Sunday 31 March 2013

Letterbox Love (28)

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Britain at it's best, bringing you it's own version of IMM! All the books that came through my letterbox thanks to publishers and Royal Mail! This meme is hosted by the amazing Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.
For Review
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Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman is published by Doubleday in July. The cover for this book has driven me mad, so I am really pleased to finally discover what it is all about. Thank you Doubleday.
Shipwrecked by Siobhan Curham, is a new direction for this author, as this is more edgier and aimed at older YA readers. It is the first in a series full of secrets, betrayal and forbidden romance. If you love Gossip Girl  and Lost, you will love this. Published by Egmont in June. Thank you Egmont.
Rising Darkness by Thea Harrison is  the first book in a new darkly romantic paranormal saga. The author won the RITA 2012 for the best paranormal romance for Dragon Bound. This new series is perfect for fans of Christine Feehan and JR Ward. Published by Piatkus in April. Thank you Piatkus.
Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie is the first adult book by the well known YA author. This will appeal to fans of Sophie Hannah and Rosamund Lupton. Published by Simon and Schuster this month. Thank you Simon and Schuster.
Chasing The Dark is written by a new crime mystery writer, Sam Hepburn, for young teens. The book centres around a boy and his dog as they try to unravel his past in order to find the future. Published by Chicken House in June. Thank you Chicken House.
Everything Is Fine by Cathy Brett. I loved Cathy Brett’s books. Not only is she a talented story teller, but is also an amazing illustrator and her books are filled with her wonderful drawings. This book follows the story of fifteen year old Esther, as she tries to piece together someone else’s life. Published by Headline in May. Thank you Headline.

Saturday 30 March 2013

Chuck A Book with Louise Morgan

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Today on Chuck A Book, I am so pleased to welcome Louise Morgan, author of Blood and Feathers, published by Solaris.
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1) The best book you have ever read.
Not everyone would agree with this one, but for me it's "Life: A User's Manual" by Georges Perec. My mother bought it for me when I was a teenager (probably as a joke) and I loved it. It's the story of an apartment building in Paris, and everyone who lives there - but the way the story's told is like nothing I'd ever read before (or since, really). The structure is really unusual, but the characters are so interesting and their lives are so well-described that you don't even notice how twisty it all was until you get to the end… and when you do, you want to pick it back up and start all over again. 
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2) A book you loved from your childhood.
- Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising".  I remember reading this for the first time and being utterly transported by it. There's something so incredibly magical about the story of Will, who discovers that he is one of the Old Ones, caught up in the middle of a battle between the light and the dark. It's full of rich description and wonderful people, and there's a seam of darkness and danger that runs through it which I fell completely in love with. I read it when I was about Will's age at the start of the book (I must have been 10 or 11, and who at that age doesn't want to find out they're special somehow?) and I've reread it a dozen times since.
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3) A book that made you laugh.
- "Babylon Steel" by Gaie Sebold. There's a lot going on in this novel, which is set in what you'd think of as a classic fantasy world. There's sword-fighting and politics and tension between different races and religions… but it's done with such a light touch that it stands out. While it's not overtly comic (it has some very interesting things to say about women in fantasy, and a really positive attitude about some challenging subjects) the supporting characters are brilliant. They're endearing and believable and very, very funny.
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4) A book you could not finish.
- The dubious honour of the DNF goes to "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson. And aaargh. I wanted to love this book, I really did. As it was, I couldn't even finish it. The story of a man's recovery from a horrendous car crash which has left him badly burned, it details both his treatment and his visits from a mysterious woman who claims they know each other from a past life. There are amazing ideas hidden in this book but they seem to have got lost somewhere along the way and I just couldn't get along with it.  
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5) A book that made you swoon.
- "The Three Musketeers". Athos, for all his bad temper and decidedly iffy attitude to many things, was one of my first literary crushes. Even if you discount him, this story has history, intrigue, spies, danger, brotherhood, comedy and lots and lots of fighting. What's not to love?
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6) A book you can’t wait to read.
- "The Demonologist" by Andrew Piper. From what I've heard, everything about this book is the equivalent of catnip to me, and is making me decidedly grabby-handsy. Mention "Paradise Lost" and you'll immediately have my attention. Throw in Venice as a location, and a mystery to boot and I'll basically fall over myself trying to get at the book. I think it's fair to say I'm keen to read this one! 
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7) A series you have read and loved.
- The "Watches" series by Sergei Lukyanenko. The whole series revolves around the tensions between two opposing supernatural groups (collectively known as the Others). The Watches are, essentially, charged with keeping the peace between them: the Night Watch police the Dark Others, while the Day Watch keep an eye on the Light Others. They're big, sprawling books for an urban fantasy series (which, thinking about it, they probably are) but they also satirise bureaucracy in general, and Russian in particular. A lot of people got put off them by the film adaptations of the first two books - "Night Watch" and "Day Watch" but if you like your urban fantasy a little darker and are tired of the same settings, they're definitely worth a read.
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8) A book that made you cry.
- Audrey Niffenegger's "The Time Traveler's Wife" had me in pieces for about the last third of the book. I was so utterly invested in Henry and Clare's story and desperate to know how it ended that when I finished it, I was bereft. It's also the only book which has ever made my husband cry.
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9) Your guilty pleasure book. 
- I tend not to see any book as being "guilty" - people should feel that they can read whatever they want. That said, I do tend to get mocked by friends for happily reading Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" (I've not really got on with his others, but I do have a soft spot for that one) and for my favourite of the Twilight series, which is "Eclipse".  (Yes, and it's Jacob…)
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10) A book that took you out of your comfort zone.
- Reading Haruki Murakami's "IQ84" was an interesting experience for me: it's very different from the kind of book I'd normally go for, and I'm still not entirely sure what I think of it (despite having finished it about a year ago!) It might not be my thing, exactly, but it's stuck with me - and while I couldn't say that I loved it, I still remember it… and that's exactly what extraordinary writing should do.











