I was sent a copy of A Better Man by Leah McLaren for review. The book is out today, and well worth a read. The book is about a fairly well-to-do couple living in New York. Nick, the husband, runs his own advertising company which is doing well for Read more…
I was sent a copy of The Good Girl by Fiona Neill by Mumsnet Book Club for review. This is the story of the Field family, who have just moved to Norfolk from London. Ailsa, the mother, is the new headmistress at the school her two teenage children attend. Read more…
I was excited to be sent a copy of The Square by Rosie Millard for review. It’s her debut novel, and the blurb that came with it likened it to The Hive, which i reviewed last year and really enjoyed. The book is based around a garden square Read more…
I was sent a copy of The Bones of You by Debbie Howells by Mumsnet Book Club for review. This is Debbie Howells’ debut novel; it’s about a small village where an 18 year old girl goes missing, and is soon found dead. It’s written from the point of view of Kate, Read more…
I was intrigued to receive a copy of Findo’s Mousetrap by Graham Plaskett for review. Plaskett’s debut novel is a modern romance featuring Stone Tape Theory, a Scottis laird, an Irish-American media darling… oh, and time travel. Sort of. For those who don’t know, Stone Tape Theory is a real Read more…
began last week’s book review by saying I’m not usually interested in military history, so you may be forgiven for wondering why I’m now reviewing a book about Iraq with a picture of a helicopter and a soldier on the front! The Unravelling is not a book about the military though; Read more…
I’m not usually interested in military history; US Navy history held no particular draw for me. But when I read the press release for this book, I felt compelled to request a copy for review. Sailor Man is the story of an American teenager who lied about his age to join Read more…
When S was still very small and orange, and I was still very unsure of what this mothering lark was all about, a friend lent me her copy of Naomi Stadlen’s first book, What Mothers Do. I loved it and so I was delighted to receive a copy of How Read more…
S and I were sent a copy of Creaturepedia for review by Mumsnet Book Club. When it first arrived I thought it was some sort of illustrated reference book for older children, and perhaps something we would put away until S was a little older… I was wrong! This book Read more…
There is a poet living just up the road from me. His name is James Haddow. When I first met him a little while ago, he gave me a copy of his book, La Petite Mort. He also recited his poetry to me mid-conversation, in a way that was understandable Read more…
I was sent a copy of Not My Father’s Son: A Family Memoir by Alan Cumming, for review because it’s recently been released in paperback. I remember reading an interview with Cumming when the hardback edition was first released, and thinking how much I’d love to read it. Although I Read more…
I was sent a copy of The Silent Hours by Cesca Major for review, as part of Brit Mums Book Club. When it arrived, I was still reading another book for review, so I just sort of added it to my review pile and carried on with my day. Once I Read more…
Mumsnet sent me a copy of Villa America for review. Villa America is a work of fiction based on historical fact; all of the characters bar one existed in real life, and the majority of events described in the book really happened. The book is set at the beginning of Read more…
I was really excited to be sent a copy of The Crossroads of Should and Must for review; I had heard about it, and was keen to see what it was all about. The book itself is as much a work of art as a book; it’s bound in card and Read more…
I was delighted last week to receive an email from Lee Hunter, a children’s author and childcare practitioner. She is a childminder Elgin, Scotland. and has recently written a book based on the life of her own cat, Nemo. The book is called Nemo and Giraffe, and Lee was wondering Read more…
I was sent a copy of Cut the Crap and Feel Amazing by Ailsa Frank for review. Having heard a couple of people mention the book recently, I was really eager to get my hands on it. This is one of those Ronseal books – it does exactly what it says Read more…