Have I Got Some Recommendations for You!!

I have read some really absorbing books recently, books I could hardly put down and which kept me guessing till the last pages ...

Never Have I Ever: A Lying Game Novel by Sara Shepard 

This novel is the second in a series - I hadn't read the first: "The Lying Game" but no problem!  There are 2 central characters - twins - but one (Sutton) was murdered, so watches events from the sidelines, unable to influence the action but getting  flashbacks which enhance the story. The other twin (Emma) must pretend to be her dead sister, only her killer and Ethan - a bit of a loner - know the truth, and Emma's life is in danger if she doesn't fill her sister's shoes convincingly.

Sutton had a life of privilege, and she and her friends - frankly - abuse their positions of wealth and popularity by being 'bitches'.  They play an unpleasant game they call the 'lying game' - elaborate pranks and ritual humiliation for the town and their fellow pupils.  Emma is quite different from Sutton, having been brought up in foster homes most of her life; she studies rather than slacks and she treats people honestly and with respect - she begins to make Sutton seem a much nicer, more mature person.  Emma also seems to be falling in love - although with her sister's killer watching her every move this may not be the best idea!

Bloodstone by Nate Kenyon

This was a chilling novel which built its tension well - it was hard to tell (as a reader) who to trust.  

The setting was pivotal, a town that nobody ever seems to be able to leave, a concealed, dark watery place that has always seemed to draw bad happenings to it.

There are flashbacks to a journal written by one of the town's forefathers who embroiled himself in ancient witchcraft rituals and perhaps he even drew the bad energies to him.

No one in the town is safe from the danger when evil becomes personified, and the action is gruesome to say the least.  Nate's writing style reminded me of Dean Koontz.  Be warned - this book is a dark, disquieting read.

and I've watched some brilliant films ...

The Gangster Squad [Film]

This was a very stylish, film - there was edgy glamour with Emma Stone as the "Kingpin's" moll and there was a lot of bloodshed - brutal beatings, killings and  car chases.  Sean Penn is menacing, Ryan Gosling is the gangster with a soft heart.  The setting is LA in 1949 and the top secret police crew have their work cut out trying to stamp out vice in the city while breaking the stranglehold mob boss Sean Penn has around the citizens and their way of life.

Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters[Film]

Another bloodthirsty film, but this time it is fictional brother and sister Hansel & Gretel who show us what happened next with their lives after they escaped from the witch in the gingerbread house.  And it is not good news for witches everywhere!  They are vigilantes with weapons and tricks which have witches being beheaded and dismembered left right and centre.  A "scoop your brain out" action packed film.

About Time [Film]

A fabulous funny film - strongly british vibe which you will love if you enjoyed Four Weddings & a Funeral, Love Actually and/or Notting Hill.  

The main character is a teenage boy, intelligent but a little clumsy and awkward.  He has a wonderfully loving (eccentric) family, and the plot follows him falling in love and growing up - but he has a secret weapon, an ability to time travel so that he can 'do over' events to his own satisfaction (so much less frustrating than Groundhog Day).  You will probably laugh, you may even shed a tear, but I bet you'll be still thinking about it the day after you watch it!!

Sorry about the 'Blip' in August! I was too busy reading to write about what I'd read!!

Well the first of August saw me packing for my long awaited (it was nail biting as we hung out for a 'late' bargain) and much needed summer holiday (after 3 operations in 9 months you-betcha I needed a holiday!)

I was only away for 1 week but I was taking a big step ... no real books ... just virtual books on my Kindle.
<GASP!> So - the essentials:

• new holiday wardrobe for my e-reader, i.e. a 'jumper' of neoprene to give it protection while in my hand luggage/ beach bag) 
•  a charger and a plug adaptor <MUST have!> otherwise, no matter how many tempting books I had downloaded, I wouldn't be able to read them once the battery empty signal flashed up on screen!

Problem  #1 occurred on the plane - you can't read an e-book during take-off, all devices of that nature must be switched off (unfortunate, as a book is a good distraction at this nervous-making time) - inaccurate also, my brother-in-law [a pilot] explained that the way an e-reader displays a page can never be switched OFF so it is unnecessary to enforce this rule ... but that is how it stands on most airlines at the moment.

But that was my only problem!!  I had a lovely time reading my kindle wherever I was, by the pool, on my balcony, on the coach, on the plane, at night when I couldn't get to sleep (I have case with a built-in light too) and of course in bright sunlight .... even with my sunglasses on (which is a problem  if I am looking at my phone screen or a laptop).  So JOY!  Nothing but joy to report!   I did spot a fellow kindle user with their device in a clear waterproof pouch,  useful if you felt that yours might get splashed while reading i.e. you have small kids or prankster friends!

Wish Upon a Star - Olivia Goldsmith

This is the kind of book I love to read on holiday - really feel good and full of escapism.  If you are a lover of the modern fairytale - Pretty Woman, Working Girl, Sliding Doors then this book is for you!

The central character has a caterpillar to butterfly transformation, but she also has realistic difficulties and challenges along the way - not least  having no money, nowhere to live, & no visa to allow her to work!!  But she is ingenious, likeable and has inner strengths - she will do anything to hang onto this new exciting life and not go back to the invisible, grey treadmill she used to walk, where she never felt as if she fitted in.

An interesting twist is that this book shows  England through the eyes of a visitor (and it makes knitting seem groovy and hip!)  Are you tempted to try it? I shall definitely read others by Olivia Goldsmith - loved this book!! 

The Witch & the Gentleman -  J R Rain

http://jrrain.com/contact_81.html

This book throws you straight into the action - a very good start! The central character is a psychic whose powers are increasing because she feeds a vampire regularly - yes! giving her blood helps her tap into the undead's strange powers.

A caller on her Psychic Helpline needs Allison's help searching for a killer who was never caught.  We get glimpses of her 'normal' life as a personal trainer, her love affairs & friendships plus she begins to get in touch with her Wiccan side - apparently from a past life.

I was hooked by the plot and the very likeable characters in this book - my only complaint - it was over too fast - I read it in an afternoon!

Busted - Karen Slaughter (kindle edition)

A great short book!  the reader is in the middle of the action from the outset. The central character - an undercover cop - finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time - not least for the robbers who are turning over the convenience store!! It consisted of a well written tight plot. If you like the Jack Reacher books[Lee Child], or thrillers by Patricia Cornwell you'll find this grabs you in a similar way.

Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

This is book 2 of the series, and I was looking forward to reading it hugely - and it did not disappoint!  I am sure it is particularly hard to write a second book when your first is such a runaway success, but Kim & Margaret wove their fabric of storytelling, young love,  old magic and family feuds into a fantastic story which had me clicking the pages as fast as I could, and crying with emotion as I read the climactic battle scene.

I still cannot get over my disappointment with how the studio transformed the first book into a film - mostly because of what they left out - but these novels are very 'cinematic' to read and I am sure this one will be getting the 'Hollywood' treatment very soon.