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Thanks Louise. I have to admit to being slightly freaked out by your choice of book in the first question. Life: A User’s Manual is one of those unusual books you don’t ever imagine anyone else owning. I bought it when I was teenager but I still haven’t read it. I think I might need to now.
If you would like to know more about Louise Morgan:
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Friday 29 March 2013

In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

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The day before my father’s arrest, I read an article about a mother who cured her daughter of the Spanish flu by burying her in raw onions for three days.
Pages – 400
Published by Amulet Books on the 2nd of April 2013
Goodreads Summary
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
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As soon as you hold this book in your hand, you feel an eerie  presence about it. There is something rather dark and Gothic about the presentation, that only grows upon you as you flick through the pages. Every few chapters you come across an old black and white picture that will shock you a little. Each photo represents events from around 1918 and show how America dealt with the Spanish influenza epidemic that swept through the country killing millions.
This book is the story of Mary Shelley Black, named after the Frankenstein author by her parents. The story is told in first person and you follow Mary’s journey to discover what really happened to Stephen, her one and only love. Stephen has been shipped off to war and she desperately awaits his return, only when he does come back, mystery surrounds him. The strong bond between Mary and Stephen, is a mixture of beauty and obsession. At times you feel that Mary is in great danger, however the way she holds herself strong, she never lets fear take hold of her.
I loved Mary, she was an utterly fascinating character. She has a strong analytical mind, which allows her to break everything down into components to find the truth. If she was around in modern society, I would wonder whether she might just be tested for autistic tendencies, but during the time period set, it would not have ever been raised as an issue. I loved her voice! She had such a way of getting the truth out of others. She had a no nonsense attitude to her and could always see the truth hiding behind lies.  Now I haven’t ever read the Flavia De Luce books, but I have heard a lot about the character and I would definitely say that Mary may be an older version of her. If you like the Flavia books, I really think you will enjoy this one.
The story is intriguing from the start and raises issues concerning the belief in spirits right from the start. The book explores the world of séances and we get to learn so much about the popularity at the time of spirit photographers, which is a subject I have very rarely come across in the past. The book also looks at the hysteria that surrounded illness. The way people came up with ludicrous solutions to keep the flu at bay. I don’t think I have ever heard of so many different ways to use onions!
I was completely  lost in this story and read the whole book in two days. It is definitely one I want to hand out to people and insist they read. I absolutely loved this book and I was quite taken with how wonderful it truly is. Definitely a  dark horse that needs to be explored further.

