This weeks word of the week is;
Xmas n. informal Christmas
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love xmas?!
Word Wednesdays!
Words
Word Wednesdays!
So this weeks word of the week is…
wassail old use n. lively festivities involving the drinking of much alcohol. v. 1. celebrate in this way. 2. go carol-singing.
Every so often, I do enjoy to wassail!
Book Review: The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond
We’re up to book number 23 of my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 4 of the big holiday read) – The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond.
‘Because love is always worth the risk . . .
It’s New Year’s Eve, and Gemma and Spencer Bailey are throwing a house party. There’s music, dancing, champagne and all their best friends under one roof. It’s going to be a night to remember.
Also at the party is Caitlin, who has returned to the village to pack up her much-missed mum’s house and to figure out what to do with her life; and Saffron, a PR executive who’s keeping a secret which no amount of spin can change. The three women bond over Gemma’s dodgy cocktails and fortune cookies, and vow to make this year their best one yet.
But as the months unfold, Gemma, Saffron and Caitlin find themselves tested to their limits by shocking new developments. Family, love, work, home – all the things they’ve taken for granted are thrown into disarray. Under pressure, they are each forced to rethink their lives and start over. But dare they take a chance on something new?’ (Blurb taken from Amazon – thanks!)
Gemma, Saffron and Caitlin meet by chance on New Years Eve, each with their own hidden problems, but feeling hopeful for the year ahead. This novel is told from each of their points of view, as we learn more about the secret demons they face whilst forging a budding friendship with each other.
This novel has everything a chick lit novel should have: main characters faced with adversity, female solidarity, family issues and a will they/won’t they romance. Lucy Diamond certainly ticks all the boxes with The Year of Taking Chances. There are no surprises in this novel, however sometimes that is what we want from a novel. This is a great beach read, showing just what women are capable of when they pull together and help one another.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Book Review: The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
Book number 22 of my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 3 of my holiday reading) is The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf.
‘ “Two little girls are missing. Both are seven years old and have been missing for at least sixteen hours.”
Calli Clark is a dreamer. A sweet, gentle girl, Callie suffers from selective mutism, brought on by a tragedy she experienced as a toddler. Her mother Antonia tries her best
to help, but is trapped in a marriage to a violent husband.
Petra Gregory is Calli’s best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli have been heard from since their disappearance was discovered.
Now Calli and Petra’s families are bound by the question of what has happened to their children. As support turns to suspicion, it seems the answers lie trapped in the silence of unspoken secrets.’ (Thanks to Amazon for the blurb)
This is a story about two seven year old best friends, Calli and Petra, who disappear from their beds one fateful night.
Firstly, this is not a light read. This novel is about the traumatic experiences of two families when they realise that their beautiful daughters are missing. You experience the horror of this discovery, their fears, anger and helplessness along with them. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of an involved character, which helps give a greater understanding of them as individuals, and the actions that they take throughout the course of the story.
You learn throughout the course of the novel of the close relationship Calli and Petra have, with Petra speaking on Calli’s behalf due to her selective muteness. They know what each other thinks and feels, looking after each other as only best friends can.
As a mother this is a difficult read, with the concept being every parents worst nightmare. Heather Gudenkauf, writes with true feeling about the anxiety and fears of those closest to such a situation.
I definitely recommend this novel, please read!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Word Wednesdays!
It’s that time of the week again. My word of the week is…
vicissitudes pl. n. changes of circumstance or fortune.
Sometimes we all need a little change in fortune.
Book Review: Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie
So the 21st book in my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 2 on my Summer holidays) was Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie.
‘Emma Tupper is a dedicated lawyer with a bright future. But, shattered by her mother’s death, she fulfills her dying wish by embarking on a month-long trip to Africa. There she falls ill, and spends six months trapped in a remote village thanks to a devastating earthquake. On her eventual return home Emma discovers that her friends, boyfriend, and colleagues thought she was dead and that life has moved on without her.
As she struggles to recreate her old life, throwing herself into solving a big case for a client and trying to reclaim her beloved apartment from the handsome photographer who’s taken over her lease, everyone around her thinks she should take the opportunity to change. But is she willing to sacrifice the job, relationships and everything else she worked so hard to build?
Forgotten is the story of one young women’s life, broken down, reconstructed, and forever altered – a modern twist on the classic tale of discovering who we really are when everything that brings meaning to our lives is lost.’ (Synopsis provided by Amazon)
Emma Tupper is a successful lawyer who has worked hard to be within touching distance of a partnership at her law firm and she has the perfect boyfriend in Craig. However, her world is crushed when she loses her mother, who has always been her rock. Her mothers one dream was to travel to Africa, something she was unable to achieve. She therefore leaves an Africa trip to Emma in her will, something that leaves her a little bewildered as she had never actually asked her mother why this was a dream of hers. The story that follows is one of self discovery as Emma finds herself stranded in Africa and cut off from her friends, job and life.
