Sunday, 19 December 2021
Saturday, 18 December 2021
Guest Review: Keane: The Autobiography By Roy Keane
Review: This, as stated in the title, is the autobiography of the Irish international footballer Roy Keane, written with the assistance of another former Irish footballer Eamon Dunphy. Roy Keane was born in Cork in Ireland and played professional football in the English and Scottish top divisions for Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Celtic. He made 67 appearances for the senior Republic of Ireland team. Following periods in football management, he is probably best known nowadays as a television football pundit. The book was first published in 2002 whilst he was still a player with Manchester United (a follow up autobiography was published in 2014).
Roy Keane’s childhood in Cork is described, together with his progress in schoolboy football before starting his senior career with Cobh Ramblers in the Irish National League. From there, he was signed by Nottingham Forest before moving on to play for, and captain, Manchester United. He describes playing under such legendary managers as Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson. Known throughout his playing career as a tough, uncompromising midfielder, he was also noted for his volatile temperament. His disciplinary record was to cost him as the 1998-1999 season drew to a close, when a yellow card picked up in the semi-final of the European Champions League meant that he was suspended from the final when Manchester United achieved an historic treble by winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and the European Champions League. Throughout the book, it is apparent that he sets very high standards for himself and for others around him, and is quick to criticise when he believes those high standards are not being met. This came to a head just prior to the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea when he expressed his dissatisfaction with the facilities of Ireland’s training camp, leading to a falling out with the manager and his returning home without participating in the finals.
Roy Keane is clearly a very driven person, and this comes across in the book, which is an insight into his personality and some of the characters in professional football. It is illustrated with many colour photographs, although at times the captions of the photographs do not correspond with the text of the book. There are also a few factual errors in the book. For example, the family of the late Bob Paisley, a former manger of Liverpool, may be surprised to read that the Durham-born Paisley is described as a Scotsman. I should also add a care warning that there is a lot of strong language throughout the book. Despite this, I found it to be a fascinating account of one of football’s characters.
Friday, 17 December 2021
Review: The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part 4 (Christmas Wishes) by Holly Hepburn
When Hope loses her husband, she fears her happiest days are behind her. With her only connection to London broken, she moves home to York to be near her family and to begin to build a new life.
Taking a job at the antique shop she has always admired, she finds herself crossing paths with two very different men. Will, who has recently become the guardian to his niece after the tragic death of his parents. And Ciaran, who she enlists to help solve the mystery of an Egyptian antique. Two men who represent two different happy endings.
But can she trust herself to choose the right man? And will that bring her everything she really needs?
Review: The extra special thing about the latest installment of The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures is that it takes place at Christmas time. So not only do we get a satisfying ending to the whole story, we also get to have the fun and festivities of the city of York. Holly Hepburn has definitely taken some liberties with what she can fit in and around York Minster but I don't ind at all because it just makes it all the more festive and magical for Hope and the other characters in this tale.
It was wonderful to spend one last adventure with these characters. I think because this is all set in York, and they even travel to Harrogate in this episode, that I feel like they're friends living down the road. It was just great to see them again and find out how they were all doing. Hope is such a lovely character because she really does have a good heart and wants to see the best in people. She often puts herself last and lets the happiness of others come first but that makes for a beautiful character arc for her and I loved getting to spend time with her.
I was really excited to see Will and Brodie again in this part of the series, I think they really are my favourite characters and I really hope we get to hear more from them in another series or another book. This installment also has some belly dancing and some more mysterious artefacts, extra fun when it's at Christmas too. I really enjoyed the way everything wrapped up. It was very satisfying and yet kept me guessing until the last minute. I will miss my friends at the Ever After Emporium but I hope to be able to visit them again soon!
Thursday, 16 December 2021
Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Guest Review: Make a Christmas Wish by Julia Williams
A HILARIOUS and JUST-A-LITTLE HEARTBREAKING FESTIVE TREAT for anyone who’s looking for a little bit of MAGIC this CHRISTMAS TIME!
Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park she certainly wasn’t ready to actually be dead! For months now she’s floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself.
And she’s not ready to go just yet! She’s furious about the new woman in her husband’s life and she’s worried about her beloved son who doesn’t seem to be adjusting to life without her at all.
This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas?
Perfect for fans of CAROLE MATTHEWS, TRISHA ASHLEY and JENNY COLGAN.
Review: This is my first book from Julia Williams. I thought it was a bit of a strange time of year to be reading a Christmas story, but once I got into it, I realised that it’s not like the usual tinsel and mince pie sort of tale. This story actually spans two Christmases, with the same characters appearing in each. It begins dramatically, with Livvy being run down and killed. We then see her as a ghost in limbo because of ‘unfinished business’. She decides to use her time haunting her husband and his lover for the next year, wreaking revenge on them in all sorts of ways. Only her son can sense that’s she’s still hanging around. She must sort things out by Christmas Eve or she will be trapped forever.
Although I couldn’t find myself warming to Livvy as a character, I enjoyed this book. I spent most of my time feeling sorry for her husband and his new partner; Livvy’s son seemed quite willing to accept the situation. Livvy’s attempts at haunting while she was learning what she was capable of were quite amusing at times, but I wouldn’t describe the book as hilarious. In fact, there was a great deal of sadness throughout the book, and it had me in tears at one point. I thought it was cleverly written, however, with the story being told from the point of view of individual characters. This would be a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a ghost story with a festive twist.
Tuesday, 14 December 2021
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