Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon

Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon

Another predominantly pastille book!  Have the printers run out of any other colour range?  I have decided the next book I review will be black with huge luminous green writing - just for the hell of it.   I need some variation.  Mind you, if you love the chicklit genre and celebrity culture, this is the book for you, even if you're as sick of pastille book covers as I am.  Don't let the cover put you off!

Yes this is a romance, yes this focuses on celebrity, yes this is a bit tedious in places, but yes I liked it.  I'm almost ashamed to admit it.  It seems I have more a of a leaning towards this sort of thing than I thought.

So what happens?  Meg works for rockstar Johnny; Meg falls in love with Johnny; it all goes wrong so Meg then falls for Johnny's best mate, Christian; Meg has a quick fling with Johnny again but refuses to leave Christian; Meg finds out she's pregnant with Johnny's baby but daren't tell Christian in case he leaves her. *Takes a breath*.  The stage is set!  (probably very bad punctuation there, but it's been a while since school, sorry)

As the baby grows older he begins to look more and more like Johnny and Meg's secret is out.  Christian leaves her and she begins the rocky road to accepting her new life as the mother of a baby fathered by a multi-millionaire, off the rails, rockstar.  The main hook of the book is 'Will Meg tame Johnny and his alcoholic, drug taking, wild ways and turn him into the father Meg needs him to be - and will he leave his horrible pop-star girlfriend and love her again instead?'

Meg's baby is always her priority, and the book spends quite a bit of time showing how responsible Meg is as a mother so it did focus on other themes other than romance, although I did find it all a little shallow.  There were a few bits in the book that puzzled me too.  Meg has a fling with someone mid-plot and Paige Toon hints at a past where this man had to fight for his living and mentions a distant look in his eyes - no further explanation is given.  I got the impression that the author had plans for this character that never actually got to print.

I suspect if you dream of one day living in LA surrounded by A-list premieres and sky blue swimming pools - you will absolutely love 'Baby Be mine.'  Meg is whisked away to beautiful locations on the back of a motorbike, is showered with gifts of new cars, credit cards with no limit and is treated to all the trappings that money can buy.  Every now and then I found myself rolling my eyes at the excessive luxury - but that is central to the plot so I suppose I can't complain too much.

Anyway!  Baby Be Mine was as addictive as an episode of Saturday night trashy TV, you can't tear your eyes away from it, but you know you should really be doing something useful like picking the blu-tac out of the carpet maybe.  This isn't a great book by my standards (but what do I know!), but it's certainly compulsive reading.  Go on...grab a copy and drift off into a lifestyle that most of us can only dream of!

If you'd like a copy of this book it is published by Simon and Schuster and can be found here for £5.91 (precisely).  Perfect for slotting into your beach bag as you saunter down to the sunbeds on your summer holidays.

All The Single Ladies - Jane Costello

All The Single Ladies  - Jane Costello

Before I start this review, let me just apologise in advance because... I just can't help myself here:

*sings Beyonce style whilst wearing ridiculously high heels and a dodgy black leotard that makes my bum look big* 'All the single ladies, All the single ladies, All the single ladies, All the single ladies......Oh Oh-oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh,OoOh, Oh-oh Oh!'  *waves a hand covered in tin foil cos I can't find a metal glove* 


There I've got that out of my system, now for my review.

Initial impressions, the cover is nice, it looks fun, light-hearted, girly and feminine.  There are three skinny women on the cover throwing love hearts around, there's also a recommendation from Cosmopolitan comparing this book to Sophie Kinsella.  All these things made me think that 'All The Single Ladies' would be fun, fashionable and maybe a bit too sickly sweet for me.  But no!  If this book was a sweet it would be caramel with a hint of sea salt - it's sweet, but not overbearingly so.

 All in all it was a fantastic read, I turned into a hermit for 48 hours and read as much as I could, whenever I could.   Jane Costello is obviously a very talented author and I'll certainly read her other books if I can get hold of any more of them.  I really admired her writing style, although she didn't go in for reams of character descriptions and oodles of adjectives - Jane Costello very carefully built up the scenes in the book and the main character's view through detailed, realistic dialogue.  I felt as if I was the invisible fourth friend in the group, sat listening in to their conversations as they gossiped and chatted about love, life and lots of things in-between.  Every character is given a back story and reads as if they were real.  This is a huge strength in this book and the main reason I loved it so much.

A plot summary! Samantha Brook's long term boyfried has left her, after having what can be summarised as a 'mid life crisis'  She is abolutely heart broken and with the support of her best friends Ellie and Jen, she vows to get him back at any cost.  If this means dating other men and parading them in front of him, or looking gorgeous in the places where he's most likely to be, or by pretending she's not heartbroken - then so be it!  Samantha throws herself into a full blown plan of action - her man will be hers again!  Or will he?

There are plot twists and turns you don't quite expect, and a lot of laughs along the way.  Within the story there are sub-plots too and it's not all as straightforward as you might think.  Yes, this is a romance, no this is not predictable.  I can't stand being able to predict what happens in a book, and this kept me guessing right up until the last page. This is Chicklit at its very best.