This is a chick lit, but not a light and fluffy one as you might expect. It explores what can happen if you go off the grid and disappear, just to re-emerge expecting life to be as it was when you left.
‘if everything in your life is fucked up, you can change whatever you want.’
Whilst elements of the novel are predictable as you might expect, I liked that not all of Emma’s choices were ones that I had anticipated. This removed some of the predictability. There is obviously a love story as you would expect, with both characters having their own issues to deal with before they can be together.
I had expected this book to be a little darker than it actually was. I would not, however, say that I am disappointed that wasn’t having now read it. It was a great holiday read that I am more than happy to recommend.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Book Review: Fade Out by Patrick Tilley
Book number 20 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 1 of operation summer holiday) was Fade Out by Patrick Tilley.
So I started my holiday with an old school sci-fi novel. I wish I could tell you where I heard about this book – I know that I read about it on a blog somewhere, but it’s one of those books that I downloaded and then promptly forgot about.
‘Aliens have landed on this earth, and it is time for the human race to prepare itself. When an unidentified object of extra-terrestrial origins arrives on Earth, creating havoc and panic the world over, the question of whether we are alone in the universe is finally answered. But this realisation is only the beginning, for the object brings with it a whole host of questions that neither the world’s governments or military experts are equipped to answer. Is it a danger to humanity, or an innocent explorative device? Focusing on mankind’s reaction to this mysterious object, Tilley illustrates how ignorance can drive civilisation towards the brink of a devastating breakdown.
Fade-Out, a sci-fi novel first published in 1975, looks at the meltdown of society in the face of alien invasion.’ (thanks Amazon!)
The book loosely follows Bob Connors, Special Assistant to the President of the United States of America as he leads a top secret project looking at the reasons for a global ‘fade out’. This fade out cripples global communications, leaving nations feeling vulnerable to nuclear war as the world loses the ability to track potential enemies.
As we follow Connors through this project, we learn more about him as a character, as his history influences his present. In addition to character relationships, we also experience the relationship between science and the military. Whilst this book was published over 40 years ago, these relationships are, I believe, still relevant today. This is a science fiction novel, but there is very little in it that isn’t believable. If the scenario in this novel were to happen, you believe that the same hopes and fears would be applicable, along with the same differences of opinion over the way forward. The novel also highlights aspects of the Presidents role that I had never previously considered. Firstly, that it can be quite superficial (with a dosage of manipulation thrown in for good measure). Dinner with the Bodell’s is a great example of this. In contrast to this, the novel also highlights just how powerful his position really is, as he makes decisions about what his people should and shouldn’t know about the top secret project, thereby controlling widespread panic, but also removing people’s choice when it comes to protecting themselves if necessary.
I am not your typical science fiction reader (although I do love a science fiction movie). However I’m glad I put aside my reservations about reading a 40 year old science fiction novel. It’s well worth a read, so give it a go.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Word Wednesdays!
This weeks word is a good one!
uxorious adj. very or excessively fond of your wife
(Oxford English Dictionary)
Word Wednesdays!
You know I love Word Wednesdays! This weeks word is;
technetium n. a radioactive metallic element
(Oxford English Dictionary)
You learn something new every day!
Book Review: Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
Book nineteen in my Goodreads Reading Challenge is Wallbanger by Alice Clayton. The synopsis is as follows;
‘Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a Kitchen Aid mixer to die for, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O. Adding insult to O-less, she also has an oversexed neighbour with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Every moan, spank, and-was that a meow?-punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has-yep, you guessed it-no O. Enter Simon Parker. When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbour. Their late-night hallway encounter has…well…mixed results. Because with walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick. A delicious mix of silly and steamy, this is an irresistible tale of exasperation at first sight.’ (Thanks to Amazon!)
So, as you can tell, this is not a book to read if you don’t like a bit of naughtiness! The title and the novel’s front cover are a bit of a giveaway! It’s not the sort of book I choose to read regularly but I don’t mind a bit of sauciness now and then. I enjoyed this book for what it was – a bit of light reading with a love story thrown in for good measure. It is a little sex-obsessed if I’m honest – the entire story revolves around Caroline losing her ‘O’ which at times got a little much for me. However, I enjoyed reading about Caroline and Simon’s ‘dislike to love’ story – in fact all the characters were likeable, and whilst the story was a little sex-crazed there was a plot to follow. There are moments in this story that will make you laugh out loud, whilst others will make you cringe. There are no hidden twists here, what you see is what you get, however sometimes a predictable read is just what you need. If you enjoy naughty books about hot neighbours, then this is the novel for you!
Rating: 2 and a half out of 5 stars
Chapter and Cake 