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Laura Loves Reads 2017


lauraloves

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Sorry to hear you have to move house. I've moved 6 times in 11 years, and two of those were in the last 7 months. It's stressful and not at all fun. I hope it goes as smoothly as possible for you.

 

Be interesting to read your thoughts on 13 Reasons Why. I haven't read it, but I've seen the show (which you may know was surrounded by controversy).

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On 25/07/2017 at 1:50 PM, Athena said:

I'm sorry to hear that :(. I wish you good luck with another move, I hope it goes well. Sorry you have to move again :(.

I'm not too sure if we are going or staying at the minute hopefully we can stay :)

 

 

On 26/07/2017 at 9:58 AM, Nollaig said:

Sorry to hear you have to move house. I've moved 6 times in 11 years, and two of those were in the last 7 months. It's stressful and not at all fun. I hope it goes as smoothly as possible for you.

 

Be interesting to read your thoughts on 13 Reasons Why. I haven't read it, but I've seen the show (which you may know was surrounded by controversy).

 

I havent seen the show or the controvery so I'm going to have a little look into that!

 

 

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17) The Taste of Summer - Kate Lord Brown

 

 

Synopsis - Every summer, in a rambling castle in Kenmare, south west Ireland, the TV crews descend to film the nation's favourite cookery competition. For Diana, a celebrated TV chef, it's a way to keep her castle running. But this summer, it will be different. There's a lot more at stake than the perfect muffin. Bea, the cupcake queen, is determined to remind everyone why she deserves her own TV show, at whatever cost. Connor, the bad boy of the restaurant world, is determined to put his lurid past behind him and turn over a new leaf. And food blogger Darcy finds that returning home to the castle means stirring up some long-buried feelings for someone she'd never quite forgotten.

 

My thoughts - I brought this in the Works as one of the three books for £5 offers as it sounded quite good! This book was ok - its a bit like Great British Bakeoff with a bit of scandal and it was fairly predictable at times however it was good for some light hearted escapism which is going down well with me at the minute! A good summer read.

 

Rating - 3.5/5

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18) The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

 

 

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Synopsis - The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads:

Opens at Nightfall
Closes at Dawn

As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears.

Le Cirque des Rêves
The Circus of Dreams.

Now the circus is open.
Now you may enter.

 

My thoughts - I've had this on my shelf for a long time - maybe three years and I've just been putting it off as I didnt want to be disappointed by all the hype surrounding the book. This was brilliant. It was so beautifully written with brilliant descriptions of things and a lovely plot that I just didnt want to put it down. Its definitaly a book that will stay with me for a long time. The only thing I'm gutted about was that I didnt read it sooner!

 

Rating - 5/5

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19) The Everything Machine - Ally Kennen

 

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Synopsis - Eleven year old Olly has a very special delivery - a 3D printing machine, stamped with PROPERTY OF M.O.D and BRITISH SPACE AGENCY. WARNING. DO NOT TAMPER, which has magical powers... It has a name, it speaks, and it can print ANYTHING Olly asks it to - a never-ending supply of sweets, a swimming pool in the shed - but what Olly really wants is... his dad, who has separated from his mum and moved out of the family home. Cue the creation of Dad-Bot - he looks just like Dad (on a good day) but is totally chaotic - and his antics tip Olly and co into a heart-racing and heart-warming adventure!

 

My Thoughts - I brought this book in W H Smiths as it was on offer as there Kids book of the month and it sounded quite good. This book was ok - the sort of book that would appeal to my son in a good few years. It tells the story of Olly who manages to aquire a special 3D printer that could print anything and it has the message that if you could have anything you want would you really want it? It was good with a bit of modern plots in it like coding and things like that which was good.

 

Rating - 3/5

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20) The Age of Miracles - Karen Thompson Walker

 

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Synopsis - One morning, Julia and her parents wake up in their suburban home in California to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth is noticeably slowing. The enormity of this is almost beyond comprehension. And yet, even if the world is, in fact, coming to an end, as some assert, day-to-day life must go on. Julia, facing the loneliness and despair of an awkward adolescence, witnesses the impact of this phenomenon on the world, on the community, on her family and on herself

 

My Thoughts - I've had this book on my shelf for ages but I've onl just got around to reading it. The book tells the story of Julia who had a normal life until the earth began to slow. The books plot does feel so real almost like it could actually happen - that mother nature is finding a way of fighting back. I would have liked it to go on a little bit more with what happens in the future and to draw that out a bit more but overall it was a good read.

 

Rating - 3.5/5

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21)The Land Girls - Annie Wilkinson

 

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Synopsis - Hull, 1943. Seventeen-year-old Muriel Dearlove has weathered the Blitz unscathed, earning her keep in Miss Chapman's grocery shop. But with her sweetheart Bill away fighting and and her friends conscripted into the WRENs and WAAF, life has become tedious.

Then a friend returns from a stint in the Land Army, rosy cheeked and healthier than ever thanks to the outdoor work she has been doing on Northumberland's farms. She also comes with tales of dances with the troops stationed nearby and high jinks with her fellow Land Girls. Desperate for the chance to broaden her horizons, Muriel signs up.

