Thursday, July 31, 2025
My Review for Spectacles - A Memoir by Sue Perkins, read by Sue Perkins
Monday, June 16, 2025
My Review for The Joy of Exploring Gardens from Lonely Planet
Monday, May 19, 2025
My Review for Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, read by Helena Bonham Carter
Friday, October 25, 2024
My Review for Spare by Prince Harry, read by Prince Harry
I think I’ve been living under a rock or something. I had no idea, absolutely none at all, as to why Prince Harry’s book was called Spare, or indeed what a ‘Spare’ was. For those of you who are unclear (and I’m presuming it’s not many of you), Prince Harry was/is the spare. William - the heir - Harry - the spare. It’s as simple (and as callous) as that!
Sunday, October 20, 2024
The Sporty One - My Life as a Spice Girl by Melanie C, read by Melanie C.
I wasn’t really what I’d call a Spice Girls fan, not like some people were. I was probably a bit too old at twenty-something when they were at the height of their fame, but I enjoyed some of their music and, well; they are more or less the same age as me so of course I’m nosey and interested in how lives pan out.
Friday, September 27, 2024
My Review for What Really Happens in Vegas by James Patterson with Mark Seal and Read by Phil Morris
Some of you will know that Las Vegas is my happy place, so when I saw that James Patterson had collaborated with Mark Seal to tell stories from a wide variety of people, I knew I just had to read it myself. Although in this case I actually grabbed myself a copy from Libby, settled down with my husband for a 6-hour drive and we both drifted off to the lights and fascination that is Las Vegas.
Friday, August 30, 2024
My Review for The Woman in Me by Britney Spears, read by Michelle Williams
I’m not a massive Britney Spears fan. In fact, I can’t say I’m a fan at all, but I was intrigued to listen to her story after hearing so much about it from other readers. I was also a little curious as to why she had cancelled her Las Vegas residency so quickly when it was evident she had a huge amount of fans out there.
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
My Review for The T**t Files: A Life of Mistakes - No Regrets by Dawn French, Read by Dawn French
Monday, April 10, 2023
My Review for The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford
I have just closed this book, and a shiver went right through me, as it did throughout the time I was reading it. We all know about Auschwitz and many of you will have read fiction books based on actual events throughout this time, indeed one of my favourite genres is historical fiction. However, I have never been as moved and affected as when reading The Stable Boy of Auschwitz. ‘A heartbreaking true story of courage and survival’, as stated on the cover; honestly, this is an understatement. Henry (Heinz) Oster was just eleven years old when the Second World War began and this book is his memoir as he revisits those heart-wrenching and traumatic years of his childhood.
Monday, August 9, 2021
My Review for A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings by Helen Jukes
Thursday, August 5, 2021
My Review for In My Mother's Footsteps by Mona Hajjar Halaby, Narrated by Lameece Issaq
Halaby's mother had to leave her home in Palestine in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli war, firstly living in Egypt and then in Geneva, Switzerland. Halaby herself then met her husband-to-be in Geneva and they moved to California where they made their life. As their children left home and were leading their own lives, Mona jumped at an opportunity to spend a year in Ramallah, Palestine, teaching Conflict Resolution in a local school. Throughout her time there, Mona kept a journal of her day-to-day life, her integration with the children and her travels through her mother's homeland, visiting places that her mother was telling her about in her regular letters to her daughter. As the months go on, Mona's mother and father make the long journey from Geneva to visit her in Ramallah and undertake a journey of their own.
I have no knowledge or understanding of any of the issues in Israel or Palestine and whilst I appreciate this is only one person's story, it has made me keen to discover more. Many of the stories of Mona's mother's early life was thought-provoking and at times. heart-breaking and does make you wonder what sort of a world we live in.
The author gave us such vivid descriptions of the places she visited throughout her year in Ramallah that it was easy to visualise in your mind as she travelled throughout the country. Using her mother's letters in the book also brought the stories to life and it did make me feel sadness and despair at the things her mother experienced during her life.
Lameece Issaq as the narrator did the story justice and I forgot at times that it wasn't the author speaking. She brought feelings and emotion into an already emotive subject.
I would recommend this story to anyone who has an interest in the Middle East and the history involved and although only a singular viewpoint it did tug at the heartstrings.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
My Review for This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay
Adam Kay wrote snatched entries into his secret diaries whenever he had a chance, ‘after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends. Beginning when he got his first post as a House Officer through to when he quit medicine as a Senior Registrar. Throughout his stories, he holds nothing back, being totally honest about what he thinks of the NHS, his colleagues and his patients. For anyone who thinks a doctor has things easy and gets paid a lot, and for anyone who doesn’t work in the NHS (and those who do) - read this book - I think you will be surprised.
I loved the honesty Adam brings to his diaries and I’m guessing a few folks out there will think that he should keep quiet about some things that happened not only during his time as a doctor but also in days gone by when his Consultants tell him tales that will make your toes curl.
I think readers will be shocked by the reality, that yes, doctors have their holidays cancelled at the very last minute, yes, they are expected to just ‘pop’ back home to cover a shift - even if they are in the middle of the Indian Ocean and indeed clinics and operations run over. You can’t just leave a patient on the operating table because your shift should have finished an hour ago!
The book is funny, thought-provoking, eye-opening and devastating. Adam tells his tales of his career as a junior doctor with so much witticism it is difficult to put down. At the end of the book, he writes an open letter to the UK Government, asking them to take doctors and the NHS seriously. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Adam’s book and I would urge you to do the same.
Thursday, June 3, 2021
My Review for Stephen Fry in America
In his own inimitable style, with wry humour and enthusiasm, Stephen tells us of his journey across the 50 (or 51 - I’m still not sure) states of the United States of America in an English, black taxi cab, collecting fridge magnets as he goes!
Stephen meets and talks to fascinating people, views wondrous landscapes and mingles into small-town life, taking Thanksgiving dinner with a family on a plantation. All throughout his journey (which takes about 8 months in total) Stephen transported us into the days and weeks alongside him. As he describes each state in such detail, we can almost imagine we are there with him.
The audiobook was so, so much better than the television series. There was more content, more detail and a lot, lot more humour. I’m guessing that if I’d read the actual book, the same content would have been there, probably with photographs too, but I wouldn’t have had Stephen’s dulcet tones, speaking to me directly for 8 hours and this made it even more appealing.
I would definitely recommend Stephen Fry in America for anyone who has the slightest interest in the United States, for me who loves the country. It was a simple decision. I don’t know why I hadn’t sought out the book before now.
Thursday, May 13, 2021
My Review for Off-Road with Clarkson, Hammond & May by Phillipa Sage
I really enjoyed reading Off-Road with Clarkson, Hammond & May, and I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in Top Gear, the three 'boys' and some degree, cars in general. However, there isn't actually a lot of time dedicated to cars in this book, it's more about the people and how they all lived and worked together in 'the bubble' and for this reason, it offers a greater appeal to a wider audience.



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