The Big Break with Cat Winters

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Today on the Big Break, I am pleased to welcome Cat Winters, author of the amazing book, In The Shadows of Blackbirds.
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Hi Cat, thanks for joining me today on the blog.
Thanks so much for hosting me.
I would love to know a little about your writing journey. What did you do before writing books?
I’ve actually been writing books since childhood. After college, I decided to seriously pursue writing as a career, and I spent fifteen years trying to break into the adult fiction market without ever landing a publishing contract. I came close several times, which is why I kept writing and submitting work, but I didn’t accomplish my long-awaited goal until I switched to young-adult fiction and wrote IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS. I’ve also worked in the publishing field, and I’ve been a blogger, a film festival literary liaison, and a mom to two kids.
Your debut book, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, is about to be published. How are you feeling right now?
Ecstatic, nervous, and relieved. My journey to get to this point was such a long and arduous one that it still seems surreal that it’s actually happening.
Can you tell us a little bit about the book for my readers who have yet to set eyes on such a delight?
IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS is the story of Mary Shelley Black, a bright, logical sixteen-year-old girl who faces World War I, the deadly Spanish influenza pandemic, and the ghost of her first love. The novel deals with the desperate search for departed loved ones through séances and spirit photography in 1918, and it’s set in San Diego, California.
Where did you get your inspiration from for it?
I first became interested in this time period when, as a kid, I watched the TV series RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT and caught an episode about the Cottingley Fairies. In case you’re unfamiliar with that real-life story, during WWI, two girls in Cottingley, England, claimed to photograph fairies in the countryside, although they were really taking pictures of cardboard cut-outs from a book. Many adults, including photography experts and novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, fully believed that their photographs were genuine. The show informed me that people were desperate for proof of magic and paranormal phenomena during this time period because WWI was so horrifying. That strange and sad story stuck with me into adulthood and eventually led to the writing of this novel.
How long did it take you to write?
The first draft took seven months, but I had already thoroughly researched the time period before I even started. I tried writing other books that tackled the same subject matter, but I never felt I captured the era correctly until the plot for IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS struck me. I revised the book for over a year before it sold to ABRAMS. Were there times when you felt that it would never get published? If so, how did you work your way through them?
One of the reasons my adult fiction never sold to publishers was because historical fiction is such a difficult market. When my agent was getting ready to submit IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS to publishers, we started hearing the same bleak news: historical fiction is too risky. I was so frustrated that my books were always getting turned down for marketing reasons that I asked myself, “What can I possibly do to make this novel stand out?” That’s when I inserted 1918 photographs into the book. Photography plays an enormous role in the plot, so it made sense to illustrate the story with archival spirit photographs and images from the war and the flu.
Were you given any good writing advice that you would like to share with my readers?
When I was a teenager, a screenwriter gave me the old, important “Never give up” advice. We writers typically hear those words over and over again, and sometimes we just want to scream out in frustration, “Are you SURE I shouldn’t give up now?!” But I’m proof that if you keep persevering and keep improving your craft, you’ll eventually make it. 
What was your first reaction when you found out your book was to be published?
Shock. I had to grab hold of my kitchen counter to keep from feeling dizzy when I was on the phone with my agent. For well over a decade, I’d been imagining what it would be like to hear those words, but I had started to believe a publishing contract would never be in my future. Just one month before I sold the book I was starting to seriously wonder if I was wasting my time chasing this dream.
Did you find it easy to get an agent?
I’ve actually had two agents. The first time around, I did find it really hard, and it took a complete overhaul of that first manuscript (a historical novel for adults) before I signed with an agency. We eventually parted ways because the historical market was incredibly dead back then, and I really wanted to keep writing historicals. The second time I searched for an agent proved to be easier. I had gained experience by then, I knew how to query, and my writing had dramatically improved. I signed with Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency in 2007, and it took us four years to sell one of my manuscripts, but she was determined to get me published. She’s a hardworking, devoted, highly entertaining, and amazing woman.
How long was it between the initial deal and publishing day?
A little over seventeen months. It’s felt like a really long pregnancy.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m in the middle of writing another Gothic YA historical novel. I’m keeping the plot secret until I’m able to divulge more info about it.
Who is the one person that cheered you on and supported you through your writing?
Numerous people have cheered me on throughout the years, but my number one fan and supporter has always been my younger sister, Carrie. She’s been reading my stories since we were kids, she’s read countless drafts of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, and she’s even creating charm bracelets that tie in with the novel. I can’t imagine pursuing this career without her.
What advice would you give to aspiring and unpublished authors?
Read books by authors who are far superior to you so you can challenge yourself to be as good as them. Fall madly in love with your work so your passion will become the reader’s passion. And show your work to other people before you query agents. You need to submit a book that will make an editor’s jaw drop, and then she needs to get her entire editorial team on board with your project, so don’t ever rush the process and send out mediocre work.
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In The Shadow of Blackbirds is published on the 2nd of April by Amulet Books. I absolutely adored this book and will be reviewing it later today on the blog.
To find out more about Cat Winters:

Thursday 28 March 2013

Finding Cherokee Brown by Siobhan Curham

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I decided to write a novel. If I don’t write a novel I will kill somebody. And then I will go to jail and, knowing my lousy luck, ending up sharing a cell with a shaven-headed she-he called Jeff who smokes roll-ups and think it’s cool to keep a fifteen-year-old girl as a slave.
Pages – 334
Published by Egmont in March.
His lips touched mine and for one split second the whole world stopped.
Then every cell in my body fizzed into life . . .
When I decided to write a book about my life I thought I'd have to make loads of stuff up. I mean, who wants to read about someone like me?
But as soon as I started writing, the weirdest thing happened. I found out I wasn't who I thought I was. And I stopped being scared. Then everything went crazy!
Best of all, I discovered that when you finally decide to be brave it's like waving a wand over your life - the most magical things can happen .
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Reading this book must be what it feels like to delve into the mind of a teenager. Not one of the popular girls, no, one of the invisible ones, that’s only paraded out when the butt of a joke is needed. That is the way you think  Claire must feel. She is very aware of her limp and you get the impression she is suffering from Ugly Duck syndrome in her head. She can’t see  how beautiful she really is. It doesn’t help that she doesn’t know her real identity and this book explores her parentage in order to discover the real Cherokee Brown, the name she was given at birth. As the book progresses you watch in awe as she unfolds into a beautiful swan, strong in her own beliefs and images of herself. She is no longer frightened to say what she feels. A scene within the school presentation was utterly awe inspiring and priceless. I wanted the Rocky theme tune playing in the background as she told everyone the truth. She was amazing.
This book has a strong theme of bullying running through it. You see how Claire tries to cope with the bullying at school, as well as a more subtle form of bullying at home where her mother and step father try to stop her having any contact with her real father – it spoils their perfect lives, but thankfully with the help of her newly discovered father and the rather awesome Harrison, she stands her ground and wins the battle. It was so good to see Claire build a strong bond with her father, whom she had only heard bad things about; he came through for her when she needed someone.
This book has aspects of Graffiti Moon hidden within the humour. Created by Harrison, who is just perfect within his imperfections. The growing friendship between Claire and Harrison was very beautiful.
I love the way the book is set up. The chapters are interspersed with character profiles as Claire attempts to write the story of her life. At the beginning of every chapter there is a short snippet of useful writing advice from the fictional Agatha Dashwood, which I found helpful and hilarious all at the same time; very tongue in cheek at times.
I haven’t read the author’s first book, but  I will definitely go out and get it, because this book really is such an entertaining read, that can make you laugh and cry at the same time. Just the right blend of humour and emotion to reel you in.

