tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218708452024-03-08T00:48:12.889+00:00Anne Brooke BooksANNE BROOKE BOOKS:
Independent writer of modern fictionAnne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.comBlogger1877125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-559061454455216882017-03-27T20:42:00.003+00:002017-03-27T20:42:25.088+00:00Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty: terrific comedy thriller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>They say trouble always comes in threes. . .</b></div>
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For sisters Lyn, Cat and Gemma Kettle, the year they turn thirty-three is no exception.</div>
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Sensible Lyn is struggling to balance being a mother, wife and businesswoman without losing her mind. Cat, whose perfect marriage is the envy of all her friends, never suspects that her husband has been hiding a secret that will tear her life apart. Directionless Gemma changes jobs and boyfriends every few months and has just met a new man who could be the one to unlock her hidden past.</div>
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Through everything, the bonds of the sisters are strong enough to withstand whatever life throws at them. That is until the night of their thirty-fourth birthday dinner, when home truths are revealed and things are said that can't be taken back . . .</div>
<u>My mini review:</u><br />
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A great book with an excellent understanding of the tugs of love and hate that run through families and which are both appalling and highly amusing. The relationship between the triplets, Lyn, Cat and Gemma is excellent and I loved all three of them - both together and apart. They all had fabulous stories to tell, and the plot lines were gripping.<br />
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The only place I felt let down was the career resolution for Cat which is now so cliched (and totally unrealistic ...) that it makes my skin itch - another career should have been found and surely wouldn't have been too hard to do! Otherwise, a great 4-star read.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-38309927290477034382017-03-18T10:34:00.001+00:002017-03-18T10:39:13.007+00:00From Loneliness to Love: Daily Meditations from The Book of RuthI'm happy to say I have a new book out, especially for women. Because we're worth it!...<br />
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<i>From Loneliness to Love: Daily Meditations from The Book of Ruth</i>: a series of daily meditations from the Book of Ruth, written especially for women.</div>
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Each day focuses on a section of this incredibly moving story, highlights the main themes arising from the passage and ends with a prayer to help you grow closer to God.</div>
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Subjects for meditation and prayer include grief, hope, trust and love.</div>
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<a href="http://mybook.to/Ruth" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 47) !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Buy the ebook at Amazon</a></div>
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It costs 99p as an ebook.</div>
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<a href="http://mybook.to/RuthPB" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 47) !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Buy the paperback at Amazon</a></div>
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It costs £2.99 as a paperback.</div>
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Happy reading!</div>
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<a href="http://www.biblicalfiction.co.uk/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke: Biblical Fiction</a></div>
Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-58434202905787011852017-03-10T21:07:00.003+00:002017-03-10T21:07:53.916+00:00The Roundabout Man by Clare Morrall: a compassionate and gripping read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY-ZMv6vtIPojydEOYAxeOTWOsG9RFOuv8ctrjCpJ5KoR5J6dthe3dRt6KUMd4vNVzW_jsMk1GoyoP35EFBgeiTNGORGd_e6qOHkBN2QH3Axn2cuZb2G5PG1WWjvdL17wIJ6Y3Q/s1600/morrall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY-ZMv6vtIPojydEOYAxeOTWOsG9RFOuv8ctrjCpJ5KoR5J6dthe3dRt6KUMd4vNVzW_jsMk1GoyoP35EFBgeiTNGORGd_e6qOHkBN2QH3Axn2cuZb2G5PG1WWjvdL17wIJ6Y3Q/s200/morrall.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1261953804"></span><span id="goog_1261953805"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Who is the Roundabout Man? He calls himself Quinn, the name of a boy in a world-famous series of children's books. What he hopes no one will discover is that he's the real Quinn, immortalised as a child by his mother in her entrancing tales about a little boy's adventures with his triplet sisters.</span><br />
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My review:<br />
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It's always been an utter mystery to me why Clare Morrall isn't more widely known as she's one of the best living writers we have in the UK. Her books are always a joy to read and this one is no exception. Morrall dissects the convoluted life of Quinn gently and with great compassion, and his life, both as a child and an adult, rings clear and true.<br />
