‘The Art of Leaving’ by Anna Stothard

I was sent an advance reading copy of this lovely book by Alma Books.  ‘The Art of Leaving’ was published in March this year and it is Anna Stothard’s third novel.  This is a very haunting story.

The first thing I want to comment about is the cover which really caught my eye.  Beautifully designed, it makes me imagine being in a park on a beautiful summer’s day, at one with nature.

At some point in our lives we all have to say goodbye to that someone special or leave a favourite place never to return.  Not an easy thing to do at all!  But Eva Elliott actually gets a thrill from saying farewell.  She finds there is more potential in just walking away rather than remaining in a serious relationship.  In fact, before she met Luke her boyfriend of three years, Eva had always considered herself to be talented at leaving people and places.  You see as a child Eva moved around a lot due to her father’s career.  She also developed an extremely vivid imagination which led to her fantasising a lot.

It’s a rainy summer in Soho and a magnificent golden eagle called Regina escapes from London Zoo leaving her mate behind.  This causes much media attention and crowds of people gather to catch glimpses of her.  At the same time a mysterious stranger starts appearing around town.  She seems very interested in getting to know Eva.  Having tried to leave Luke twice without success Eva is about to learn that getting the freedom you crave can come at a cost.

I found this to be a very enjoyable and thought provoking read.  Anna Stothard has described her characters and their surroundings so well.  I really liked Eva and was fascinated by her job working for a publisher as that is something I would like to do myself if ever I changed my career.

I give this book 4 out of 5.

 

Alma Books have recently been voted Independent Publisher of the Year 2013.  Visit their website for more great books at http://www.almabooks.com.

 

‘Just What Kind of Mother Are You?’ by Paula Daly

I received a proof of ‘Just What Kind of Mother Are You?’ from Alison Barrow at Transworld Publishers.  This is Paula Daly’s debut novel and it is being published by Bantam Press on the 25^th April 2013.

‘Just What Kind of Mother Are You?’ is set in the Lake District in Cumbria.  A psychological thriller, this story is every mother’s nightmare.

It’s a freezing cold Tuesday morning and Christmas is fast approaching.  Lisa Kallisto wakes up feeling even more tired than when she went to bed.  Her life is so busy what with having three children and three pet dogs, plus working in an animal rescue centre.  It’s a wonder that she can cope!  So when her best friend’s 13-year-old daughter, Lucinda, goes missing Lisa feels that it’s all her fault especially as she was meant to be staying over the previous night after school.

Lucinda is the second girl to have disappeared in the last fortnight.  The first one was found on a busy high street in a bad way after having been raped.  But will Lucinda be found?  Will she be let go?  Because if she isn’t, Lisa knows she will never be able to forgive herself.  As the search for Lucinda takes place Lisa is in for a big shock as she discovers that people are not always who they seem.  It’s a classic case of not knowing what goes on behind closed doors.

This novel was absolutely brilliant and I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a bestseller.  Gripping right from the start it just got better and better.  There were so many revelations and I really didn’t expect it to end the way it did.  The author has really got into her characters minds and explored the different emotions.  I also like the way the subject of unwanted or abandoned cats and dogs was included in the story especially as it’s something that sadly happens all the time.

Whilst reading this story I could picture it being made into a two-part thriller for TV.  I truly hope that one day this happens.

Paula Daly is the new voice in thriller writing.  ‘Just What Kind of Mother Are You?’ is one of my favourite books of the year so far.  I already can’t wait for the next one to come out.  Well done, Paula.

I give this book 5 out of 5.

 

‘Instructions for a Heatwave’ by Maggie O’Farrell

I was very kindly sent an advance review copy of ‘Instructions for a Heatwave’ by Georgina Moore from Headline Book Publishing.  This is the first book I’ve read by Maggie O’Farrell so it was yet another new and welcome experience for me.  ‘Instructions for a Heatwave’ was published by Tinder Press on 28^th February 2013 in hardback and as an ebook.

They say strange weather brings out strange behaviour.  Well, in July 1976 this is exactly what happened.  The story starts off in Highbury, London.  Britain as a whole is in the middle of a heatwave and a severe drought warning is in force.  It hasn’t rained at all for months!  In the first chapter we learn about Robert Riordan and his wife, Gretta.  Robert goes out early in the morning as he usually does to buy a newspaper.  However, this time he fails to return home.

Once Gretta realises that her husband has gone missing she gets in touch with their three adult children.  Michael Francis whose marriage is in trouble and his two estranged sisters Monica and Aoife all come together to help search for their father.  But will they find him?  Does he even want to be found?