Electric Monkey Highlights for 2013

Last week I received a preview book from Egmont, highlighting the new books they have got coming out from their teen imprint, Electric Monkey and I thought it would be good to highlight a few of the ones that I am personally very excited about with the synopses to tempt you!
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By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt – 1st April 2013
I loved the debut book by this author. Skin Deep was one of my favourite reads last year and I know I wasn’t the only person to think that. Especially as it was shortlisted in the Waterstones Children’s Book Award.
Nobody can know the truth - her life depends on it. I picked up the book and thumbed through the pages. Names in alphabetical order, names with meanings, names I knew, names I'd never heard of. How to pick? Nothing that would stand out, nothing that would link me to the past - those were the instructions. The past. As if everything that had gone before this moment was buried already. Holly is fifteen years old, but she's only been "Holly" for a matter of months. Because of something that happened, she and her family have had to enter witness protection and have all assumed new identities. All, that is, except her sister Katie, who is autistic. Starting at a new school mid-term is hard enough at the best of times, and Holly has no clue who she is any more. Lonely and angry, she reaches out to friends - new and old. But one wrong move will put all their lives in danger...
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Every Day by David Levithan. – 1st July 2013
Firstly this isn’t the UK cover. I am having trouble finding that but the US cover is pretty. I haven’t read any books by this author apart from the book he wrote with Rachel Cohn – Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares which I loved completely. This book intrigues me – the whole idea of body jumping reminds me of that programme in the 80’s – Quantum Leap.
The buzz is phenomenal. Everyone is talking about it so I am hoping it is as good as they say.
Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day
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The Originals by Cat Patrick – 6th May 2013
I’m a huge fan of Cat Patrick’s and I can’t wait to read her new book. I loved Revived last year. And this one features identical triplets, which Cat might have a good idea about since she has identical twins.!
17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...
Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created
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Shipwrecked by Siobhan Curham. – 3rd June 2013
I’ve just read her recent book, Finding Cherokee Brown and I can’t wait to read this one, which is the first book in a series.  ‘Lost’ meets ‘Gossip Girl’!
 I jump at the sound of a whispered voice over my shoulder. But when I turn round all I see is sand, and the towering, green wall of the rainforest. I guess it must have been the breeze, but I can't help shivering. I have the weirdest feeling that we're being watched. Grace Delaney and her fellow dance students are en route to perform on a South Pacific cruise-ship when a freak storm hits and they find themselves stranded on a deserted island. With the tropical heat rising, passions and tensions swell to breaking point. And the island itself is quietly steaming with a terrible secret...
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Twinmaker by Sean Williams –  November 4th 2013
The synopsis just sounds so good.
You can be Improved....
In a near-future world in which technology can transport you anywhere instantly, can a coded note enable you to change your body-to become taller, stronger, more beautiful? Clair is pretty sure the offer is too good to be true. But her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try, longing for a new, improved version of herself.
What starts as Libby's dream turns into Clair's nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious-but powerful-stranger called Q, Clair's attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.
Action and danger fuel Sean Williams's tale of technology, identity, and the lengths to which one girl will go to save her best friend
So they are just a few of the books coming our way from Electric Monkey this year. Which ones do you like the look of most?