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It's a gripping and humane story, and I loved it. I'm already looking forward to her next book!<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-34852423734136015652017-03-02T18:41:00.002+00:002017-03-02T18:41:42.562+00:00Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty: first-class psychological thriller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="freeText17676886273767290554" style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Yvonne Carmichael sits in the witness box. The charge is murder. Before all of this, she was happily married, a successful scientist, a mother of two. Now she's a suspect, squirming under fluorescent lights and the penetrating gaze of the alleged accomplice who's sitting across from her, watching: a man who's also her lover. As Yvonne faces hostile questioning, she must piece together the story of her affair with this unnamed figure who has charmed and haunted her. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This is a tale of sexual intrigue, ruthless urges, and danger, which has blindsided her from a seemingly innocuous angle. Here in the courtroom, everything hinges on one night in a dark alley called <i>Apple Tree Yard.</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<u>Review</u>:<br />
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It's a very different book from the recent TV series (which I also loved). This is far darker and more dangerous and deeper, and I much prefer it! I enjoyed the fact that the main character, Yvonne, is neither particularly likeable, nor particularly honest, but her voice is just so strong that she becomes an absolutely gripping character and I couldn't put the book down.<br />
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The writing is both detailed and precisely fitted both to the characterisation and the flow of the story which makes for a first-class read. Doughty is now on my reading list and I will definitely be getting more of her books.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-31290222115866908512017-02-17T14:15:00.001+00:002017-02-17T14:15:15.903+00:00The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton: a book of two halves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office--leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist--an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Johannes' gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand--and fear--the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?</span><br />
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<u>Review:</u><br />
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This is an interesting and brave book but it doesn't quite work; it's definitely a book of two halves, which don't hang together. The Nella of the first half is dull and weak, whereas the Nella of the second half is very feisty and gripping. I think there should have been more of the hint of feistiness in the first half to try to hold the book together. It's also fair to say that the writing of the first half is very long-winded, but suddenly when the plot actually begins half way through, this is when the story starts to sing.<br />
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I did have to say that I guessed about the baby issue long before Nella realised, so it was no surprise and really something of a cliche. Strangely, the story about the miniaturist is rather out of place and tends to slow the book down - we didn't need this and it all fades out into something nonsensical in the end anyway. Still, the portrait of a new and challenging marriage and the fabulous writing in the last few chapters of the book make this worth reading, but probably best to start halfway through.<br />
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3 out of 5 stars<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-45443123168437754602017-02-03T15:33:00.000+00:002017-02-03T15:33:12.218+00:00Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult: no 'Mockingbird" alas ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When a newborn baby dies after a routine hospital procedure, there is no doubt about who will be held responsible: the nurse who had been banned from looking after him by his father. </div>
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What the nurse Ruth, her lawyer Kennedy, and Turk the father of the child cannot know is how this death will irrevocably change all of their lives, in ways both expected and not.</div>
<u>My review:</u><br />
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On the whole, this book is a disappointment especially as usually I really love Picoult's books. This is definitely not her best and not even her most far-reaching work. The trouble is that the author has been so taken up by the nobility of her cause (campaigning against racism) that she has forgotten to write a novel. Most of the first three-quarters of the book could have been better expressed by means of non-fiction, and I felt that the material was being forced into a novelistic form which it definitely did not fit. As a result, Ruth is very dull and irritating and needs a good shaking every now and again - she repeats herself constantly and I ended up skipping her sections in order to read the sections on Turk or Kennedy, which were better written by far.<br />
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It's a great relief when the court scenes finally arrive in the last quarter of the book, and Picoult actually starts writing the novel rather than beating us over our heads with her cause. From then on in, I enjoyed the story, and it raced through to the dramatic (and, yes, a wee bit laughable) end. Ruth of course remains unbearably smug, but I loved the way things turn out for Turk. He at least is a great character.<br />
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I hope Picoult will remember to let the story and the characters (not the cause, please!) take centre stage for her next novel - a return to form would be appreciated!<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-67764207964578965592017-01-07T16:27:00.003+00:002017-01-07T16:27:59.433+00:00Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz: interesting but unsatisfying thriller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sherlock Holmes is dead. </div>
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Days after Holmes and his arch-enemy Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives from New York. The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum which has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind.</div>