I'll give this a 9/10, I'm only deducting the one point because the book cover is generic and rather typical of this genre which I find a tad boring.   But.....this was the only flaw I could find.  A great read and one I'd recommend to anyone who loves light hearted romance, rounded characters and above all a good giggle.

If you'd like to buy a copy of this book you can find it here for £6.49.  Its a keeper!

P.S.  The spacing has gone nutty on this blog and I can't stop it from leaving irregular gaps. Sorry.  Blogger is being an arse.   Thanks for your patience :O)

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

The tag line is 'As summer ripens to autumn, will friendship blossom into love?'

Eek I thought!  It's a Mills n' Boon rip off.   I'm not saying I hate Mills and Boon, but you have to admit they're kind of predictable.  So, with very little enthusiasm I started turning the pages, after all Simon and Schuster were kind enough to send me the book:  the very least I could do was read and review it.  I expected a plot line you could fit on the back of a business card, but..........in actual fact the plot line could have been written on the back of maybe two business cards - this was forgivable though as it was a downright enjoyable read.

The characters are very likable and the situations they find themselves in are believable too.  I found the pace of the book good and wasn't tempted to skip pages at any point, and was really quite on the edge of my seat every now and then.  I'm not saying this is Tolstoy or anything, but this isn't bog standard crappy romance either.  Milly Johnson has a sense of humour which is reflected in her writing, and many of the situations had me chuckling away to myself.  She also writes with an enthusiasm that bounces you along with the plot. 

My only criticism is that there's too many wrestlers in it!  Yes I know that sounds bizarre.  From reading the intro to the book it seems Milly is a huge fan of wrestling and you can tell!  Towards the end of the book I began to wonder if the town they lived in was solely populated by wrestlers, even the florist was a wrestler! I know the main characters move in wrestling circles, but it all gets a bit much.  

Briefly summarised Florence, a writer of poetry for a card distributor, moves in with Juliet, an office worker who quietly lusts after her boss.  They become close friends and through a couple of plot twists and turns Juliet begins a relationship with Steve and Florence falls in love with Guy.  This is after they both experiment with Internet relationships that turn out to be rather dramatic dead ends. 

All in all, I had fun reading this book.  It had me smiling and laughing and I liked the characters. 'An Autumn Crush' is a lovely way to spend a good couple of hours curled up in front of a warm fire - ideally in Autumn when I should have reviewed this. (I am a bad book blogger! *slaps hand* 

If you would like a copy of this book it is published by Simon and Schuster and will set you back just £4.89.  It's a great read, even with all the wrestlers. 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

'Me Before You' by Jojo Moyes

If you only read one book this year, I recommend this one.  It is an absolute gem of a book and one that took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.  It truly is a 'I can't put it down, even to scratch my nose' kind of book. Loved it, loved it, loved it!

It's a little difficult to write about it in too much detail without spoiling the story for you, but I'll do my best.

The main characters are Lou Clark, a small town girl looking for a job; and Will Traynor who is a quadraplegic in need of constant care. As far as Lou is concerned she is employed by Will's mother to care for Will, make sure he's kept company and to do what she can to make his life comfortable.

Will is cast in a very tragic position, due to a horiffic accident where he was an innocent bystander.  He is left with almost no movement at all, from being a high powered company manager with a very active lifestyle and a new relationship he has become a prisoner in his own body unable even to feed himself.  Constantly ill, in pain and alone apart from carers and his immediate family, he is a shadow of his former self.

Gradually Lou and Will become friends and Lou begins to understand his situation a little more.  Eventually they become very close, and it becomes clear to both of them that they care more for each other than they would like to admit even to themselves.  In an attempt to restore Will's faith in life Lou arranges to take him on holiday to Mauritius where they realise that they cannot live and cannot live without each other.

This book is beautifully written and the characters become more alive on every page.  Lou is uncertain about herself and her abilities, but has untapped reserves of resilience, adaptability and a fabulous sense of humour.  She is also incredibly determined.  Will is a broken man, despite this he still retains a wry wit and an inquiring mind - which Lou does her best to fuel in an attempt to give him hope.

The tragedy is that there is no hope with this kind of injury and Will is trapped in his useless body.  He sees his only way out as death.

I laughed at the many jokes and funny situations in this book, I sobbed my heart out at the end and loved the characters as if they were friends of mine.  Me Before You is touching, tackles a very difficult subject, namely euthanasia, and is heartbreaking whilst still remaining life affirming.  I didn't think those two themes could work side-by-side, but they do here.  Perfectly.  Read it!

Many thanks to WHSmith for sending me this book as part of the Richard and Judy Book Club 2012, you can buy your own copy HERE for just £3.99 (on Sale).

Driving Over Lemons - An Optimist in Andalucia by Chris Stewart

Oh dear, has it really been that long since I posted a review?  I am a bad, bad, BAD book blogger.  I've been too busy reading books and not writing about them. I intend to remedy this!

So here we go!

Driving Over Lemons - An Optimist in Andalucia by Chris Stewart

Let's start at the very beginning, what is the book about?  Well....it's a non-fiction narrative about growing and ocassionally driving over lemons I suppose?  And setting up home in Andalucia in Las Alpujarras which is south of Granada.  This 'home' is actually a ramshackle farm without running water or electricity which Chris Stewart (the author) and his wife decide to fix up and turn into a working farm complete with sheep, lemon and olive groves, a couple of dogs, chickens and a lot of bugs by the sounds of it.