Wednesday 27 March 2013

What Have I Done? by Amanda Prowse

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Kathryn Brooker watched the life slip from him, convinced she saw the black spirit snake out of his body and disappear immediately through the floor, spiralling down and down.  She sat back in her chair and breathed deeply.  She had expected euphoria or at the very least relief.  What she couldn’t have predicted was the numbness that now enveloped her.  Picturing her children sleeping next door, she closed her eyes and wished for them a deep and peaceful rest, knowing it would be the last they would enjoy for some time.
Published by Head of Zeus in February 2013
323 Pages
Summary
Kathryn Brooker is the headmaster's wife. While her husband spends his days disciplining unruly teenagers in the grand halls of Mountbriers Academy, Kathryn spends hers baking scones for her son's cricket match in a beautiful cottage in the manicured school grounds. 
In the evenings, when her husband strides home to compliment her cooking and kiss her hello - ignoring jokes from their children about grown-up lovebirds - Kathryn Brooker is the very picture of a fulfilled wife and mother. Anyone who peered through the downstairs sash window at the four figures sat easily around their scrubbed-pine kitchen table would see a happy family without a care in the world. They would envy Kathryn her perfect life. 
But they would be wrong. Kathryn is trapped in a nightmare. And she is about to do something to change it. Something only a truly desperate woman would do...
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Be warned, the opening chapter of this novel is utterly gripping.  Make sure you have ample time set aside to thoroughly immerse yourself!
Amanda Prowse’s heroine Kathryn, (sorry, ‘Kate’) will stick with me for many months to come.  What this lovely lady goes through in this book is morbidly fascinating and how she manages to come out the other end the humble, honest woman that she is, is nothing short of remarkable.  And yet utterly believable.  
From the outside, Kathryn Brooker’s life is perfect and enviable.  Married to a handsome well-respected headmaster of a desirable private school, she spends her days as a stay-at-home mum and housewife.  But there is a dark and closely guarded secret behind their relationship, something which is slowly unveiled throughout the  book. 
I’ll be blunt; this is a tale of the impact of domestic abuse and its impact on not just the victim, but the whole family.  When Kate finally retaliates against the man who has repressed and tormented her over decades, she frees herself from his tyranny, but also loses her treasured children.
The wonderful thing about this book for me, was how completely unpredictable it was.  With some preconceived ideas on my part, as I read, I was sure I was going to be able to predict what was coming next; each time I was surprised.  For example, when Kate meets a handsome, kind man whilst holidaying in St Lucia, I was sure it was going to be an issue of her lying or putting off telling
him what she had done in the past.  But Prowse never draws things out like a bad soap opera, her heroine is honest to a fault.  
As I got towards the end of the book, I was wondering more and more about the choice of title for the book. From the title, I was expecting there to be a point where Kate regretted what she had done, but as I read more and more, there was only utter refusal to regret her actions (and boy was I glad!).  But then, right at the end, without giving too much away, there is an acknowledgement of remorse.  Not for the action itself true, but the wider outcome.  I’m still unsure if I was disappointed by this.  
I’m not sure if it speaks more about my own character or just how well Prowse builds our regard for Kate, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading the chapter that details Kate’s final moments with her husband.  The way she uses his own words against him had me smirking with glee.
This is brilliant best-friend style comfy story telling.  Utterly compelling and a total page turner; I was reluctant to put it down for even a second.  

Waiting On Wednesday (7) –The Ocean At the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

New WoW
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, started by Jill at Breaking The Spine, highlighting future book releases everyone is waiting on!
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The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman.
Published by Headline in June 2013
I know I am not alone in waiting for this one. Neil Gaiman is an amazing author and I can’t wait to get my hands on his latest book.
Goodreads Summary
It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.
His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Let’s Talk About Agent Hunter!

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A few weeks ago I wrote a post about how to get your book published without an agent. In it I discussed how to look for an agent first using The Writer’s and Artist’s Year Book. Since writing that post, I have discovered an amazing site called Agent Hunter. I was going to write about it in my own words, but I think they say much better than I do.
Agent Hunter is a completely searchable database of UK based agents and publishers. We’ve been working with the agents directly and the level of information you will find here is unparalleled. There has never been a resource like this before. You can find the right agents for your work and along with contact details, you will find comprehensive information about them, including their personal tastes and advice along with links to their twitter feeds and relevant online articles about or by them. And you’ll also find a wealth of advice on the site to guide you through the whole process of seeking representation – all of the things you will need to consider before you start, exactly how to go about doing it and what you might expect.
Register & subscribe Just go to www.AgentHunter.co.uk. Once there, follow the simple instructions to register. It costs just £12 for a year's subscription.
There is nothing like Agent Hunter in the world and it is, quite simply, the best course of action you can take when you feel you have a manuscript which is ready to be viewed commercially.
Agent Hunter is the brainchild of crime novelist Harry Bingham, who also created and runs The Writers' Workshop - the UK's largest literary editorial agency.
Intrigued now aren’t you! I was intrigued enough to join and I hope to  find this sight very useful. If you would like to know more about the site, please click on the links above.
I hope to write future posts about how useful this site is at helping me to hopefully find an agent in the near future.

Hidden by Marianne Curley

Hidden (Avena, #1)
Do you ever stare at your reflection and wonder who that person is looking back at you? For as long as I can remember I’ve felt different, at odds with myself.
Pages – 325
Published by Bloomsbury in April
For as long as Ebony can remember, she's been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It's as if she's being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can't be concealed. She's growing more beautiful by the day, she's freakishly strong, and then there's the fact that she's glowing.
On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back
******
If I’m honest, I’ve really missed reading  angel books. I haven’t read one in ages so it was lovely to get my hands on this one. I know the book appears to be receiving a lot of mixed reviews on Goodreads, but I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a very good read, with an excellent ending.
The story is told from alternating points of view between Ebony and Jordan. I felt the author really explored how the characters were feeling and we managed to get  a good look inside their heads.  I loved the way they met. I don’t think I have come across that kind of meeting in any other book. The book sets off quickly at a fast pace and you find yourself running against time to get to safety.
The angel mythology created by the author was intriguing. I don’t know enough about angel myths to be able to tell you how much of it is true, but I found the different levels of Heaven and Hell quite fascinating. I’m presuming more information will be revealed as the series progresses.
I enjoyed the characters within the story. Thane was rather swoonsome, almost Herculian in appearance; I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.. Jordan was quite sweet too, even though he had a bit of the bad boy vibe about him. I loved his wicked sense of humour, and enjoyed the back story that linked him to Adam.  If  there were any characters that perhaps I didn’t gel with it, it would be Ebony. I desperately wanted to shake some sense into her so that she would take notice of what they were all telling her. She was completely blind to the danger she was in, and that became a little annoying.  I really didn’t mind the instant love scenario, because it was viewed as destiny. My romantic side took hold of that idea and run away with it
There is a rather obvious love triangle going on but I could see glimpses of other developments within the story which might make the dynamics of this change. A love/hate relationship appears to be developing between Jordan and another character and I’m intrigued as to where it will go.
The ending was dramatic and you are left toppling on the edge of that cliff again, but I look forward to finding out more in the following book.