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Ably assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes's methods of investigation and deduction, Chase must hunt down this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace. </div>
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The game is afoot . . .</div>
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<u>My review:</u><br />
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Having loved the first book in this series, <i>The House of Silk </i>(well worth a read if you've not done so already), I was really looking forward to this follow up and read the whole story very quickly as a result. It's not entirely what I expected - yes, the description is fabulous and you do really feel as if you're walking through Victorian London with all the sights, sounds and smells that entails. The plot is also first-rate.<br />
<br />
However, neither Holmes nor Watson appear in the novel until the very end (via a curious short story addendum) and there is therefore a great sense of frustration. The level of violence is also more than is necessary to my mind and I didn't need to have such detailed descriptions of it. The ultimate twist is good, but not what I hoped for and the end is ultimately very unsatisfying indeed. If there's a third book, then we do really need to have Holmes and Watson in it! Please?...<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-46617505992168697932017-01-02T13:11:00.001+00:002017-01-02T13:11:26.157+00:00The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft: psychological page-turner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDnF0tOQU13Gloy3G2ye7-FVrcrofrkOREv3GNTMk8boSFGPSyRjGWiB8ecr230soviXu5KsDVWd5B9Tk6DO9ENTeve_DUsQccCHTmADHdJTsMUch26cAI37TS7V8T26Lr0CFxg/s1600/girlyoulost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDnF0tOQU13Gloy3G2ye7-FVrcrofrkOREv3GNTMk8boSFGPSyRjGWiB8ecr230soviXu5KsDVWd5B9Tk6DO9ENTeve_DUsQccCHTmADHdJTsMUch26cAI37TS7V8T26Lr0CFxg/s200/girlyoulost.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Eighteen years ago, Simone Porter’s six-month-old daughter, Helena, was abducted. Simone and husband, Matt, have slowly rebuilt their shattered lives, but the pain at losing their child has never left them. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Then a young woman, Grace, appears out of the blue and tells Simone she has information about her stolen baby. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But just who is Grace – and can Simone trust her?</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When Grace herself disappears, Simone becomes embroiled in a desperate search for her baby and the woman who has vital clues about her whereabouts. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Simone is inching closer to the truth but it’ll take her into dangerous and disturbing territory. </span><br />
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<u>My review:</u><br />
<br />
A good page-turning read and I very much liked the main character, Simone. However, as other reviews have said, there are so many books like this now that the 'female in jeopardy' novel is probably rather old-fashioned. Also, I worked out the twist a third of the way through so the ending was no surprise, and on a really picky note, I don't think you can draw blood from trying to stab someone with car keys but I'm not prepared to put this to the test, LOL!<br />
<br />
However, still a good quick read and I will probably try this author again.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-37766695839375027012016-12-28T20:29:00.007+00:002016-12-28T20:29:57.014+00:00Amazon Paperback Bonanza!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC9p7bYEwizEyDf3RDC3-fKS_mo0KdcfAynL2TNJyGYoSdk9x40jMPyCBkGDChwVMVCdazB32CeSWSCMUG8C2KxM15JObHRkC6st2ha5rKdWpa0PUm81K41uuaumwpTHczRJO6w/s1600/DangerousDelaneysPB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC9p7bYEwizEyDf3RDC3-fKS_mo0KdcfAynL2TNJyGYoSdk9x40jMPyCBkGDChwVMVCdazB32CeSWSCMUG8C2KxM15JObHRkC6st2ha5rKdWpa0PUm81K41uuaumwpTHczRJO6w/s200/DangerousDelaneysPB.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
All my Kindle ebooks are now available as paperbacks at Amazon at <u>very</u> good prices - the link is <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B0034PAO0Y" target="_blank">this one</a> and is also as below:<br />
<br />
https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B0034PAO0Y<br />
<br />
This is the range of books you can find on Amazon in paperback (as well as Kindle versions):<br />
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<u>London thrillers</u> (A Dangerous Man, Maloney's Law and The Bones of Summer)<br />
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<u>Romantic fiction</u> (Pink Champagne and Apple Juice, The Old Bags' Sex Club, How To Marry Your Husband)<br />
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<u>Crime fiction</u> (Thorn in The Flesh, The Gangster's Wife)<br />
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<u>Literary fiction</u> (The Apple Picker's Daughter)<br />
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<u>Fantasy fiction</u> (The Gifting, Hallsfoot's Battle, The Executioner's Cane - AKA The Gathandrian Trilogy - and The Taming of The Hawk)<br />
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<u>Gay fiction</u> (The Hit List, The Dangerous Delaneys and Me, The Beginning of Knowledge, The Paranormal Detection Agency, Where You Hurt The Most, and a host of others)<br />
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<u>Religious fiction</u> (The Prayer Seeker)<br />
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<u>Short story collections</u> (Dancing with Lions, The Singing Road)<br />
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<u>Prayer book</u> (Dear God It's All Gone Horribly Wrong)<br />
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<u>Poetry collections</u> (A Stranger's Table, Salt and Gold)<br />
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<u>Non-fiction</u> (A Year in The Allotment, Tales from The Typeface)<br />
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<u>Children's fiction</u> (The Origami Nun, Queen of the Fluffy Pens - both under my pseudonym, Lori Olding)<br />