To be absolutely honest, it could actually be summarised as the written version of 'The Good Life' set somewhere much hotter and without the posh neighbours.  It's the sort of book that makes you want to sell all your earthly possessions, up-sticks and just go with the flow somewhere warm.  Or maybe that's just me.

There's the trials and tribulations of buying the property, living with the a previous owner who is too attached to his old home to move on, adventures in poultry keeping, sheep farming, house building, water walking (as in directing water to nourish plants, not as in Jesus & miracles), pig despatching, or is that dispatching.  I'm not sure if I've just typed about posting pigs via Royal Mail or killing them, it was the latter by the way. My english teacher would be tutting right about now.

I definitely enjoyed the book, it wasn't a 'I can't put it down' read, it was more of a relaxing meander through the pages. There are no huge heartbreaks, unless you count the death of their kitty which even then died of a surfeit of slightly dodgy smoked salmon - not a bad way to go for a cat with a taste for fish - just a journey through the days. I never felt my heart racing, wondering what would happen, but I did feel very engaged and entertained.  Imagine sitting on a National Express coach next to a really interesting person for 5 hours or so, telling you all about their life - that's the feeling I got from Driving Over Lemons.

This book is well written and has a light hearted, self deprecating sense of humour that appealed to me.  It did lack a little depth somehow, but that was almost the beauty of it.  You almost find yourself falling in love with the views that Chris describes, even though you've never seen them.  The people become familiar in the same way that they became familiar to Chris and his wife (and eventually his daughter who was born out there); it is a lilting narrative that drifts from one aspect of farm life to another.  There's no deep issues to make you think, no painful tugs on the heart strings, no huge belly laughs - but there is a quiet tale that draws you on till the very last page.  I was sad when the book ended, I wanted to know how life carried on.  Personally I think a book is a good book if you feel a pang of sadness when you realise there's no more to read.

Driving Over Lemons is a calm, optimistic, upbeat book about making the best of things and the best of people.  Definitely one to read and savour.  Apparently there is a sequel to the book, not that I'm hinting or anything......(Kay stares with lost puppy eyes at WHSmith ;O)

WHSmith.co.uk sent me a copy to read for review purposes, and for that I am very thankful!  Thank you! If you'd like your own copy they have them on sale HERE for £4.91

RHS Growing Vegetables & Herbs

RHS Growing Vegetables & Herbs

Now I'm no expert alottmenter (alottmenteer?), in fact I'm an absolute amateur.  I only began growing my own fruit and vegetables about a year and half ago and it's been a voyage of discovery, paved with greenfly and bamboo stakes.  It's been fun, but it has been difficult to know what to do or how to do things at times.  There's a plethera of information out there, in the form of books, websites, hints & tips from fellow gardeners etc - and I for one, have been mightily confused sometimes.  That's why a book like this is so helpful, it's all in one place and it works very much like a reference book.  I suspect I'll be referring to, and re-reading it for many growing years to come. 

RHS Growing Vegetables & Herbs is set out in a very practical way.  It begins with a chapter called 'Why grow your own?', moving onto 'Rules & Tools,' then onto 'Crop Protection' before digging into the subject of how to grow almost every vegetable I think I've ever heard of (and some I haven't!).    This is a very easy to follow format and one that lends itself to both casual browsing and more indepth reading.  I've found myself flicking through and gleaning tid-bits of information from the specific veg growing chapters, and spending a little longer reading and learning about the types of soil, digging techniques and protected cropping and other more general gardening topics.  It is a both a good read, and a great gardening resource. 

The illustrations and diagrams are clear too.  It always helps to actually see how things are done, as well as having techniques described.  This book includes a 'Sowing Guide' which will come in very handy, a 'Glossary' for those of us who don't know their 'Topdressing' from their 'Tilth' (namely me) and practical, down to earth advice.  

One thing I noticed which I particularly like, is that the chapters are subtly colour coded.  So if you're amidst a mass seeding frenzy and you need a little advice, you don't have to flick through the page numbers whilst scattering soil everywhere - if you know the book well enough you can quickly skip to the bit you need. 

In summary!  If I said this book was a 'grower' would you throw plant-pots at me?

RHS Growing Vegetables & Herbs was sent to me by Octopus Publishing to review.

On Nature, Unexpected Ramblings on the British Countryside

On Nature, Unexpected Ramblings on the British Countryside

I could not have been sent a more appropriate book for my interests than 'On Nature, Unexpected Ramblings on the British Countryside'.  There is almost nothing that fascinates me more than nature and the natural world.  I quite literally rubbed my hands together and squealed when this arrived in the post.

This book is written by a diverse smattering of writers from many backgrounds, all of which are anchored by their love of the British countryside.  It has been compiled by 'Caught by the River'  which is a website equally interesting and well worth a look around.  Link is above if you're curious!

