Straight Out of University by Rosen Trevithick

Straight Out Of University is a more chick-lit type book than the other ones I've read from Rosen recently.

I must admit I found the University bits drag on a bit.  I prefered the story when it got to the "out of" bit and the character Sophie returned to Cornwall.

This book is quite different from most of Rosen's other books, but that just emphasises how good a writer Rosen is.

Overall I really did enjoy this book, but it wasn't quite a 5 star from me.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004XR0D12

Reunited in Death by Cecilia Peartree

Reunited in Death is the second of the Pitkirtly series of books (Crime in the Community being the first.

Yet again Cecilia has set a wonderfully quirky story. This time it revolves around a gathering of amateur genealogists in the town to investigate the Pitkirtly (and Scottish) parts of their family trees. The local villagers then have to investigate some deaths (as you do)

I suppose these books are classed as "cosy mysteries". Kind of like the type of murders you get in Midsommer Murders rather than the CSI kind of deaths. "Oh, someone's died over there, lets have a cup of tea" type of thing.

I find Cecilia's writing superb and very enjoyable. She has set up these great characters that you want to read more about. The stories are very easy reads and I think I liked this one better than Community. I look forward to reading the next one, A Reformed Character

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0056OO2HC/

Seesaw by Rosen Trevithick

I've mentioned in reviews before about Rosen being able to write across genres and this collection of short stories and flash fiction reinforces that belief.

Some of these stories have been published on their own and are readable in their own right, but unlike another reviewer, I thought this collection went well together.  Just like the title says, this is a seesaw ride.  The ups are oh so funny, the downs are quite heartbreaking.  I am not ashamed to say I was in tears more than once.  The last story (not flash fiction) just blew me away when I got to it.

This is definitely the best collection of stories I've read in a long while and I'm sure I will read them again.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES READ THIS IN PUBLIC (you will cry, I guarantee it)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007GC5J9M/

London, Doggy and Me by Rosen Trevithick

This novella is a cracker.  Rosen has the ability to write different styles of story and this for me is the best I've read of her works so far (not much but I'm working on it).

Once I'd got over that Steph didn't immediately tell the owners that their dog had died I accepted this story.  Mind you it would have been a very short story if she had :-)

The story then unfolded like a farce.  I could see the action going on in my mind as the writing was so good.  I loved the whole suitcase business.

I'm glad I don't live in London or any city with a tube as I'd be looking at large suitcases in a whole different light.

A fantastic read indeed

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007AGQGUA/

Wargeld and Other Stories by Linda Gruchy

I came to this having just read Death in Spigg's Wood - a full length novel by this author.

My only complaint would be that the book is a bit short, but only because all the stories were really enjoyable and I could have kept reading them.

Linda is an extremely competant writer, making her stories very readable and very enjoyable.

I think I liked "Mollie Coddled" the best

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006V3YM2C

Death in Spigg's Wood by Linda Gruchy

Death in Spigg's Wood is a rollercoaster of a police procedural. 

It is the story of  Meg who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.  She was a kickboxing champion who comes across a man being beaten up in the woods and when the attackers turn on her, she beats them up and shoots one of them before being arrested at the scene.

What follows is Meg trying to prove her innocence.  That she acted in self defence and it wasn't "excessive force".  You really feel for her as the police don't believe her.

Apart from the first few pages where the author seems to be trying too hard and uses uneccessary flowery words and phrases, this is just a fantastic read.  I was totally gripped as the chapters flowed.

This is quite a chunk of a book, over 6k locations (perhaps 400-odd pages) and was a thrilling read from start to finish.   You really feel for Megan and really hope you'd never get into a situation like that.  It certainly makes you think.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006ITYN6O/

That Bear Ate My Pants! Adventures of a Real Idiot Abroad by Tony James Slater

I have never been so disappointed to finish a book.  I just wanted the stories to go on and on and on and on, but unfortunately Tony's trip had to end and so did the book.

First off, I will comment on his bad spelling of buses and metres.  But only because there's quite a few of them in the first few chapters and it did make me think that the quality might be as bad all the way through, but it isn't.  Once he gets off the bus and has travelled however many metres to his home away from home, it's all good.  In fact it's better than good.  Tony is a fantastic storyteller with some fantastic stories to tell.  Hopefully these typos will be fixed soon and you won't notice any. [Edited to say the typos have been corrected, so if you have an old version, request an updated one from Amazon]

I kind of wished the book had photos.  The chapter where he meets the kinkajou and also the three- toed sloth really needed pictures, although I could well image them (once I'd looked up what a kinkajou was).