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Happy browsing!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gayreads.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gay Reads UK</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gathandria.com/" target="_blank">The Gathandrian Trilogy Site</a><br />
<a href="http://www.biblicalfiction.co.uk/" target="_blank">Biblical Fiction Site</a><br />
<a href="http://www.loriolding.com/" target="_blank">Lori Olding</a><br />
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<br />Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-44850326174552238662016-12-27T20:49:00.004+00:002016-12-27T20:49:40.932+00:00Holding by Graham Norton: old-fashioned charm in a page-turning read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFz8bDw-CxqT1q_6wFjUtAnp5OWp7RH0VlXd0-7Wkx5IKnccqU90PL3QljC6D7qf0zt9_CTweuNQLxZQkSx7RibcJvzizYgU8PdfqpVC6Btlzmv432Oz3xCwyXkD0M2KLHbVRUQg/s1600/Holding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFz8bDw-CxqT1q_6wFjUtAnp5OWp7RH0VlXd0-7Wkx5IKnccqU90PL3QljC6D7qf0zt9_CTweuNQLxZQkSx7RibcJvzizYgU8PdfqpVC6Btlzmv432Oz3xCwyXkD0M2KLHbVRUQg/s200/Holding.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste.</div>
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So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of loveable characters, and explore - with searing honesty - the complexities and contradictions that make us human.</div>
<u>My review</u>:<br />
<br />
A well written and interesting debut novel from Graham Norton. The characters are well portrayed and very sympathetic, and the small village setting is beautifully described. There's an old-fashioned feel about it - particularly in the way that setting tends to be described before we get to the character in each chapter - but that itself has charm and doesn't negate the page-turning quality of the story. The ending was very satisfying indeed.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-65447247881142240802016-12-26T16:38:00.002+00:002016-12-26T16:38:08.219+00:00Clariel by Garth Nix: one for the children<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij_TsQkQAcDGO8YOVzsKkBBtQXwfVpweleiXT4B-hGXUeVHfefDzN0LFMhEbdEqIwYojyCegGCXBpc8ymEDlhjqMsFwDVrC7roW3QnWqIcmwX5Dhv4I5IuvZzmsKon_ZTTEMgnw/s1600/Clariel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij_TsQkQAcDGO8YOVzsKkBBtQXwfVpweleiXT4B-hGXUeVHfefDzN0LFMhEbdEqIwYojyCegGCXBpc8ymEDlhjqMsFwDVrC7roW3QnWqIcmwX5Dhv4I5IuvZzmsKon_ZTTEMgnw/s200/Clariel.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. And in Belisaere she is forced to follow the plans, plots and demands of everyone, from her parents to her maid to the sinister Guildmaster Kilip. Clariel can see her freedom slipping away. It seems too that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source. But the help comes at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her - and it is herself she must question most of all.</span><br />
<br />
<u>My review</u>:<br />
<br />
This is the first (and I think only) book by Garth Nix that I've read, or will read. It came across very much as a children's fantasy book and not really that engaging for adults. That's absolutely fine of course, but I wish I'd known this before I started. The beginning is very slow so it was a relief to get to the middle where the plot started to kick in.<br />
<br />
Then a lot of things (murder! journeys! danger!) happen all at once which is great, but then it got a bit out of hand and there was way too much happening by the end so I lost interest and started skipping. It was odd because I started off really liking Clariel, but when she began to actually do something, I couldn't work out her reasoning so found her rather facile. Oh, and I hated the pesky cat. We really didn't need it - a bit of a 'MacGuffin". So, all in all, an okay read for the young, but not for me.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-36755900268307870372016-12-18T19:48:00.001+00:002016-12-18T19:48:02.621+00:00The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh: a poetic and powerful story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbPhHZ_tUp-9mucIpPf8tzICcWryXlITjPcmgpIvBp_SuhrhyphenhyphenJGgmwcF5HzKsCvPgFCF4GQF2hkqp_MBdjmM_QyUrEbhT0MioAu_pYQGsrRUCJvs0CvY_nDNqu-WkFJ1Ojqs9fQ/s1600/language+of+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbPhHZ_tUp-9mucIpPf8tzICcWryXlITjPcmgpIvBp_SuhrhyphenhyphenJGgmwcF5HzKsCvPgFCF4GQF2hkqp_MBdjmM_QyUrEbhT0MioAu_pYQGsrRUCJvs0CvY_nDNqu-WkFJ1Ojqs9fQ/s200/language+of+flowers.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px;">
The Victorian language of flowers was used to express emotions: honeysuckle for devotion, azaleas for passion, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it has been more useful in communicating feelings like grief, mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
Now eighteen, Victoria has nowhere to go, and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. When her talent is discovered by a local florist, she discovers her gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But it takes meeting a mysterious vendor at the flower market for her to realise what's been missing in her own life, and as she starts to fall for him, she's forced to confront a painful secret from her past, and decide whether it's worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
<i>The Language of Flowers</i> is a heartbreaking and redemptive novel from author Vanessa Diffenbaugh, about the meaning of flowers, the meaning of family, and the meaning of love.</div>
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
<u>My review:</u></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
This is a powerful and poetic story about a young woman trying to find her place in life. Victoria's relationship with flowers is a fabulous metaphor for how she sees the world and the people in it. The exquisite prose and the sympathetic main character drive the story along and the time-shift scenes between then and now are superbly done. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was because I thought the ending was too weak and it was too obvious that a lesson was being learnt - whereas I'd have preferred the character's fantastic voice to remain as gripping as it had been up until the final chapter. Still, a great novel and I shall look out for more from this author.<br />