Personally I thought the range of writers and their sometimes dramatically contrasting writing styles was a winning combination.  It was never, at any point boring, and at no junction did I consider skipping a few pages to find a more interesting bit.  The writers, to list them are (deep breath): Stuart Maconie, Chris Yates, Bill Drummond, Charles Rangeley-Wilson, Colin Elford, Martin Noble, Ceri Levy Tracey Thorn John Wright, Richard Adams, John Andrews, Jon Berry, Sarah Boden, Mathew Clayton, Mark Dredge, Paul Evans, Harry Griffin, Nick Hand, Dan Kieran, Richard King, Dexter Petley, Nick Small and Michael Smith.  (Bet you couldn't say all that one in one go!)  Some of the names you may recognise, others are less familiar, but equally worth their place here.

Each and every single writer is passionate about their topic and it really shows. Speaking of which, the subjects range from the experiences of a falconer; how to catch trout; a man's obsession with damsons; night fishing, the language we use to describe nature and habitat; how to be a lazy naturalist and far, far more.  I don't want to list them all for fear of spoiling the surprise in case you decide to buy this book - because I have to say each new chapter is like opening a brown paper parcel that's just arrived in the post.  You really have no idea what to expect.  Obviously the theme is nature, but the spread of interests covered is huge.

There were a few stand out favourites for me.  I loved the chapter entitled 'The Lazy Naturalist' by Nick Small.  It appealed to my lax attitude to observing nature.  Never in all my years have I set out with a pair of binoculars and sat in a bush for hours observing birds on a lake noting types of swans and marking them off in my bird book / bible - which is something I think a proper dyed-in-the-wool bird-watcher probably does.  I'm far more likely to casually stand in front of our kitchen window observing blue tits and sparrows bickering over stale bread.  However this make me no less enthusiastic about our feathered friends than the true 'twitcher' as I believe they're called.   Nick Small seems to share my thoughts exactly.  You don't necessarily have to go to Outer Mongolia to watch fan tailed eagles soaring overhead to satisfy an interest in nature, you can find so much simply in your back yard.

Another one that really intrigued me was 'On the Road to Damascus' by Bill Drummond.  You might not know the name, but if I said KLF and the 'Justified Ancients of MuMu' that might ring a few bells?  You really wouldn't expect to see him here would you, but this is the nature of the book; it is exactly as it says  in the title: 'Unexpected'.  Bill appears to have an absolute, almost pathological passion for Damsons.  He doesn't just say 'I like damsons, you can use them in gin or jam' though - he interweaves them through periods of his life, how damsons were grown at his old house whilst talking about old relationships and the history of the house for example.  He uses damsons, of all things, as a narrative tool.  Very, very clever!

Throughout the book there are beautifully simple, eye-catching, black and white illustrations. They are in themselves a feature that add so much, and I loved finding them at the start of each new chapter.  These served as a preamble for what was to come, and captured the spirit of each tale very neatly.

'On Nature' is unique, originally and exquisitely written and makes for brilliant reading.  I'd recommend it to anyone.  If you don't have an enthusiasm for nature when you start reading this, you will have by the end of it.  10/10 :O)

Sex Counsel - Suzi Godson

Sex Counsel - Suzi Godson

Now this is rather embarrassing, this book looks very well read and quite battered really, and considering the topic I'm a little sheepish about the condition it has ended up in.  In my defense, this is because it has been the perfect bathroom book.  It has sat on the shelves behind the loo and has been read in short bursts so to speak! This has also meant that it has showered accidentally, and chucked on the floor in puddles of soapy water by the kids on ocassions.  My youngest can't read so well, so it wasn't an inappropriate book to leave hanging around by the way, before you raise your eyebrows at me!

I did enjoy reading this book, Suzi Godson is a very insightful, witty, helpful person by the sounds of things.   She is The Times sex and relationships expert and in my simple terms, that means she is a posh agony aunt!  The book is set out in 21 sections, each of which features questions sent in by readers on that particular topic; these range from queries on 'Orgasms, inequities & Oscar Winning Peformances' to 'Age, expectations & dancing naked in the Himalayas with lesbian sheep farmers.'  As you can see, it is written with humour, but that humour is peppered with  sensible, practical advice that is well written and shows a great deal of understanding for the human condition in relation to sexual queries and complications.  

All manner of issues are written about in a question and answer format.  I think my favourite question is: 'I have developed a fetish for black rubber, to the extent that I practically live in black wellies.  How can I persuade my girlfriend to share my kink?'.   Now, me being the insensetive soul I am....I'd probably just giggle uncontrollably and make innappropriate jokes about sheep; but Sophie Godson actually discusses how people hide their fetishes and how that deceit can affect trust in a relationships, why people develop fascinations with kinks, how best to begin a discussion about such thing  with a partner and is generally frank and helpful.  

This is the beauty of the book, it deals with potentially embarrasing questions that people simply don't feel comfortable asking or talking about, not even with their partners or in the case of sexual dysfuctions, with their GP's.  Sophie listens carefully to each query, whether it be about porn, fantasies, kinks, impotency, sexual peformance, sex toys and is unfailingly entertaining and understanding with her observations and advice.

Sex Counsel deals with a huge range of questions, all answered in detail, with sensetivity and humour.  It's easy to read, and a book that's very easy to dip in and out of, which is appropriate at least! (ahem!)  I'd certainly recommend it as an interesting read!