This was an enjoyable read, though I personally thought it was a little bit slow at times.  Maggie O’Farrell writes beautifully and has really portrayed her characters well to the point where you feel you know them for real.  When I first started reading this book I thought it would purely be about searching for Robert, but it’s not.  It’s about his family and their lives as well.

I give this book 4 out of 5.

‘The Dating Game’ by Susan Buchanan

I was asked by Susan Buchanan if I would like to review her latest novel and was kindly sent an advance review copy.  ‘The Dating Game’ is her second book and it is based in Glasgow.

Gill McFadden is a workaholic with her own thriving recruitment business.  At 37 years old her love life so far has been a disaster and she is fed up of her friends trying to match-make for her.  Work is getting busier by the minute and she doesn’t have much time to find love.

One day Gill spots an advert on a bus for a professional dating agency and decides to go for it.  Once she has enrolled with the agency several profiles of potential dates are emailed to her.  Gill and her friends have a lot of fun reading them and deciding who she should go out with.  Will Gill find her true love?

From the very beginning I knew I was going to enjoy reading this book and I didn’t want it to finish.  I really liked the writing style and I found ‘The Dating Game’ to be a refreshing and entertaining read.  There were also some very interesting characters throughout the story some of which you can relate to.

A couple of Gill’s dates were pretty amusing, particularly the one where her trousers split.  I also enjoyed reading about the long weekend trip to Barcelona including the various places of interest and the culture there.  Food also seemed to play a big part in this story.  If you love eating then you might find yourself getting hungry.

I give this book 5 out of 5.

‘Mémoires de l’Enfant Terrible’

Wintergarden Presse joined the publishing world in August 2012.  Their goal is to publish books specifically designed for print.  I was given the wonderful opportunity of reviewing their very first title, ‘Mémoires de l’Enfant Terrible’.

This is such a sweet and adorable little book.  It’s so small and compact and it’s bound to find a special home on any bookshelf.  It would make a wonderful gift for your friends or loved ones.  I really like the classy design on the inside of the back and front covers too.

‘Mémoires de l’Enfant Terrible’ is ideal for both children and adults.  Well thought out, it consists of three beautifully illustrated short stories each covering a different subject.  They get you thinking about the important things in life, but in a simple way.

My favourite story was the first one about never forgetting your dreams.  Always keep them with you no matter what happens because they can come true.

I give this book 4 out of 5.

 

For this and other great titles visit http://www.wintergardenpresse.com and while you’re there why not read their blog too.

‘All Fall Down’ by Louise Voss and Mark Edwards

I previously read and reviewed ‘Killing Cupid’ and was absolutely delighted when ‘All Fall Down’ was sent to me.  This is the sequel to ‘Catch Your Death’, a book I haven’t actually read, but that didn’t spoil it for me at all.

Two years ago Kate Maddox uncovered a terrifying conspiracy of rogue scientists.  Now she just wants to be able to lead a normal and happy life with her partner Paul and son Jack.  But her hopes are dashed when a face from the past turns up at one of her lectures, bringing with him some rather shocking news.  It turns out that a new strain of the virus which originally killed Kate’s parents has found its way to Los Angeles.  The clock is ticking, a cure needs to be found as soon as possible before it’s too late!  Will Kate succeed?

I totally loved this book.  Right from the start I found this to be a very gripping read.  Each page, every single paragraph is full of thrills with lots of shocks and surprises throughout.  There are some scary characters too.  I certainly wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of Heather.  A real page-turner, this is a thriller and a half.  I got so involved in the story, so much so in fact that every time someone sneezed I actually thought they had got the virus!

Louise Voss and Mark Edwards are very talented.  They work so well together and their writing is like magic.  They are fast becoming favourite authors of mine.

Look out for their new book ‘Forward Slash’ which is due out in the summer.

I give 5 out of 5 for this book.

‘A Treacherous Likeness’ by Lynn Shepherd

This amazing book was released in hardback last week by Corsair.  It is the follow-up to Lynn Shepherd’s previous novel ‘Tom-All-Alone’s’, though as I discovered it’s not necessary to have read this book.  For me this was a brand new experience and it gave me the chance to discover yet another fantastic author.

‘A Treacherous Likeness’ is a work of fiction but it is actually based on fact.  It reconstructs events in the lives of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, his wife Mary who wrote ‘Frankenstein’, her step-sister Claire Clairmont and Lord Byron.  Lynn Shepherd has given her own fictional version of the Shelleys’ story with some possible answers to the mysteries that still persist all these years later.