<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-74102806079782944802016-12-03T21:59:00.002+00:002016-12-03T21:59:31.266+00:00Sunshine on a Rainy Day by Bryony Fraser: Worst Heroine Ever Alert!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Q8bsBw-6sHZC3c4rsLG3WXDrnFf7HAeOGoT8RbVaVJyP88Mw-3aiJjn3wtHvMChLdYEGL1eJKIeJo797CAJCSvnmH3Qiih0mXNvthjRAY9p5Ce-z5lcGQvMwSgglJG5c890rSg/s1600/sunshine+on+a+rainy+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Q8bsBw-6sHZC3c4rsLG3WXDrnFf7HAeOGoT8RbVaVJyP88Mw-3aiJjn3wtHvMChLdYEGL1eJKIeJo797CAJCSvnmH3Qiih0mXNvthjRAY9p5Ce-z5lcGQvMwSgglJG5c890rSg/s200/sunshine+on+a+rainy+day.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<u>Blurb</u>: It’s Zoe and Jack’s first wedding anniversary party. They’ve got an announcement! They’re getting divorced…<strong></strong></div>
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Marriage isn’t for everyone – something that Zoe and Jack discovered only after they’d walked down the aisle. Bad timing, huh? So now they’re stuck together in their once harmonious marital home, neither one of them willing to move out of their lovely house.</div>
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With Zoe’s three sisters always wanting a say, and Jack’s best friend trying his best to fix things between them, misunderstandings arise. Tempers flare. ‘Accidents’ happen…</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
Zoe and Jack are going to be lucky if they’re still alive when the twelve months are up. But maybe things aren’t quite as final as they seem?</div>
<u>Review</u>: This book could have had a lot going for it, but unfortunately the main character Zoe was very poorly written and simply came across as being very immature and selfish. Not to mention thoroughly annoying. I actually had no idea why her new husband Jack was with her - he could do a lot better.<br />
<br />
Indeed this is one of the mysteries of this shaky romance - Zoe is surrounded by an absolute bevy of totally charming friends and family who are very generous, kind and patient with her rank stupidity and downright cruelty. I would much rather the main character could have been someone - anyone! - else.<br />
<br />
That said, the premise of a newly wedded couple opting for divorce is an interesting one, but poorly executed here. Such a shame.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-1572598629556780242016-11-26T12:45:00.000+00:002016-11-26T12:45:26.267+00:00The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty: fabulous and gripping read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-vJvdg2xLN8HEuZqnMarJUlOaw9RsYMflBSADE8oX0N9G8pZ4A2AV8prJmhJl1alK-gCGdigxvnccIWiBJW4kpPPl208CFUDxxVmelGV1V4CF6YnOJBiv57yKycfhS6JL0BV6w/s1600/husband+secret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-vJvdg2xLN8HEuZqnMarJUlOaw9RsYMflBSADE8oX0N9G8pZ4A2AV8prJmhJl1alK-gCGdigxvnccIWiBJW4kpPPl208CFUDxxVmelGV1V4CF6YnOJBiv57yKycfhS6JL0BV6w/s200/husband+secret.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
This is a brilliant piece of women's fiction and I absolutely loved it. I've not read any Moriarty's novels before but once I started this one I couldn't put it down. Yes, the time between Cecilia discovering THAT letter and actually opening it might be a tad too long for my taste, but I kept on reading, particularly because I was getting to know the other characters well too. There are some wonderful twists and turns in this book, and it includes moments of comedy and moments of great sadness.<br />
<br />
The contrast between the terrible tragedy from the past and how people simply have to keep living their lives and dealing with all the hundred and one everyday situations which keep cropping up is excellently described, and I really felt for all the characters. In fact I was thinking about this book and the people in it even when I wasn't reading it - which in my view is always the mark of a great novel. Other things I enjoyed were the voice of Janie (the deceased daughter) and how her story weaves in and out of the present day crises. How the situation is understood and resolved by all the characters is both gripping and moving, and the section at the end where we see onward into people's lives and how characters have turned out is simply wonderful and I very much appreciated this unexpected epilogue.<br />
<br />
Yes, this book is very good indeed and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to my next Moriarty novel already.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-13122832074298078512016-11-14T21:53:00.003+00:002016-11-14T21:53:41.741+00:00A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: a flawed work of genius<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__JEL4-OODc650Ldigc8D5a1sqakNI_nvfkvC6VO1hItXR9-h-X2NaFBz1jXw5RYu8hXcR6GbjaVIjdhvsQlsBgrFB1Pdi-UI9L6ulIUmWdVxNndyfK6UNbED0gFhRsVLNaWK3A/s1600/little+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__JEL4-OODc650Ldigc8D5a1sqakNI_nvfkvC6VO1hItXR9-h-X2NaFBz1jXw5RYu8hXcR6GbjaVIjdhvsQlsBgrFB1Pdi-UI9L6ulIUmWdVxNndyfK6UNbED0gFhRsVLNaWK3A/s200/little+life.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This is a very powerful story and very powerful writing, with a good range of character viewpoints - almost Dickensian in fact, although the focus is purely on the rich and talented. The trouble with it is that it's about 150 pages or so too long - a lot of Jude's (terribly tragic) story needed to be cut as it has too much repetition and misery in it which weakens the tragic effect. Indeed, after a while, Jude's utter refusal to get professional help for his very understandable mental health problems becomes selfish and irritating. It was also unfortunate that the too intense focus on Jude means we lose out on the delight of the other characters' voices - I missed the middle years of JB and Malcolm especially.<br />