On the back cover page it says 'Within 48 hours your sex life will be transformed forever.....it's a promise' - Daily Mirror.  Well, I'm certainly not telling you if this book does what it says on the cover or not, because I'm a prude probably - but that's a huge recommendation from the Daily Mail at least!

Many thanks to Octopus Books for forwarding Sex Counsel for reviewing purposes.

Santa Montefiore - The House by the Sea

Simon & Schuster sent me this book, and it claims to be 'the star of the summer' - I think they may be right.  If this isn't a 'Beach book' I don't know what one is!  I suspect there'll be a great many of these sold at airports and shoved into hand luggage for reading on a sunbed a couple of hours later.  And rightly so!  

I enjoyed this book and found it an easy read, with a plot that was simple to follow and with characters I quite liked.  The language is straightforward and you can pick this book up, put it down, drink your Sangria, go for a swim in the pool and pick it back up where you left off - effortless reading!  I have to say I loved and was frustrated in equal measure at the flowery descriptions 'The House by the Sea' specialises in.  Sometimes it was lovely to lose myself in the endless countryside descriptions, and at other times I found myself itching to skip the adjectives and find a few more verbs!  It was a bit slow moving sometimes, but then again, I think that's one of the reasons why the book is such a relaxing read.

The simplicity of it all is very attractive.  There are two storylines that work side by side, eventually linking up at the end, when all the loose ends are neatly tied up in a tidy bow.  This is a nice touch, as it does keep you guessing throughout.  I was very curious about how the characters in such different parts of the world were connected and it was very satisfying to see how deftly the author drew all the threads of the stories together.  

To summarize the plot (whilst trying not to spoil it for you...), a small orphan girl becomes friends with an older boy from a rich family, over the years that friendship blossoms into love in the midst of a lush Tuscan landscape.  The girl becomes pregnant and for her own safety is whisked away to begin another life, having to leave her baby and her lover behind.

The other storyline involves a hotel in Devon called the Polzanze, where they are struggling to make ends meet.  They employ an artist to conduct drawing lessons in an attempt to bring in custom, and he inadvertantly falls in love with Clementine, the step-daughter of the owner.  This is a rocky romance that mis-starts a number of times, while Clementine struggles to recognise her feelings and the artist (Rafa) struggles to keep his reasons for being at the hotel a secret.  Marina (the co-owner with her husband Grey) has her own hidden past which gradually reveals itself as the book progresses. 

'The House By The Sea' does all end happily, I don't think I'm ruining anything by telling you that - this is one of the charms of this book.  The whole story is 'nice', in fact I'd go so far as to say it is sugary sweet if I'm giving my personal opinion - perhaps a bit of grittiness would have grounded it in reality a little more.  Still, if you're the kind of person who loves a good romance and a happy ending, you can't go wrong with this novel.

In summary, it's a summer blockbuster!  There's enough interest to keep you reading, the characters are of different ages and at different stages of life so there's something there for everyone. Mind you, I'd be more than surprised to see any men reading this on the airplane home back from Costa del Packet.  The main themes are true love, loss, secrets, passion and if I had do describe this book in terms of a colour, I'd say it was pink - very pink!  It is a very feminine book destined to accompany a golden tan and a swimming pool.

'Silly Moo - A lift the flap book' by Karen King (illustrated by Marina le Ray)

Top That Publishing!

‘Silly Moo, A lift the flap book’ 

Top That Publishing have sent me three lovely books to review – this was first off the pile.

It is written by Karen King and is illustrated by Marina le Ray and has a very amusing little message on the back of the book:

The back cover reads ‘WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years’

The book is 10 x 10 inches, and has fold out flaps – it doesn’t look like a choking hazard to me. Mind you, it could be a risk if your child is prone to ripping books up into tiny pieces and eating them.

I love the book already! (I’m very sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing at my own jokes)

Both my kids seem to like this book, and have brought it over to me to read, several times since it arrived last week. My 5 year old daughter in particular likes it, and S drew on it, so I’m taking that as a stamp of approval.

It has a matt hardback cover, with nicely toned colours on, and the pages feel very sturdy so I think this should be a book that will last a while. The reason they are so sturdy is because each page appears to be made of thin card, rather than paper, and each has a fold out flap. My kids wreck flimsy books, often within weeks, so I welcome hardy books like this. I can think of at least 3 destroyed pop up books that have been bought as presents over the last few years, some didn’t even survive 24 hours.

This is why fold out flaps are a lasting favourite, they are very simple and effective. They don’t encourage children to yank at pages and pull books in bits like the aforementioned. My only criticism is that I have to lift the flaps, neither of my two have nails that can lift the edges. I feel this is a bit of a drawback as I like them to be able to read and look at books on their own as well as when they’re with me.

The book tells the tale of a cow that is hit on the head with an apple, and therefore can’t remember where she lives. She wanders around the farm yardlooking for her home, and tries other animals’ homes to see if they fit – with comic effect. D thought the bit where the cow got her head stuck in a rabbit hole was very funny. At this point I should really warn you - this review contains spoilers ;o)

The cow, named ‘Silly Moo’ because she keeps attempting to fit herself in inappropriately sized homes, is eventually hit over the head again by an apple wielded by a helpful hen. ‘Silly Moo’ is apparently cured, but is later found in the farmer’s bed, to the Farmer’s annoyance. The cow is led back to a field, where he is again hit over the head with an apple – I can only presume that there will be a sequel….