Monday 25 March 2013

Let’s Talk About Carina!

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Mira Ink blog party and I was intrigued to find out about Carina. Many of you will be familiar with Carina Press, which has been set up in America, well Carina is the UK equivalent.
Carina will be a digital only imprint from Harlequin UK. The reason behind the decision to be digital only is to get the books out to the public a lot quicker than books published in the normal route. I bet your thinking that this will impact on the quality of the final product, but quite frankly it shouldn’t. Harlequin have excellent and extremely experienced editors waiting to help you get your book in shape. They are responding to the sharp rise and ease of the self published market. They want to help you  get your story out there with the expertise that you really need.
So Carina have put out a call for submissions. You don’t need to have an agent in order to get your book read. They are looking for submissions in any genre and in any age group. They are particularly interested in books that are transmedia. For those who are now looking at this page in a clueless fashion, transmedia is the art of telling a story that crosses over multiple platforms using the current digital technology, such as Twitter, Facebook, Ipads, Wifi, etc. etc. The open submissions policy will be open permanently so there is no deadline you need to rush for.  As an unpublished author, I am truly excited by this new development in publishing and I can’t wait to see what Carina will bring to us in the next year. They already have two fantastic authors signed up, so I will definitely be keeping a very close eye on this exciting development in publishing.
To find out more about Carina, please click here.

This is What Happy Looks Like By Jennifer E. Smith

 
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It was not all that different from the circus, and it came to town in much the same way. Only instead of elephants and giraffes, there were cameras and microphones. Instead of clowns and cages and tightropes, there were production assistants and trailers and yards upon yards of thick cables.
407 pages
Published by Headline on April 2nd 2013
Goodreads Review
If fate sent you an email, would you answer?
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. 
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?
What a sweet, charming, yet unslushy novel. I really enjoyed this one and found myself virtually transported to Henley, aka Middle-of-Nowhere Maine, and totally wrapped up in a touching soulmate-meets-soulmate story. 
This is a modern day romance with its use of email as a means of finding love and keeping it. It’s not a dating website or anything dodgy, just a random, serendipitous email from Graham that goes astray from its intended recipient and ends up in Ellie’s inbox. 
They immediately form a close connection, saying things to each other that they cannot say to anyone else. They email every day, several times a day, but neither of them reveals their deepest secret
to each other. Not until Graham orchestrates a visit to Henley and they develop their relationship in person.
Only then does Ellie find out that Graham is not just ordinary Graham. He is teen film star Graham Larkin, with his own management and fans and his every move snapped by the Paparazzi. And to make life more complicated, Ellie and her mum are in hiding from her father, a man famous for quite a different reason. They must keep their now very real romance under wraps.
This is Jennifer E. Smith’s fourth YA novel, one of the others being the critically acclaimed and highly popular The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. She writes in clean, sharp prose and isn’t afraid to delve deep into the character’s thoughts and backstory. She brings the small town American landscape to life with its quirky traditions, shops and restaurants and lots of lobsters.
Following in the tradition of You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle and Notting Hill, and with two vivid main characters and a strong supporting cast, this is a warm, equally-balanced romance. This is reflected in the narration as the story is told from dual perspectives, flipping from Ellie to Graham, chapter by chapter, reminiscent of David Nicholls One Day. The email sections add another layer and keep the pace flowing as there is quite a bit of introspection. It is this introspection that brings emotional depth to the characters and has the reader gunning for both of them.
This is what Happy Looks Like explores the intimate details of family life and relationships and the ups and downs of friendships made over many years and the connections that can be created out of nowhere. 
One email, one summer, one tricky situation … who knows where it will end? Though we know that ‘happy’ can be as simple as an ice cream or the waves on the shore or a pet pig called Wilbur.
A touching read.