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There are however some achingly lovely turning points, and I was particularly struck by the negative and positive balance of the 'what if' scenario, i.e. what if we'd never met the horrible person who hurt us, as set against what if we'd never met the wonderful person who loves us - a good philosophy to ponder. So, in spite of obvious flaws, this book is still in my opinion a work of genius and I doubt I'll read anything better this year.<br />
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9 out of 10<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-51593185742991314972016-11-05T14:22:00.003+00:002016-11-05T14:23:01.561+00:00The Origami Nun by Lori Olding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXcP1vYl0h51LnlV0fKZ6W16tMIITSNNBkb8bUsFoicaFBZILjC3oUKBdt9-PAF-u0DpdBOycDwdhxLsiaRB6DBxCgWr3YPY61SfmPZcMpPCle0I-rWL4Dl1ZzChvwjlq71VYww/s1600/The+Origami+Nun+Twitter.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXcP1vYl0h51LnlV0fKZ6W16tMIITSNNBkb8bUsFoicaFBZILjC3oUKBdt9-PAF-u0DpdBOycDwdhxLsiaRB6DBxCgWr3YPY61SfmPZcMpPCle0I-rWL4Dl1ZzChvwjlq71VYww/s200/The+Origami+Nun+Twitter.png" width="125" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Children's novella<i> <a href="http://mybook.to/NunOlding" target="_blank">The </a></i></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i><a href="http://mybook.to/NunOlding" target="_blank">Origami Nun by Lori Olding</a></i> is now <a href="http://mybook.to/NunOlding" target="_blank">available at Amazon</a> for <b>only 99p</b>!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Seven-year old Ruth can't speak, but that doesn't mean she can't think. She knows her birthday is going to be good as her beloved great-aunt has exciting plans for her. What she doesn't expect is a magical paper nun, an encounter with a bully who may not be what she seems or a school day to remember. Because, before her special day is over, Ruth is in for some very big surprises.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Reviews</u>:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"What a delightfully written book! This is one I plan to share with my daughter at some point because I think she would like it, too! I love the fact that the author featured a mute heroine, and magic is infused in such a wonderful way. In addition to that, it deals with a subject with which our youth are very familiar - bullying! … I connected with the character, the story, and I enjoyed the magical nature of the story … I hope the author writes several sequels!" [From a 5-star review at My Devotional Thoughts]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"I really enjoyed reading this shorter story. The author portrayed the characters well and had a great story line … This is a terrifically inspirational and uplifting story for children and adults alike." [From a review at The Cover Books]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"This is the most touching children's book I have read. I absolutely LOVED it … I highly recommend this book to children in the age range of 8+. However, I think adults would like this book too." [From a 5-star review at Goodreads]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"There is a wonderful life lesson in the story and I have read it to my own grandchildren with great enthusiasm. They adored it!" [From a 5-star review at Goodreads]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Magic is in the air. Come see how Ruth and others learn the importance of respect for each other even though they are different and that each person has a different story or reason for being different. I recommend this book for ages 6 and up." [From a 4.5 star review at Fire and Ice Reviews]</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://www.loriolding.com/origaminun.html" target="_blank">Lori Olding Children's Author</a></span>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-21715627310425483272016-11-05T14:15:00.002+00:002016-11-05T14:27:14.807+00:00Queen of the Fluffy Pens by Lori Olding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnELQVaKV4CFE3nwBsy_vHggDN2NROtO0YloUS4x8S5YuM_4nv5E6o-lb1fWABHciNKsEoh4uyYODdn0lACqaOb-V7Cwe2LQju8Cxx31tdByJ9F4u8BWtnraACMAOdZXQ6dwOAbA/s1600/Queen+of+the+Fluffy+Pens+Twitter.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnELQVaKV4CFE3nwBsy_vHggDN2NROtO0YloUS4x8S5YuM_4nv5E6o-lb1fWABHciNKsEoh4uyYODdn0lACqaOb-V7Cwe2LQju8Cxx31tdByJ9F4u8BWtnraACMAOdZXQ6dwOAbA/s200/Queen+of+the+Fluffy+Pens+Twitter.png" width="125" /></a></div>
I'm happy to say that children's story <i><a href="http://mybook.to/FluffyPensOlding" target="_blank">Queen of the Fluffy Pens</a></i> is now <a href="http://mybook.to/FluffyPensOlding" target="_blank">available at Amazon</a> for <b>only 99p</b>!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Queen of the Fluffy Pens, Queenie, is keen to move her beloved brood across their owner's kitchen to be nearer the window. Life will be wonderful there as they'll have lots of space and sunshine to enjoy. First, however, Queenie has to learn how to fly. Once she's mastered that skill, she and her two friends, Betsy and Tanya, set out on their epic journey.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">On the way, they encounter a very strange fly indeed, a friendly bee and a frightening hornet. They also learn something very important about the value of friendship. Can they survive their great adventure, and will their new home be all they've hoped for?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Recommended for ages 6-9.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Review:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"If you're after some adventure, a tiny bit of danger, and lots of friendship you've come to the right book!" (From a review at Nayu's Reading Corner)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.loriolding.com/queen-of-the-fluffy-pens.html" target="_blank">Lori Olding Children's Fiction</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-73618393673634494702016-11-05T14:03:00.001+00:002016-11-05T14:03:59.981+00:00Life after Church by Brian Sanders: a narrow view of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUem_ChhjDrPgtjUeo5EWH7tM9ueLl5lrEXGcDbdY7MKng9XTdXfEP8rVbgw8yGhPTATrKbze86mjwPTNIWCD_XEqihyphenhyphenPv4SEhVw28F0nIKnIGXWP7QkcCedmARbcLG28Px9pXTA/s1600/Life+after+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUem_ChhjDrPgtjUeo5EWH7tM9ueLl5lrEXGcDbdY7MKng9XTdXfEP8rVbgw8yGhPTATrKbze86mjwPTNIWCD_XEqihyphenhyphenPv4SEhVw28F0nIKnIGXWP7QkcCedmARbcLG28Px9pXTA/s200/Life+after+church.