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.