D has asked many questions about amnesia since reading this book, a subject I didn’t expect a children’s book to raise to be honest. I suspect the next time she falls over she’ll claim not to know her name or something, and will also conveniently forget how to tidy her room. Hold on a second, she’s already ‘forgotten’ how to tidy her room, so there’ll be no change there then!

All in all, I quite liked the book and so did D & S. It is pretty enough, with friendly colours and cute animals and the fold out pages add novelty too. It is £7.99, but it is a fairly big book and is obviously good quality, so I think the price is justified. It would make a lovely birthday or Christmas present. Having said that, I don’t think it’s anything reeeealy amazing, but it’s definitely something that’s nice to pick up every now and then.

Here's a link to their site: www.topthatpublishing.com/

*This review has been posted in retrospect

 - all promotion details are now out of date 

- however, it is still a really lovely book and one to look out for!*

 Barefoot Books - The Story Tree - Tales to Read Aloud

At this time of year, I start looking thinking about ....(dare I whisper it......) Christmas.  It comes around all too quickly and every year I decide I'll be more organised and get all my presents bought and wrapped by December 1st.  That has always been the plan!  Carrying out the plan is a different matter entirely and usually I end up panic buying stocking fillers in pound shops and grabbing stuff that will 'do' from high street shops at the last minute.  To my great shame, I bought my husband a meercat last year.  He's not a fan of cuddly teddies, or meercats, I just lost it whilst wandering around Toys r Us in late December.  So, my point is -   I publicly declare...this year will be different!  No more meercats!

My first task is to put together the kid's stockings - In particular, I love buying new books to roll up and slot in the top of them.  I used to treasure the ones I got in my stocking when I was a kid because they were 'special' ones that Father Christmas had brought for me.  Even now I can remember reading stories about 'Pip' the fairy, written by Enid Blyton, in my mind's eye I can still see it poking out of the top of the old grey woollen stocking my sister and I used to tie at the bottom of our beds.  I always think books are wonderful presents that last the test of time, if they are loved and appreciated they are read and re-read and passed on through the years.  Plastic toys get broken, chocolate gets gobbled, but books tend to last.  

If you want to get on with organising Christmas in advance too and if you have kids, maybe you'd like to consider Barefoot Books?  I have in my possession a copy of 'The Story Tree' Tales to Read Aloud retold by Hugh Lupton, and illustrated by Sophie Fatus which comes complete with CD and absolutely gorgeous illustrations.  Personally I think this would roll up perfectly and fit in the top of any child's stocking and make for a very lovely gift.    It also comes with a CD at the back of the book, so you can tuck your children into bed on the night of the 25th and they can listen to the dulcit tones of Hugh Lupton reading the tales, leaving you to crawl downstairs and drink a well earned glass of sherry.

This book is written for children under five apparently, but my daughter is beyond that age and still thinks this book is fantastic.  I read a few stories and both she and her brother actually sat still, didn't try and attack each other for once, and actually listened to the tales and commented on the illustrations.  A little island of calm for a couple of minutes at least.  

There are 64 pages, and 7 stories originating from all around the world.   There's the 'Three Billy Goats Gruff' from Norway, 'The Magic Porridge Pot' from Germany, Monkey-See, Monkey-Do from India, 'The Sweetest Song' from Africa / America, 'Little Red Hen' from Blighty and 'The Blue Coat' which is a Jewish tale.   Every single page is illustrated with people and animals and places, all in great detail.  The perfect bedtime book!  And I'm not just saying that because I'm reviewing it, it genuinely is.

If you would like a copy you can click on this link to access the online shop :Barefoot Books.    Speaking from personal experience, the delivery is quick, the packaging appropriate, and the price reasonable.  Start your stocking shopping early!

This month Barefoot Books (through this link only) are also offering to donate 10% of all profits to the NSPCC - in addition to this every person who places an order this month will have their name put into a hat and will have a chance at winning a £20 voucher of their choice.

One lucky person can have this book free of charge though!  I have the review copy to give away.  All you need to do is comment and follow this blog by clicking on the 'Sign Me Up!' button. Please remember to put your Twitter or Facebook name on here.  To make the comments more interesting I'd like you to mention on of your favourite ever stocking presents.  Books aside, I used to love licorice swirls with sweets in the middle, they made my tongue go black which I always thought was amazing!  Simple pleasures eh!

I'll choose a lucky winner on the 1st December.  :O)

'Rivers: A Voyage into the Heart of Britain - by Griff Rhys Jones

Rivers: A Voyage into the Heart of Britain - by Griff Rhys Jones 

One of the simple pleasures in my life is a walk, I find open skies and hills quite literally 'restore my soul'.  Having two kids and responsibilities does mean that I can't always tip them out the door and go trekking unfortunately, but if it's persisting it down with icy rain on a cold winter's day, this book is the perfect half-way house.  A quick dose of CBeebies and a snatched half an hour with a book such as this is not a bad alternative to a walk.  It features everything I love about a relaxed amble by waterways and with the dry, witty and informed company of Griff Rhys Jones.