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This is all very worthy, but only really speaks to evangelical or charismatic Christians. For those of us who are neither of these, this book is unhelpful at best and damaging at worst. Sanders has a rather judgemental attitude that I definitely didn't warm to, and I suspect his vision of God might be far too narrow. Read it if you must, but take any advice it offers with a large pinch of salt!<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-89229972055420971352016-10-23T15:32:00.002+00:002016-10-23T15:32:56.379+00:00My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante: a Dull and Longwinded Tale<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<img alt="brilliant-friend" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-968" data-mce-src="https://thevanishingwriter.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/brilliant-friend.jpg" height="300" src="https://thevanishingwriter.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/brilliant-friend.jpg" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /></div>
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I had high hopes of this book which were sadly dashed. I should have been warned by the list of characters at the beginning of the book - as if an author needs to have a list of characters, then they're really not doing their job correctly in bringing them to life for us in the text. And there are so many of them and they all sounded the same! I certainly couldn't keep track and wasn't interested enough to refer back to the list .. I found the main characters irritating as well, which didn't help matters. I wouldn't have been friends with either of them, LOL!</div>
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Anyway, the story is long and ambling and ends up in blind alleyways far too many times - it seems to be written in a very clunky and flat style, and focuses on the dullest parts of a scene rather than the most exciting ones. It's certainly no Dickens! There's a moment or two of excitement when Lena goes away to an island somewhere and has a few interesting experiences, but then she returns to the homeland (sadly) and her life falls back into its dull routine. The ending is abrupt and made no sense at all to me. Surely even in a series, a novel can't just stop for no apparent reason, but there has to be some kind of closure even though strands are left open for the next book.</div>
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As an aside, I really hated the cover - it's quite horrid. That said, the story idea is a good one (and deserving of 2 stars out of 5) but someone should write it properly.</div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://annebrooke.com" href="http://annebrooke.com/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a></div>
Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-66794440397647548372016-10-09T16:49:00.001+00:002016-10-09T16:49:14.313+00:00Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor: a bleak but incisive novel<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img alt="mrs-palfrey" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-933" height="499" originalw="676" scale="2" src="https://thevanishingwriter.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/mrs-palfrey.jpg?w=676" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="316" /></div>
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A subtly written book that’s very sharp about human nature. I was however hoping for something more light-hearted and vibrant, but those sections were few and far between. The picture of advancing age, vulnerability and approaching death, as well as the small but significant betrayals of family and friends, is essentially a grim one. It left me feeling very bleak.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">3 out of 5 stars</span></div>
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1abc9c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a></div>
Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-28768759872805586852016-09-27T19:24:00.001+00:002016-09-27T19:24:09.499+00:00Petition to Stop the Church of England Discriminating against Gay Clergy<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm happy to announce that the p</span><a href="http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">etition to stop the Church of England discriminating against gay clergy with partners</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has now gone public. I would be most grateful if you could consider signing this if you live in the UK, thank you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can find the petition here: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216">petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216</a></span><br />
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Many thanks<br />
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Anne BrookeAnne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-32761349264695765242016-09-24T20:57:00.002+00:002016-09-24T20:57:29.842+00:00I See You by Clare Mackintosh: Gripping Crime Thriller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWYder5LLXxh2GirII4rjB9s9KsVHkAKDmGzeMDCWe6hlFIjz32NsKtbhQAELDyefMVxjI88o5scsTqdyfNppSN8dw5PtQvzXiFErQ8xFYMKrOU020cAqDzHoD20U-v_Gd37czw/s1600/Mackintosh+I+see+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWYder5LLXxh2GirII4rjB9s9KsVHkAKDmGzeMDCWe6hlFIjz32NsKtbhQAELDyefMVxjI88o5scsTqdyfNppSN8dw5PtQvzXiFErQ8xFYMKrOU020cAqDzHoD20U-v_Gd37czw/s200/Mackintosh+I+see+you.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This novel has excellent pace and very good tension throughout. The female characters are very well rounded, and there is good development during the story. I also loved the fact that the violence was not centre-stage, but the focus was on the psychology of crime. The ending is totally fabulous and I really enjoyed THAT twist.<br />