It’s 1850 and young detective Charles Maddox has just taken on a new case.  His client happens to be the only surviving son of the long-dead poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.  Charles soon finds himself drawn into the bitter battle being waged over the poet’s literary legacy and along the way he discovers just how treacherous family can be.

I found ‘A Treacherous Likeness’ to be a very fascinating read and the further I got into it the more intriguing it became.  The research Lynn Shepherd has done for this book is admirable.  It’s certainly a very thought provoking story and it has you guessing about what might happen next.  There are some very shocking revelations throughout.  This is an historical and mystery read all in one.

I am very impressed at how this book has been arranged.  There is a nice author’s note at the very beginning followed by a family tree of The Shelleys and The Godwins, which came in very useful indeed.  The story itself is split into three parts.  At the back of the book there are a few pages in which Lynn Shepherd explains the facts and the fiction.  It really is best though that you read the whole story first before referring to these notes.

Now that I’ve read ‘A Treacherous Likeness’ it has left me wanting to know more.

I give this book 5 out of 5.

 

 

Quick Reads – A Wonderful Book Charity

Quick Reads is a charity whose aim is to spread the love of reading to the people who need it most.  Over the past seven years they have succeeded in doing just that.

The Challenge

1 in 6 adults of working age in the UK finds reading difficult and may never pick up a book.  People’s reasons for not reading are varied but are often based in fear.  Some people say they find books scary and intimidating, thinking they are ‘not for them’ or that books are difficult or boring.

Quick Reads Response

Quick Reads sets out to challenge these beliefs and to show that books and reading can be for everyone.  Each year we commission big name authors to write short books that are specifically designed to be easy to read.  They are the same as mainstream books in every respect but are simply shorter and easier to tackle for adults who are less confident in their reading skills.  The books are then sold through major retailers, online booksellers and are loaned from libraries.

A powerful outreach campaign around Quick Reads delivers the books and accompanying learning resources written specifically for the titles and inspiring case studies to literacy practitioners across the country.  Quick Reads books are vital in educational settings such as further education colleges and libraries, prisons, military bases, care homes and family centres as well as in workplace learning centres.  They are also used in settings as diverse as oil rigs, cross channel ferries, bus depots and refuse disposal units.  Practitioners tell us that Quick Reads are the ideal tool to use with their learners and evaluations reveal very real benefits to quality of life, well-being, self-esteem, confidence and job prospects.  We also know that adults who become readers through Quick Reads encourage their children to read, transforming their prospects and creating the next generation of readers.

Today sees the official release of six new Galaxy Quick Reads books:-

• ‘Love is Blind’ by Kathy Lette
• ‘A Sea Change’ by Veronica Henry
• ‘A Dreadful Murder’ by Minette Walters
• ‘Today Changes Everything’ by Andy McNab
• ‘Wrong Time, Wrong Place’ by Simon Kernick
• ‘Doctor Who: The Silurian Gift’ by Mike Tucker

Galaxy Quick Reads books are also ideal for people who don’t have much time to read.

Each book costs just £1.

 

For further information about Quick Reads and to find out about all their books visit http://www.quickreads.org.uk/

You can also find them on Twitter @Quick_Reads

Win a Kindle Fire in the Voss and Edwards ‘All Fall Down’ Treasure Hunt

When Mark Edwards asked me if I would like to take part in this Treasure Hunt I was more than happy to.  This is a very exciting competition where one lucky person WILL win a brand new Kindle Fire.  Three lucky runners-up win a signed copy of ‘Catch Your Death’ and ‘All Fall Down’.

So how does this treasure hunt work?  Click on the link for further information:-

http://www.killerreads.com/news/the-voss-and-edwards-treasure-hunt-how-it-works/

 

Below is Mark and Louise’s latest blog post.  You will find the question at the end of it.

My Five Favourite Killer Virus Books and Films

Am I the only person who spends a lot of time imagining what life would be like following a globe-shattering, population-decimating cataclysm? From the time I first read Day of the Triffids up to and including recent speculative novels like The Road and The Passage, I always put myself in the story and imagine what I would do were the world to suddenly end. Of course, the likelihood is that I would be one of the first to cop it, but I like to think that I, along with my family, would be one of the few survivors, and would have great fun driving borrowed sports cars down abandoned motorways, moving into the swankiest house in town and helping myself to the finest wines known to man. I would miss telly though.