This book is the background and the accompaniment to the TV series 'Rivers', presented by Griff Rhys Jones.  He travels along sections of British rivers via all manner of craft, ranging from canoes to barges with a chocolate labrador for company, whilst chatting and mulling over the history of these places and sometimes environmental issues.

It is quite a slow moving book that diverts and dabbles with lots of different water related subjects, which suits me fine.  This is the perfect pick up / put down / pick up again read - I often find books that race along exhausting and the cause of late night reading leading to shattered bleary eyed mornings.  There's a lot to be said for a calm read, which this most certainly is.

Griff Rhys Jones is quietly a very funny man, not one of these celebrities that make you fall over laughing maybe (well, in my opinion that is), but I do find his self deprecating, wry sense of humour really amusing.  He seems to have quite strong opinions on some subjects, for example wind and water power - which he's honest about, and his thoughts and observations are very interesting to read as a result.  All in all, I've gained a new respect for this author and presenter.  I'd never read any of his books before this one, and had never really seen any of his recent programmes either - but I'll definitely go and dig them out now.

Rivers is a lovely, meandering book that is funny and interesting - with the added bonus of beautiful photographs and some fascinating old maps.  I'd definitely recommend reading it if you have an interest in places, people, history and the environment and boats of course!

This book can be bought from WHSmith for £16.98 if you're interested in getting hold of a copy.

Magnetic 'Funny Monsters' and 'Funny Pets'

Top That Publishing!

Magnetic 'Funny Monsters' and 'Funny Pets' 

 

Top That Publishing sent me two books to review, these are Magnetic ‘Funny Monsters’ and ‘Funny Pets.’  Both shown below!

On the Funny Monsters book it says to ‘Mix and match the magnets to make funny monsters’ and it says almost exactly the same thing on the ‘Funny Pets’ book; apart from it says you make ‘Funny pets’ on that one – funnily enough.

They are basically the same book except one has pets, and the other has monsters. Both are traditional favourites with kids, so it’s all good so far.

The books are glossy and hardback; and the pages are quite thick card, which means they’ll survive longer than your average flimsy paper books.

I love the idea too - basically you have to put the magnetic eyes, ears, noses, wings, monster tongues, eyebrows etc etc, onto basic monster / pet face shapes. You can create the faces as they are shown on the back cover (ie, put rabbit features on the rabbit, or sad monster features on the sad monster) or you can go freestyle! S and D have both made bizarre critters, as we have both books we now have pets that look like monsters and vice versa. They’ve merrily swapped all the magnetic features between the books. Share and share alike!

The magnetic pieces have actually been shared out throughout the house now. I have monster faces on the radiator, and half a rabbits face on the washing machine at present. This is the only problem with books like these, little magnetic pieces are easily lost and misplaced – we have exactly the same issues with jigsaws and self-assembly toys that are disassembled and scattered all over the living room as soon as they’re taken off the shelf. I’ve already nearly hoovered an eye or two.

If you have a tidy house and tidy kids, maybe you won’t have this issue. I just know that any toys with detachable bits, drive me a bit mad. Having said that I still love these books, and at £4.99 a pop, they’re great little stocking fillers (sighs….I cannot believe that little phrase is running around my head already!)

'Last chance to See' by Mark Carwardine, foreword by Stephen Fry

'Last Chance to See' by Mark Carwardine,

foreword by Stephen Fry

Surely you must have listened to Desert Island Discs, even if only just the once? Do you remember the bit where they ask which book you would take with you if you were abandoned on a tropical island?  Well, this is my choice.   Maybe I'd smuggle 'Dog Walks Man' in my hand luggage too, I'm presuming they wouldn't search my bags beforehand?

This book is written by Mark Carwardine, a regular contributor to BBC Wildlife and an avid conservationist.  He describes his travels with Stephen Fry (you can't not know who Stephen Fry is!) around the world visiting exotic locations where there are endangered animals, or even fairly recently extinct animals.

The background is that Mark Carwardine travelled with Douglas Adams (Hitch Hikers Trilogy in four parts author)  twenty years prior to the publication of the book 'Last Chance to See' shown above.  So you see, the book I am reviewing is actually the sequel to the one shown below. Both books are literary wildlife gems that you cannot afford to miss out on if you have an interest in the natural world. I highly recommend that you read the Douglas Adams Last Chance to See book before you read the sequel with Stephen Fry.

Read this first!

In the book I was sent by WHSmiths, Mark Carwardine and Stephen Fry travel to various part of the world to revisit the places mentioned in the book above.  They aim to see how the endangered animals have fared in 20 years, have conservation efforts been successful or otherwise?  In some cases, the news is good and in some cases it isn't.

I had joyful moments and very sad moments whilst reading this.  It's uplifting to see how hard people work to preserve our irreplaceable wildlife, and yet heartbreaking to see how some efforts are simply all in vain.  It's an emotional book in that respect, but there are so many more facets to it - there's information about habitat, details about ongoing conservation projects, tales of exotic travel and in the middle of all of this is Stephen Fry who makes it all endlessly entertaining.