The book is set up in short chapters.  That made it easy for picking up when you have a few minutes.  But it made it hard to put down as you want to read "just one more chapter", "ok, just one more".

I know it's only February, but this is the best book so far this year and if I'd read it in December it would have been the best book in 2011.  If you picked it up as a freebie, jump it to the top of your TBR list.  It's worth it.

www.amazon.co.uk/Pants-Adventures-Idiot-Abroad-ebook/dp/B0057P6FNO/

Footprints by Rosen Trevithick

I started reading this by mistake.  I'd picked up a short story chicklit from Rosen and meant to have a quick read.  Instead I was drawn into Jenna's life as she knew it and as she found out all the twists and turns that she was discovering.

This was a good read.  Most of the time I found Jenna very naive even though she's a 17 year old.  Sometimes I found the writing a bit young, but it's written from Jenna's "mouth" so it would be.

I will certainly read more of Rosen Trevithick

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004A14UTC

Tollesbury Time Forever by Stuart Ayris

Tollesbury Time Forever by Stuart Ayris has to be the most hyped book on the kuforum for a long while.  It snuck in on the back of a freebie someone picked up and the word spread.  It got nominated for the bookclub choice for February and won by the biggest score ever (so far).

At the time of writing this, it has 37 five stars, 3 four stars and just one three star.  Impressive indeed.  One of the most popular quotes there seems to be "beautifully written".

So after waiting until this month to read it and it taking me a week to get through (due to partys lol), did it live up to the hype?

I think that answer is a big YES.  There'll be another 5* on Amazon shortly.

It certainly lives up to the "beautifully written" claims.  The language Stuart writes in is flowing and descriptive and quite lovely to read.  Without going into detail, the book is kind of in 3 parts which have a different feel to each of them.  There's a few areas of poetry and rhyme and I don't do poetry, so skipped past those bits.  It didn't put me off them though.

I don't often read in work at lunchtime, but I did today as I was getting towards the end.  I wish I hadn't as I had to shuffle off, pretending I had a cold.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006TJDJKE

Hearts and Arrows by KUF Authors

I have just finished reading this and am wondering which story was my favourite and it's hard to pick one. They are all different, yet good in their own way.

I have read novels by four of these authors and have rated them all at least 4 stars.

The other authors are on my radar even more now.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00764VOT4/

Voodoo Deadly by Sibel Hodge

Voodoo Deadly by Sibel Hodge is Amber Fox's third adventure.

Yet again Sibel has written a cracking story. 

Amber's mum is on her case as she's seen a hat she loves, but won't buy it until Amber has set a date for the wedding.  Amber is scared to set the date as she's afraid Brad is going to leave her again.

Amber's case this time involves a missing person and is all caught up with voodoo practitioners, dodgy clinics and the seedier side of medicine.

The story is well written, mostly light with a few "dark" bits and is classic Sibel Hodge.  If you enjoyed her previous Amber Fox mysteries, you'll be comfortable in Amber's world.  If you haven't, you don't really need to have read the others to enjoy this, but it will help.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0071NLG0W

Anne Droyd and the House of Shadows by Will Hadcroft

This is definitely a children's book, but I must be a child as I really enjoyed this.

This is the second book about Anne Droyd and her friends Gezz, Malcolm and Luke.  I haven't read the first book, so wasn't quite sure where Anne came from or why she was with Gezz, etc, but to be honest, I just accepted she was there and it didn't detract from the story.

I really liked the character of Anne.  Being a robot / cyborg and learning everything as she went along meant she would say exactly what she wanted to ask.  This often got her into trouble, but I'm sure everyone would love to ask the questions she does.

The story did evolve into being a bit scary towards the end.  I was thinking this would make a lovely family movie, with a bit of parental guidance for the end.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005XDQLS4



Survival Instinct by Declan Conner

This is definitely a book of many parts.  There's the light hearted dating experiences that our hero Jamie gets thrown into.  There's the serial killer going about his business "off stage" and then the other bits that are linked back to Jamie's time in Afghanistan.

I liked Jamie and had my suspicions about just about all the characters he comes across.  Needless to say my ideas about whodunit chopped and changed from chapter to chapter.  In this type of book you know there'll be a twist and boy, did this book twist and turn.