But getting back to the land is not all about making hay in the sunshine. The reality is long days of back-breaking work with little thanks from the hard-nosed warden Mrs Hubbard. Meanwhile the relationship between the Land Girls and the locals has reached crisis point.

Then Muriel meets Ernst, a German prisoner of war, and has a choice to make. In fraternizing with the enemy she breaks the law, but to never see Ernst again would break her heart.

 

My Thoughts - I've had this book on my shelf for a long time but have only just got around to reading it now. This isnt normally thesort of second world war book that i read - its a bit more romantic than I normally like but I thought I'd give it a go. It tells the story of Muriel who gives up her job in a grocery shop to join the Land girls and ends up falling in love with a German POW and all of the issues that could be caused by that. It also tells the details of the work that the Land Girls had to enjure and what it was like for them during the war. Overall I enjoyed the book - it was quite sobering at times to read about how quickly life could change for the girls and how all of a sudden they could be loosing loved ones fighting in the armedd forces. It was also the first book I have read by the author - I would read her books again.

 

Rating - 3.5/5

 

 

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22) The Camelot Code - Sam Christer

 

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Synopsis - What if King Arthur was more than a myth?

On a starlit summer's night in the Welsh mountains, an old man is torn from sleep as an ancient prophecy unfolds.

On the other side of the Atlantic, an American antiques dealer lies dying on the floor of his shop, blood ebbing from a fatal stab wound.

In San Francisco, Mitzi Fallon begins her new job as lead investigator for the FBI's Historical, Religious and Unsolved Crimes Unit. When it emerges that a priceless Celtic relic has been stolen from the murdered antiques dealer, Mitzi finds herself drawn into a mystery that reaches from the heart of the modern US government back to a man once dismissed as myth: King Arthur.

Sam Christer, author of the international smash hit, The Stonehenge Legacy, returns with his most dramatic, race-against-time thriller yet. Packed with heart-stopping, addictive suspense and historical intrigue, The Camelot Code is a brand new thriller that is perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Simon Toyne. The King Arthur legend is about to come to life...

 

My Thoughts - I've had this on my shelf for a while as I'd read one of the authours books before (The Stonehenge Legacy) and really enjoyed it but had not got arond to reading this one. This book is very  like a Dan Brown book but without the massive plot twists - in this book it was quite clear where the story was going to go and what was going to happen to the main characters. It was an enjoyable story though - I would have liked more information on the King Arthur story as in the Stonehenge book there was more historical information but this was ok. I would read more books by this author.

 

Rating - 3.5/5

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23)Billy and Me - Giovanna Fletcher

 

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Synopsis - Sophie May has a secret.

One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then Sophie unexpectedly meets the gorgeous Billy Buskin - a famous actor with ambitions to make it to the top. As they begin to grow closer, Sophie finds herself whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world.

After years of shying away from attention, can Sophie handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? How much is she prepared to give up along the way? And is their love strong enough to keep them together against the odds?

 

My Thoughts - I'm a massive fan of Gi and her husband Tom with their youtube channels, books, social media etc - they have two little ones who are roughly the same age as my little one and I really like them! I have read a couple of her books before and loved them and this one really didnt disappoint either. It was really well written and the story was really good too and I read most of this in one sitting. Absolutly fantastic and I'm now off to order a couple of her books that I havent read!

 

Rating - 5/5

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24)Bernie Nolan - Now and Forever

 

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Synopsis - Two years ago Bernie Nolan was given the initial all-clear after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Over the moon, Bernie set about rebuilding her life and making plans for the future.

Then in the summer of 2012, she was in her bedroom getting dressed when she found a lump just above her breast. Terrified, she immediately made a hospital appointment, where she was given the devastating news that the cancer had returned. It had spread to her brain, lungs, liver and bones and was incurable.

Bernie's first thought was of her daughter. Erin had just turned thirteen and was approaching a time when young girls need their mums more than ever. In true Bernie spirit she vowed not to let the cancer stop her from being 'Mum'.

Bernie always said that her family was her greatest achievement and she wanted to be the best wife and mother she could be in the time she had left. In this book Bernie shares her struggle to become a mother - the miscarriage she suffered and the heartbreaking stillbirth of her daughter Kate, and the joyous arrival of her beautiful daughter Erin.

Bernie loved seeing this book published and was thrilled when it became a number 1 bestseller. It meant a great deal to her that so many people wanted to read her story. This is a memoir brimming with happy memories, and although Bernie tragically lost her battle on the 4th July 2013, she lives on in the hearts of the nation and in the pages of this book.

Moving and wonderfully warm-hearted, this is a powerful story of a remarkable life and a mother's brave fight against a vicious disease.

 

My Thoughts - I've had this book on my shelf for a long time - I used to be a fan of the author when she was in The Bill and as I got older I discovered the Nolans as I was a bit young to know who they were before! Also I used to watch Loose Women and Coleen was on that a lot. I enjoyed this book - if thats the right words for it. It was so sad a times especially the parts where she discusess leaving her daughter behind and her husband. But I also thought she showed so much strength in herself and carrying on working while she was so poorly. It was a good read - very eye opening as it makes you realise that you are not always here forever!

 

Rating - 4/5

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