Sunday 24 March 2013

Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe

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I stretch out my legs, enjoying the hot sand against my calves. Early morning sun creates an orange sheen on the ocean as I search for a big set of waves. The endless white formations roll in, lines of blurred corduroy become distinct opportunities – or not – as they roll closer to the local surf break.
Published in May 2013 by Flux Books
Pages - 288
Goodreads Summary
For Grace Parker, surfing is all about the ride and the moment. Everything else disappears. She can forget that her best friend, Ford Watson, has a crush on her that she can’t reciprocate. She can forget how badly she wants to get a surf scholarship to UC San Diego. She can forget the pressure of her parents’ impossibly high expectations.
When Ford enters Grace into a surf competition—the only way she can impress the UCSD surfing scouts—she has one summer to train and prepare. Will she gain everything she’s ever wanted or lose the only things that ever mattered?
*******
I have mixed views on this book. There are elements that are wonderful and yet there are also elements that unfortunately let the story down.
Firstly, let’s look at what I loved. The surfing and sea descriptions are outstanding. This author truly knows the art of surfing and has the words inside her to bring the descriptions to paper. She has excellent details of moves in the water I wouldn’t ever have heard of. This author had delved into the depths of her personal knowledge and brought it back to life as part of the story.
I also enjoyed the dual narrative, so that we could see what was going on in the minds of both the characters. I loved the Spanish elements of Ford’s life. You don’t tend to see a lot of Spanish YA characters, so it made a refreshing change. I felt for Grace. She was struggling to reach her dream and her parents were doing everything to stop her reaching her.
However that is where my love of this story stops, I’m afraid. My biggest problem with this book was the plot. It felt like it was full of contradictions. I felt I was being told one thing and then a few pages down I would witness something that totally went against the character’s previous actions. Here are some examples:
- Grace is known for always writing her texts in grammatically correct, yet she talks with so much slang in her sentences.
- Her father is a real ogre who beats her up, yet often in the book we are shown more of his nice side than his bad.
- Her mother hates living with her husband, yet she tells Grace to be grateful for having a father.
I think these would probably have been picked up during editing.
Also I found that in parts of the story there was far too much telling rather than showing. The whole story concerning the character that had died was told to us, rather than showing any elements of it, so it just fell flat. I found I couldn’t conjure any emotion for a character I had never met.
The romance was rather lacking too. I wanted to see the  relationship between Ford and Grace blossom, but for quite a bit of the story they were both too busy eyeing up the competition, so the romance became rushed and I lost interest.
I really wanted to love this story, but it felt that it needed more work to it. I think the author really does have talent and has captured the surfing community really well. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t right for me.

Letterbox Love (27)

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Britain at it's best, bringing you it's own version of IMM! All the books that came through my letterbox thanks to publishers and Royal Mail! This meme is hosted by the amazing Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.
On Friday, I reached a moment of panic and I asked what your views were on Letterbox Love. The response was amazing! Thank you everyone who replied and commented. I really appreciated it. From the views left, it really came across that this was more of a positive meme and for the time being I will continue to join in with it.  So thank you for helping me make my decision.
For Review
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Silent Saturday by Helen Grant is the first book in the the Forbidden Spaces trilogy. Set in Flanders in Belgium. It will be published by Bodley Head, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books and will be published in April. I do have two copies of this now, so I promise to do a giveaway around the time of review. Thank you Bodley Head.
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare which was published this week by Walker Books. This is the highly anticipated third book in the Infernal Devices series, which is the steampunk companion series to the Mortal Instruments one. Thank you Walker Books.
The Goblin’s Gift by Conrad Mason is the the second book in the Tales of Fayt trilogy and will be published in April by David Fickling Books. If you like Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels then you will enjoy this one.  Thank you David Fickling Books.
Country Loving by Cathy Woodman is published by Century in April. Set in the same village of Talyton St George as her other books, described as Katie Fforde meets James Herriot. Thank you Century.
Don’t Look Back by S.B. Hayes is published in April by Quercus. Described as a dark psychological thriller, from the same author that brought you Poison Heart. Perfect for fans of Amy Plum, Sarah Alderson and Veronica Roth. Thank you Quercus.
The Last Grave by Debbie Viguie is the second book in the Witch Hunt trilogy and is published by Arrow. Ideal for fans of Buffy and Charmed.  Thank you Arrow.
The Secret of Ella and Micha by NY Times bestselling author Jessica Sorenson finally debuts in the UK with her New Adult romance. Published by Sphere in April, a powerful portrayal of first love. Thank you Sphere.
Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne. I loved Tanya’s debut Heart-Shaped Bruise so I am very excited by her follow-up. Published by Headline in May, this is a dark and compulsive tale of obsession and portrayal in a girl’s boarding school. Thank you Headline.
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The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd is published by Harper Voyager in April and is set in Victorian London and is a reimagining of the Victorian classic, The Island of Dr Moreau. Thank you Harper Voyager.
Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt is published in April by Scholastic Books. The book asks the question – could you survive the 21st Century without technology? Thank you Scholastic.
The Night She Disappeared by April Henry is published by Walker Books, a contemporary thriller uncovering the truth when the wrong girl goes missing. Thank you Walker Books. IMG-20130322-01412
This week, I was lucky enough to be invited to the Mira Ink Blogger Party. They have some amazing books coming out this year, which I won’t go into detail here, as I have a whole post devoted to them later this week. The bag is amazing though and was jam packed with fabulous books.
Bought
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Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. Published by Penguin. This is set in !950’s New Orleans.
Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager is an Australian YA book that was published last year by Catnip. I’ve been wanting to read this one for ages.
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Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse was a freebie on Amazon and is New Adult.
Losing It By Cora Carmack is also New Adult too.
Net Galley
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Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire – I was so worried I would miss out on this one and I’ve started reading it straight away. This is the companion novel to Beautiful Disaster following the story of Travis and is published by Atria Books in April. Thank you Atria.
Fally Guy Liz Reinhardt is a steamy NA novel, the first in the Young Blood series which will be published in June with Corgi Books. Thank you Corgi Books.
Library
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Dead Man’s Cove by Lauren St John  This is to curb my need for children’s mysteries. This is the first in the Laura Marlin series aimed at 9 to 12 year olds.
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud After meeting Jonathan last weekend, I was intrigued to one of his other books. This is the first in his Bartimaeus series.
Poison Princess by Kresley Coles I’ve been after this book for ages. This is Kresley Coles first YA novel.
A Sea of Stars by Kate Maryon This is a surfing novel for the 9 to 12 market, I think.
The Mystery of Wickworth Manor by Elen Caldecott another mystery novel for the 9 to 12 market.
I think I might have gone book mad this week. Eeep!