The photography is amazing.  It really is a visually beautiful book that is a pleasure to browse.   'Last Chance to See' is well written and has the perfect balance of facts, humour and photography.  I love this book unreservedly.  Even if nature books aren't really your thing, I'd recommend giving this a go.  The tales of travel and animal escapades make for really interesting and fun reading.  Not to be missed!  The only downside to the book is that it doesn't go on forever, I was so sad to reach the last page.

Thank you to WHSmiths for sending me this gorgeous book to review.  If you would like a copy of your own, you can find it here for £14, and if you'd like a copy of the first Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams, it's £5.99

'Dog Walks Man' by John Zeaman

'Dog Walks Man' by John Zeaman

This book is quite simply lovely.  I want to gush and say it was wonderful, and fabulous and heart-wrenching, but that would be far too overstated for a book such as this.  In my opinion, if this book was to be personified, it would just blush shyly and say 'It was nothing!' if I did.  So I shall say it was lovely so as not to embarrass the book further and leave it at that - whilst still recommending that anyone and everyone should read it, preferably a minimum of  five times, and then that they should memorize it so they can recite paragraphs at will.  It's really that good!

Dog Walks Man is subtly brilliant and I loved it, start to finish.  I read the last pages only a couple of weeks ago, but would quite happily re-read it even now whilst it is fresh in my memory.  The tag line is 'A Six-Legged Odyssey' which gives an inkling of the wit that lies within the book.  After all it is about dog walking isn't it?  Surely a dog walk couldn't be an 'Odyssey' could it?  Is an amble around the park really a huge adventure?  The answer is that it depends on how you look at it.

Throughout this book the author allows the reader to see a dog walk through his keen eyes,  to appreciate his sense of humour and to share in his observations.  He also introduces you to his family a little, fellow dog walkers, their doggy charges and the different places he strolls around.  Most importantly he waxes lyrical about his dog 'Pete' (named after a character in Ghostbusters 'Peter Venkman') and their time together.

Don't you just love the sillhouette on the back!

Something I particularly loved about this book was its simplicity.  The author does not scale mountains in snowstorms with his trusty dog by his side and boast about the views - he goes out to let Pete do his business and to stretch his legs, just as every other dog walker in the world does.  Yet he still makes the walk seem as interesting and informative as if he had been writing about ascending Everest - in a very understated, calm, witty way.

Personally I love walking, crappy weather and appropriate clothing permitting of course -so this book was bound to agree with me really.  I also devour travel books given half a chance, and although this was inherently a book about short dog walks around an american neibourhood - it definitely held me in the same thrall as, say, a book about hiking through Patagonia might.  Apologies to anyone who thinks that sounds like the most boring book ever, I unashamedly adore that kind of thing.

The author, John Zeaman, includes funny anecdotes (you cannot fail to laugh at the bit where Pete finds a huge black vibrator and refuses to stop carrying it) and sad moments that had me wiping tears on my sleeve and weeping like a baby.   I felt genuinely privelidged to read the book and to share some of the details of Pete and the author's life, seeing ups and downs and descriptions of the days.

Many, many thanks to Octopus Books for sending me this to review.  I shall guard it with my life!  It's a very special book and my life's all the richer for having read it.

If you'd like to purchase your own copy you can find it HERE, and it retails at £7.99.

'Hic' by Jaclin Azoulay - Top That Publishing

'Hic' by Jaclin Azoulay - Top That Publishing

I'm really pleased to announce that Top That Publishing have chosen to me work as part of their mummy blogging review team.  My children will be book guinea pigs, as well as little book worms!  I will be trying out Top That Publishing's books on Sausage and Darlek and I'll let you know what they think of them, and my thoughts as a mum too.

So here goes!  Dive in at the deep end!  This is one of the books  they sent me last week. It is called 'Hic!' and is about hiccups, surprisingly enough!

Excuse you! Hic....hic....hic....

Snuffletrump the piglet was very sad.  It seems like everyone has forgotten his birthday, and he has only hiccups instead of cards and presents and a party.  He goes off to try and rid himself of the pesky hiccups by riding on the horse at the farm, by drinking milk from the cow by standing on his head drinking from a glass and even accepts help from the hens (who are secretly laughing at him - meanies!) who tell him he needs to juggle eggs to stop hiccuping.

The poor love ends up covered in milk, splattered with eggs, bounced about by the horse and still has hiccups......until....he finds out he has a surprise birthday party! His birthday hasn't been forgotten after all and because it was all such a surprise, his hiccups are gone.

It's a lovely simple story, illustrated with cute, cuddly friendly looking farm animals.  The colours are lush and warm looking, and there's really nothing to fault!  The subject matter is naturally funny, and it's great to read out loud.  Both kids liked this book, and giggled at the 'Hic!' bits, it's a nice bed time story, or even one for after lunch when they've eaten their food too quickly and have the same problem as Snuffletrump.

Should you decide to buy this book, it retails at £5.39 and can be found HERE at Top That Publishing's website. It's a good read, and I always think books such as these make great birthday party presents if you're stuck for inspiration.