Once or twice I shouted to Jamie (in my head of course)  "tell the police", but that would be too easy for him, lol

I wasn't too fussed on one of Declan's short stories, but this was certainly a good read.  In fact I read it all today, I didn't want to put it down.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004PGN24G

Eulogy's Secret by Grace Elliot

Eulogy's Secret is the tale of Eulogy who turns up in town and loses her possessions and papers to prove who she is.  She gets taken in by someone who knew her secret mother (purely because she looks like her) and the story is how she goes about proving herself.  Since this is a romance, it is also how she falls in love with a man outside her station and all the smouldering looks and touches that come with that.

I'm not really one for this kind of romance, but I've tried a few recently and I think it will become a secret pleasure of mine.

I was drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing.  Nothing was too over the top and ridiculous.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005XD5IBA

Hollywood Sinners by Victoria Fox

Many years ago, I loved Jackie Collins, Jilly Cooper, Shirley Conran with their sex and shopping bonkbusters.

It's been a long time since I read anything as good as those books, but this week, I have found someone that is up there with them.

This book is more modern than those books mentioned above with a bit more monogamy and less of the sleeping around, but the female characters are just as strong.

I did see Elizabeth's shock coming long before she did, though :)

I'm looking forward to reading more Foxiness.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004UGRDIC

The Mountain and the Flood by Sheila Perry

I really enjoyed this.  I've not been to Scotland and so don't know the geography, but could picture the newly evolving "features", like the ragiing river at the bottom of the garden.
As a side note, we'd visited Barry on the weekend where a nearby cliff had recently collapsed leaving caravans dangling over the edge www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15540048 and we could see it from there.  And it was tipping down with rain and blustery
So it was things like that that I was envisioning.  Actually, I was so caught up in the story I was reading it in the car on the way there.
Again with the geography, it seemed like Gavin was covering a lot of land.  It took him and Jen a long time to get to the hut and hardly any to get back to Edinburgh.

As a future, this story sounded quite plausible.  Rules and regulations at each turn, it was quite scary.  It seems it was easy for one rule to follow another until it got out of control.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004HD64FQ/

The Baby Trap by Sibel Hodge

You know exactly where you are with a Sibel Hodge book (well, mostly ). In chick-lit land.
This one, though, is a bit more "chick" than usual. This is the story of Gina who decides she wants a baby with hubby, Karl and finds she can't. The story follows Gina extremely closely !!!!!! as she spends quite some time and many methods of trying to get pregnant.
I know some blokes love a bit of Sibel (oo er missus), but you will need to (wo)man up before attempting this book. It goes into extreme detail of all the methods Gina tries to get pregnant.
I did enjoy this book, but I couldn't relate to Gina, so I, personally, wouldn't rate this as one of Sibel's best books. I much prefer the fantasy of Amber Fox than the realities of close-up fufus

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006JFIA84

Bang: Memoirs of a Relationship Assasin by David Wailing

Well, what can I say - apart from "Marvellous"

This is the story of "Scott" who is a relationship assassin, ie someone who ruins a relationship for payment. He starts off quite cocky, but as the story unfolds he becomes more human. As with Fake Kate there's a lot about identity.

I really like David's writing. It is simple and flowing and just a joy to read. I hate discovering fresh new authors as there's no back catalogue for me to devour . I am officially a massive Wailing fan.

If you liked Fake Kate, you'll love this.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006ODLZ2E

Dark Tidings by Ken Magee

"What happens when ancient magic meets the internet? One thing is sure, modern life will never be the same again." Now that's certainly an eye catching tag-line. It caught my eye again and again, so then I just had to read it. And, boy, is it a damn fine read.

The two stories run seperately for the early portion of the book. You know their paths will meet at some point, but it's not like you are waiting for this to happen before the story can get going. The separate stories are enjoyable in themselves.

I thought this story was quite original. It's probably not, but it had that fresh feel to it. Try it - you may very well like it.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0064TN0K

The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity by Carl Ashmore

After waiting ages (plus a few more days) I finally got my hands on Time Hunters 2.
The wait was well worth it as this is another gem. Basically if you liked the first one, you'll love this one.

Becky and Joe are off on another adventure with Uncle Percy and Will. This time they have to deal with Chicago mobsters and pirates.

This may be a children's story, but I adored it. If I was a parent I'd happily read this to my child again and again. I also think this story would make a lovely family film.

If you want a fun packed adventure story. This is the one to get.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006H9NTJC