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The only down sides to this book were the fact that the men weren't very well developed, and also the general cliche of women being victims of sexual crime - surely there are other crimes to explore! Anyway, that aside, this is a gripping read and I will be putting this author on my list.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-7030710244165670982016-09-18T18:37:00.003+00:002016-09-18T18:37:38.844+00:00Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter: an average pot-boiler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoY3gjTou24sVM0DDEAnrI3rUhcAE0L0sQOM10N2h_kfjsNOgBWUV2sJOZa4qO7XLoWLYiASLS9LFksJuJ3H2rMuKzcvCIB6qKmLB8RnryftZZP86ZqUzwI8vhSIe9Wu9Je7asg/s1600/Pretty+Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoY3gjTou24sVM0DDEAnrI3rUhcAE0L0sQOM10N2h_kfjsNOgBWUV2sJOZa4qO7XLoWLYiASLS9LFksJuJ3H2rMuKzcvCIB6qKmLB8RnryftZZP86ZqUzwI8vhSIe9Wu9Je7asg/s200/Pretty+Girls.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Aspects of this novel which I enjoyed were: the fast pace; the strong women characters, the sections with the dead father; and the poignant ending.<br />
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Aspects I disliked were: the level of violence was ridiculously melodramatic and on occasions laughable (sorry!) - this is no <i>Silence of the Lambs</i>, that's for sure. The plot was highly unlikely, and also sometimes made me giggle with disbelief. The villain was very cliched and one-dimensional, and there were far too many coincidences.<br />
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On the whole then, not a great success and basically an average crime genre pot-boiler.<br />
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3 out of 5 stars.<br />
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<a href="http://annebrooke.com/" target="_blank">Anne Brooke Books</a>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-13376429881844011372016-09-03T17:11:00.001+00:002016-09-03T17:12:51.706+00:00Petition against Gay Clergy Discrimination: Update 1<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A brief update on the petition against discriminating against gay clergy in the Church of England - enough people have now signed it so the Government are checking it before it goes public, thank you. Here is <a href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216/moderation-info" target="_blank">the link for further details </a>at this stage:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216/moderation-info">https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216/moderation-info</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many thanks indeed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anne Brooke</span>Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21870845.post-48715207839492815762016-09-03T10:50:00.000+00:002016-09-03T10:50:04.912+00:00Message to the Church of England: Stop bullying gay people!<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.55em; margin-bottom: 18px;">
Well, I’ve finally gone and put my 'money' where my mouth is and made a petition – will you sign it?</div>
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<b>My petition: Make it illegal for the C of E to discriminate against gay non-celibate clergy</b></div>
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The Anglican Church insists that gay clergy with partners live a celibate life if they wish to continue working as priests or bishops. This is an unfair burden on gay clergy as well as being discriminatory within the 21st century workplace.</div>
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Click this link to sign the petition:<br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216/sponsors/RvCTVWTcWdwh8HHdmP&source=gmail&ust=1472983331237000&usg=AFQjCNGWlrisQVBJRodVEr45jHn0eaCtaA" href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216/sponsors/RvCTVWTcWdwh8HHdmP" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://petition.parliament.<wbr></wbr>uk/petitions/166216/sponsors/<wbr></wbr>RvCTVWTcWdwh8HHdmP</a></div>
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I was moved to make this petition as a result of today's news that the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37257005" target="_blank">Bishop of Grantham has said publicly that he is gay</a> - which is great news indeed. However, in order to continue being a bishop, he has to tell the Church of England authorities that he is also celibate, even though he has been with his partner for a very long time. He may or may not be celibate, but frankly I don't care and it doesn't matter. This is grossly unfair, and nobody should be made to divulge any of their sexual practices in order to continue in their job.</div>
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After all, I don't attend a job interview and expect to be asked about my sex life. If I was, I would immediately walk out of the interview and report the company to the relevant authorities. Why should having a job in the Church of England be treated any differently? Yes, it's a vocation, but in the eyes of God, all our jobs are vocations, so we should either all be asked about our sex lives to see if we're suitable for any job, or none of us should be!</div>
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This is the 21st century, and we should protest against such arcane practices. It is not a crime, nor a sin, to be gay, in love and in a relationship. The sooner the Church of England understand this, the better.</div>
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Thank you.</div>
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Anne Brooke</div>
Anne Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982495677389302410noreply@blogger.com0