turn to friendship, but will it go any further as they unearth the mysteries in the secret notebook?
I really enjoyed this beautifully written story of family and love, spanning two time periods. Erica James has presented the reader with some wonderful characters and situations. I found most of the characters likeable and believable, and I loved the slightly unconventional family group to which Saskia belongs; the banter between the grandads in particular lends a touch of comedy to the book. The story within a story, written during the Second World War and entitled ‘The Dandelion Years’ by its author to reflect the fragile nature of life at that time was very moving. However, the present day relationship between Saskia and Matthew was quite different. They seemed to be forced together by Saskia’s family and their shared interest in The Dandelion Years rather than grow to like each other and, much as I wanted them to, I wasn’t sure if they would ever become a couple. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to other readers; there are two stories for the price of one after all, both written by the very talented Erica James.
Sunday, 20 December 2020
Saturday, 19 December 2020
Guest Review: Illingworth: A Biography By Mike Stevenson
Described by John Arlott in his forward to this book as ‘the most underestimated captain of our time’, Raymond Illingworth twice brought England the Ashes (once in Australia) and took Leicestershire to their first County Championship ever. In this fascinating biography, Mike Stevenson recounts how the triumphs, disappointments and controversies of a long and varied career built up the experience and insight that make Raymond Illingworth one of the best cricketers now playing.
Review: This is the biography of cricketer Raymond Illingworth who played for Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England. Born in Pudsey in Yorkshire, he first played for his native county in 1951 and received his first cap for England in 1958. He left Yorkshire to join Leicestershire in 1969 and was immediately offered the captaincy of the club. Following an injury to the then current England captain, he was asked to captain the national side.
Although a good off-spin bowler and more than a useful middle order batsman, it is as a deep thinking and, at times, uncompromising captain that he is best remembered. During his time at Leicestershire, the county won the Benson and Hedges limited-overs competition twice, the John Player Sunday League twice and the County Champinship once. He captained England on 36 occasions, winning more matches than he lost. Perhaps his finest hour was regaining the Ashes during a very demanding tour of Australia in 1970-71, during which he had to deal with questionable umpiring and hostile crowds. It was his predilection for supporting his players and not being afraid to stand up to authority that did not endear him to the cricket administrators at Lords. This was a time when players were expected to accept authority without question. He lost the England captaincy following a series defeat to the West Indies in 1973. He retired from playing cricket initially in 1978. This book was published in 1978, so does not cover the period when he went back to Yorkshire as team manager. During this time, he was persuaded to come out of retirement and captained the county for two seasons in 1982 and 1983. He went on to be chairman of selectors of the England team for three years from 1993 to 1996.
The book deals with his childhood; his early years playing cricket in the Bradford League; breaking into and playing in the great Yorkshire sides of the 1950s and 1960s; his early experiences of Test Match cricket with England; and his move to Leicestershire and captaincy of the county and national teams.
It was very interesting to read about Ray Illingworth’s early years and to hear his side of some of the controversial incidents in which he has been involved. However, as the book finishes at the end of the 1977 season, it is an incomplete story. I also found the author’s writing style not to my taste in that there seemed to be an over-use of metaphors and the book was often gushing in its praise of its subject. However, as a story of a determined person and of cricket during the 1950s to the 1970s, it makes for an interesting historical record.
Friday, 18 December 2020
Novella Review: Booked For Christmas by Lily Menon
Booked for Christmas, a novella from debut author Lily Menon, is sure to get readers in the holiday spirit!
Novelist Sophia Hart (real name: Sophie Bartholomew-Kaur-Hughes, but try fitting that on a book cover) absolutely hates her loudest critic—Evan Wolfe, evil mastermind behind the Lone Wolfe book review column. They've never met, but Wolfe's favorite pastime seems to be dumping on Sophie's unapologetically happy, magical romances. Sophie, not one to be left behind, gets her revenge in her own ways (never annoy a writer in search of a villain).
When Sophie decides to throw a holiday party at her cabin, Wolfe is the last person on her mind. But the universe has a twisted sense of humor. Not only does Wolfe show up as someone’s plus one, but a massive snowstorm blows in, stranding them both alone together in Sophie’s cabin.
Over the next few days, Sophie begins to realize that Wolfe isn’t as odiously cynical a man as she’d originally thought. In fact, he’s kind of…sweet. And impossibly hot. But still, Sophie’s been hurt before and she has so much to lose. What she needs is one sure sign that she and Wolfe are meant to be together. Will Sophie and Wolfe get their Christmas miracle?
Review: This cute festive story was great to enjoy with a cup of coffee on a cold wintery afternoon. I actually drank a couple of cups whilst reading this and was a great way to take a break from everything else going right now!
This is a festive romance and whilst Sandhya Menon might be know for writing young adult novels, this novella is definitely for the adults amongst us. As you can tell from the cover it is cold outside for Sophie and Wolfe but there is definitely some heat going on inside that cabin. This was an interesting setting for a romance novella, I don't think I've read an awful lot set in and around Portland and so I enjoyed getting to know these characters.
For such a short number of pager this novella really packs a lot in. We have a whole cast of characters, many of whom identify as trans or queer and then we have main characters Wolfe and Sophie. Wolfe is a book critic and Sophie is a romance writer, what could possibly go wrong when they end up possibly trapped together in a cabin? This hit some of my favourite romance tropes and I really enjoyed it. In terms of writing style, this one definitely starts off a little 'debut' in nature but hen we start having some easter eggs of and revisiting of previous information and it became really quite slick.
I enjoyed this read an awful lot and highly recommend it for a little romantic escape right now!
To order your copy now, just click here!
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