When I grew up in the seventies and eighties, the most likely cause of global catastrophe was nuclear war. Now, it’s a global pandemic. Perhaps as  a result, killer viruses have featured in lots of books and movies over the years, including our own new one, All Fall Down. Of course, if you only read one killer virus novel it should be that one, but here are my five favourite virus novels and films. Now, where did I put that hand sanitizer?

1.      The Stand – Stephen King

Published way back in 1978, The Stand is still my favourite King book. As you almost certainly know, it’s the story of a great battle between good and evil following a killer virus called Captain Trips that wipes out most of the American (and, we assume, the world’s) population. The brilliance of The Stand lies in its multiple strands, first detailing the slow outbreak, then the world left behind as characters, good and bad, are drawn by visions to Phoenix or Las Vegas, ready for the ultimate showdown. The scene in which one of the characters escapes New York through the Lincoln Tunnel – choked with dead bodies and cars – will remain with me forever. The ending isn’t amazing, but the ride is thrilling and gripping and if you haven’t read it you should set aside a few weeks to do so immediately.

2.      The Andromeda Strain – Michael Crichton

Crichton is perhaps the best known exponent of the science thriller, fusing scientific research with pulsating action, but he only wrote one virus novel. In The Andromeda Strain a virus arrives from space and scientists must race to find a cure before it spreads and wipes out humankind. It’s a highly technical book, lacking some of the thrilling action of Crichton’s later work, but it remains a classic of its kind.

3.      Outbreak

Louise and I have it on good authority that every New Year’s Eve, the scientists at the Centers for Disease Control gather to watch Outbreak, finding it hugely entertaining, partly because it’s so far-fetched. Dustin Hoffman is the man responsible for saving California when a monkey brings the deadly Motoba virus to the US. Motoba is, of course, an Ebola clone, and the town of Cedar Creek has to be quarantined…but can Dustin save the town from being bombed to prevent the spread of the virus?  It’s all highly entertaining even if it isn’t very realistic.

4.      Contagion

Contagion is a more soberversion of Outbreak.  It’s a very good film, well-researched, and with a fantastic cast, but it lacks authenticity. We didn’t watch Contagion until we had finished the first draft of All Fall Down, but I found it very frustrating that the vaccine for the virus was found so easily, with no explanation. I wanted to know how they developed the vaccine. I wanted to see the scientists solving the puzzle. In All Fall Down, we made the hunt for the cure for our virus central to the plot, and although I think Contagion is a fascinating film, it could have done with some more puzzle-solving action.

5.      Survivors

OK, it’s a TV series so I’m cheating a little, but I absolutely loved Survivors, a BBC drama that was cruelly cancelled after two seasons. In Survivors most of the UK is wiped out by a virus, but a few people are immune and the series follows one such group as they struggle to live in the new empty world.  There is also an underground lab where a group of scientists are trying to find a cure – and a shadowy organization that unleashed the disease in the first place.

I am still gutted that the Beeb axed it after two series.  I want to know what happened after Max Beesley got on that plane! Perhaps we should start a campaign to bring it back. I’ll write it! Come on BBC…

 

The Question

Motoba is a clone of which deadly virus?

 

The previous post can be found at http://randomjottings.typepad.com.

The next post will be on Friday 25th January 2012 at http://gavreads.co.uk/.

 

Enjoy the Treasure Hunt! 

‘The Passage’ by Justin Cronin

I would like to say thank you to Lovereading.co.uk for very kindly getting a copy of ‘The Passage’ sent to me, even though they already had the required number of reviewers.  I have a copy of ‘The Twelve’ which is the follow up to review and really needed to read this book first.

‘The Passage’ is the first in a trilogy by Justin Cronin.  At nearly 1000 pages long it looks like a daunting read.  But believe me, it isn’t!  Divided into eleven parts, this book takes you on an epic journey full of shocks and surprises.

Amy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and has been abandoned by her mother.  Little does Amy imagine that she will become the most important person in the world.  Anthony Carter is a prisoner on Death Row who is waiting to be executed for murder.  FBI agent Brad Wolgast can feel that something out of this world is about to happen, but he doesn’t know what.  Unaware of each other’s existence the three of them are about to be linked together.

After a military experiment goes badly wrong, America finds itself hit by a major vampire epidemic in which many states are destroyed and masses of people are killed by the virals.  Amy and several survivors embark on a very dangerous and courageous journey together, fighting these creatures along the way.

I thought this book was truly amazing and I felt as if I was in another world when reading it.  I never once lost interest in the story.  There were so many characters throughout, each with their own story to tell.  A brilliantly written book, ‘The Passage’ will keep you reading for hours.  It is horror at its best!

I give this book 5 out of 5.