Saturday 23 March 2013

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

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Paperback,312 pages
Published February 5th 2013 by ATOM
The only way of hearing her mother, Mrs Barnaclegoose, and the stranger was from inside the dumbwaiter. Mrs Barnaclegoose had decided opinions on reforming other women’s daughters. Sophronia did not want to be reformed. So she had pressed the dumbwaiter into the service of espionage.
Summary from Good Reads
Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsey. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.
*******
Review by K.M.Lockwood
With a title like that and a cover that shows a young lady in a crinoline armed with scissors, you know what to expect. Not to mention the cog-decorated magenta damask background. 
Gail Carriger delivers an adventure set largely in a steampunk girls’ finishing school with great gusto and humour. Full of idiosyncratic faux-Victorian language and gloriously extravagant settings (who could forget the dirigible academy?), there is a strong core of personal relationships and intrigues that you would expect in a school story. There are also a fair few moments of comedy verging on the slapstick at times (which is not a fault) and the merest hintette of romance.
Not content with an alternative 19th century, we also have Supernaturals such as werewolves and vampires – and mechanimals including the dear little Bumbersnoot. A heady mix. For my part, I particularly enjoyed the range of active, self-determining female characters. The only reason for these girls swooning at a man is artifice (or perhaps too-tight corsets).
You will appreciate this romp of a story if you like adventure, peril and smart girls. The ideal reader would also enjoy interesting and perhaps unfamiliar language at times, and have a soft spot for writers who don’t take their work too seriously. Great fun – and plenty more to come in the series.

Chuck A Book with Laure Eve

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Today on Chuck A Book, I am pleased to welcome the lovely Laure Eve. Laure is a publicist at Hatchette Books but will soon be a debut author with Hot Key Books. Laure’s book Fearsome Dreamer will be published in October and personally I can’t wait!!!
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1) The best book you have ever read.
This is such a hard question to answer, actual tears spring to my eyes at the thought. It would depend on my mood on any given day, but today I’m going to define ‘best’ as ‘book that affected me the most profoundly’. And that would probably be Elidor by Alan Garner, for all the reasons.
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2) A book you loved from your childhood.
Narnia, simply because they were probably the books I re-read the most. And they still transport me – I can read them even now and I feel like a child again, with a heartache longing to live in that world.
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3) A book that made you laugh.
I’m going to go with Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. That book made me cry with laughter. In public. It was one of the earliest of his I read and I can still quote whole passages from it.
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4) A book you could not finish.
Argh. I may get hissed at disapprovingly for this, but here we go: it was an Anita Blake novel. I actually remember throwing it across my bedroom in disgust. It was the first one I tried and it put me off for life.
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5) A book that made you swoon.
This is so deeply unoriginal of me, but it has to be Pride and Prejudice. I was thirteen. It was the scene in Charlotte’s parlour. You know the one. Oh, Darcy. *heart flutter*
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6) A book you can’t wait to read.
At the moment, probably The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I fell hard for American Gods and have been waiting for another adult novel of his to affect me so much. This might be the one.
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7) A series you have read and loved.
This question made me realise that… well… I don’t really *read* series. BAD LAURE. But even in an alternate universe where I read nothing but series fiction, it would still probably be Stephen King’s The Dark Tower at the top of my list.
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8) A book that made you cry.
At the risk of sounding like the world’s biggest fangirl, I’m going to go with The Green Mile by Stephen King. It was ugly crying, too, the kind with sobbing and snot involved. There’s something about unfairness in fiction that really hurts me.
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9) Your guilty pleasure book. 
When I was younger, I used to think Jilly Cooper was shamefully fun, and I’d probably still enjoy a romp through one of her books.
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10) A book that took you out of your comfort zone.
It was American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis. It was so relentless. It was so… mind-blowingly odd and awful, in the best sense of the word. I’d never read anything like that before. All the more interesting, I suppose, that I’ve found all the other books I’ve read by him a bit meh in comparison.
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Thank you Laure! I have to admit to being a secret Jilly Cooper fan. Her books got me through my ‘O’ levels.
To find out more about Laure Eve: