Athena Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Oooh I loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a young child. I hope your child enjoys the books you bought . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Would you mind if I recommend a couple of books for your little one? My 'baby' is now thirty, but 2 books he absolutely adored when he was a little one were Sam's Sandwich and The Monster Bed. All these years later I can still remember the words to The Monster Bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 I loved the Alex Rider series. I believe there is now a prequel, but I'm reluctant to touch that. Feels a bit unnecessary. The series, though, is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 Oooh I loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a young child. I hope your child enjoys the books you bought . He loved it when I read this one to him - brought back a lot of memories for me too Would you mind if I recommend a couple of books for your little one? My 'baby' is now thirty, but 2 books he absolutely adored when he was a little one were Sam's Sandwich and The Monster Bed. All these years later I can still remember the words to The Monster Bed. Thanks Chrissy - I've added them both to my Amazon wishlist so next time I'm ordering books i'll get those for him too. I love the 'older' childrens books (if I can call them that!) I used to love a story called Smoke and Fluff and could 'read' this off to my mum from an early age - I'd made her read this to me so much I could remember it! Must ask her to see if she still has my copy! I loved the Alex Rider series. I believe there is now a prequel, but I'm reluctant to touch that. Feels a bit unnecessary. The series, though, is excellent. Oh I didn't know there was a prequel - not too sure how that would fit in with the story - I've only read the first so far though! Going to definitely read more in this series though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 Oh I didn't know there was a prequel - not too sure how that would fit in with the story - I've only read the first so far though! Going to definitely read more in this series though! I've read it and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's not really a prequel, just the back story of one of the characters from the main series ... so it's more of a companion piece. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Thanks Claire, that's really useful. I'll try and get hold of it in that case I really enjoyed the series. In fact, I might reread it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 I've read it and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's not really a prequel, just the back story of one of the characters from the main series ... so it's more of a companion piece. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of the series. Ah ok then - ill have a little read of more of the series and then try and get my hands on the prequel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted May 18, 2016 Author Share Posted May 18, 2016 Its been a month since I last had a chance to get on here but it only feels like a few days! We have been so busy with the farm we have just got our latest batch of pigs in and we are gearing up for harvest soon too. Its also been that fantastic time of year that all of last years paperwork needs to be go in order so I've been busy with that too. On top of that weve been busy getting all of the garden and polytunnel planted out too with all of the fruit and veg we need for the summer so thats kept me busy. My little one has also decided at the grand age of 18 months that he doesnt need to nap in the daytime anymore so where I'd normally have a couple of hours each day to keep up with the office work and the like I have to get it done while he is awake which doesnt always work well. I have despite all of the above managed to read a couple of books (and buy a good few more!) which hopefully I'll get around to writing down soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 It sounds like you're busy! I hope you'll be able to write more about your read and bought books soon . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Awwww piggies!! Sounds like you're having a fabulous time of life, so just enjoy that! You'll be here when you'll be here. This place ain't going nowhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 So much for my keeping this updated - it was May the last time I logged in and now its August (rolls eyes!) Weve been so so busy with harvest the last couple of months that we havent really had time to stop and eat let alone do anything else! We did manage to sneak a couple of days away last month in amounst all the crazy though which was nice. We went glamping in the New Forest. Weve also decided to do a house swap with MIL and FIL so that we have the big farm bungalow and they have a smaller purpose build cottage. We are moving in in the next month and they are moving into a big caravan while we sort the financing out. They are moving out earlier as they spend the winter months in Portugal and then we get the nice warm house over the winter while the finances are all being sorted. I'll try and have a catch up on everyone elses threads too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Good to see you again, Laura! It sounds like you've been busy! I'm glad you were able to get away for a couple of days. What is 'glamping'? I hope the house swap will be nice for all of you . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 18, 2016 Author Share Posted August 18, 2016 Good to see you again, Laura! It sounds like you've been busy! I'm glad you were able to get away for a couple of days. What is 'glamping'? I hope the house swap will be nice for all of you . Hi (waves ) Weve been so busy its crazy haha! Glamping is camping but glamorous I think! We stayed in a tent but it had a four poster bed inside and wooden floor with a log burner inside it was lovely! I'm most looking forward to moving as I can finally have all my books together in one place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 That sounds lovely . That sounds great (a book lover's dream..). Will you post pictures once it's all set up? I'd love to see a picture of your book shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 That sounds lovely . That sounds great (a book lover's dream..). Will you post pictures once it's all set up? I'd love to see a picture of your book shelves. I really want to post pictures as most of my books have been packed away for the last three years I'm also hoping that if I actually see how many are on my TBR pile I might actually do some serious reading to get it down haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 I've got about 10 book reviews to catch up on - oops! 14) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azcaban - J.K. Rowling. Synopsis - Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school... My Thoughts - Hubby brought me the complete set for Christmas last year and I'm really enjoying re-reading the series. This is my favourite book in the series and this didn't disappoint again. This is the last of the younger audience books I feel as the next book is fairly sizable! It also introduces a lot of important characters in this book like Lupin and the story kind of grows up from there. I also love the covers of these editions they are so beautiful! Once again a lovely re-read of my favourite ever series. Rating - 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 15)Alex Rider Point Blanc - Anthony Horowitz Synopsis - In the second book in the number one bestselling Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, teenage spy Alex is sent by MI6 to infiltrate the exclusive Point Blanc Academy. But the academy hides a deadly secret. Can Alex alert the world to the truth before it’s too late? My thoughts - As I'd loved the first book in the series I quickly moved on to number two in the series. I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book as it was quite similar in the plot to the other and I also found the agencies treatment of Alex a bit hard to get through. I also think I would have enjoyed this book more as a teenager than an adult but it did still have some good points. I did enjoy the ending a lot so much so that I went and brought book number three straight away! Rating - 4.5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 16) Our Zoo - June Mottershed Synopsis - Until I brought friends back from school I didn't realise that most people didn't have baby lions in their bedrooms when they were sick, or bring parrots into the house so they wouldn't catch cold.'Chester Zoo is counted among the top 10 zoos in the world and, with over 11,000 animals and 400 species, it is the most visited wildlife attraction in Britain. Unlike other zoos that owe their existence to philanthropists, explorers or big game hunters, Chester Zoo was the brainchild of one working-class man with a dream he had nurtured since he was a boy: to build a zoo without bars.June Mottorshead was four years old when her father, George, moved his family to Upton, two miles out Chester, to begin the process of turning his dream into a reality. With no other children around to play with - her sister Muriel was 10 years older - June's friends became the animals. Her closest companion was an orphaned chimpanzee which her sister hadshe hand reared, and for six years the two were inseparable. June soon became the poster girl for Chester Zoo and photographs of her cuddling lion clubs, head-butting a goat or opening the beak of a pelican soon graced the front pages of British newspapers. She was 13 when war was declared on 1939 and, with the backbone of the staff headed for the front, it fell to June to take over as head keeper. Keeping the zoo running while the war waged was no easy task. Despite rationing the animals had to be fed and all of them - penguins, elephants, leopards, tigers, lions, kangaroos and polar bears - needed to be moved into secure locked quarters inside as soon as the air raid siren sounded. My Thoughts - I picked this book up in The Works one day as it sounded very interesting and something that I would like. Its all about June's life and how her father set up Chester Zoo. Its also the basis for the TV show Our Zoo -which I still need to watch! It was a very interesting read about how life was like in a zoo back then and how they used to feed the animals and bring them into the house - I very much doubt that health and safety nowadays would let things like that happen now. It was also interesting reading about what happened during WW2 and how all the men that worked in the zoo had to go off to war leaving the women running the place. This was a very good book - not one that I would really read again but some parts of it have stayed with me. Rating - 3.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 17)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling Synopsis - When the Quidditch World Cup is disrupted by Voldemort’s rampaging supporters and the terrifying Dark Mark appears against the night sky, it is obvious to Harry Potter that, far from weakening, Voldemort is getting stronger. Back at Hogwarts for the fourth year Harry is astonished to be chosen to represent the school in the Triwizard Tournament. The competition is dangerous, the tasks terrifying, and true courage is no guarantee of survival – especially with the Dark Lord’s forces on the rise … My Thoughts - This is the first in the book series of what I call the more 'adult' books. The themes in it get a lot darker and the book is a lot bigger. This isn't one of my favourite books in the series however it is one of the books that start to put everything in its place. I do enjoy the introduction of Moody and a lot more focus is on the darker side of the magical world like the Death Eaters and I also enjoyed the different wizarding schools. Although its not one of my favourite books I did still enjoy this book. Rating - 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Its also the basis for the TV show Our Zoo -which I still need to watch!We watched it when it was on. I hope you enjoy it when you get round to it. Although I knew it was based on fact, I didn't realise there was actually a book about it. Peter and I went to Chester Zoo, but that was years ago BC (before children! ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire isn't my favourite book in the series either. Great reviews! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 We watched it when it was on. I hope you enjoy it when you get round to it. Although I knew it was based on fact, I didn't realise there was actually a book about it. Peter and I went to Chester Zoo, but that was years ago BC (before children! ). I must have missed it when it was on TV as it would have been something that I would have liked! I want to go to Chester Zoo more so now that I've got Ethan - it gives me an excuse to visit the zoo Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire isn't my favourite book in the series either. Great reviews! Thank you I'm now reading Order of the Phoenix which is one of my favourites Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 Thank you I'm now reading Order of the Phoenix which is one of my favourites That's one of my favourites too. Enjoy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 18) Alex Rider Skeleton Key - Anthony Horowitz Synopsis - Teenage superspy Alex Rider is enlisted by the national security services again – this time for a routine reconnaissance mission at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.But before long, Alex finds himself caught up in a terrifying chain of events that leads from the Chinese Triad gangs in London to an undercover assignment in Cuba. Alex begins to make chilling links between suspicious deaths, an illegal nuclear weapons deal and the plans of his host, Russian General Sarov, for the future of the world... My Thoughts - This is the third book in the Alex Rider book series and to be honest I didn't enjoy it all that much. The plot seemed very similar to the last two books and I just couldn't get into it very well. I also thought the agencies treatment of Alex was getting quite out of hand and to be honest I really didn't like it. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had have been younger when I read it but to me now I just didn't. I'm also glad that I didn't buy the whole series as I don't think I'll continue with it much more. Rating- 2.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 19) The Fifth Wave - Rick Yancey Synopsis - The 1st Wave; Took out half a million people.The 2nd Wave; Put that number to shame.The 3rd Wave; Lasted a little longer.Twelve weeks... Four billion dead.In the 4th Wave; You can't trust that people are still people.And the 5th Wave? No one knows. But it's coming.On a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs. Runs from the beings that only look human, who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be her only hope.Now Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. My Thoughts - I'd had this book on my wishlist for ages and then it became the movie and I was determined to read this before I saw the movie which I did and now I can watch the movie. This book tells the story of Cassie and other main characters as the dialog does jump from character to character however I did follow this well and it was very clearly explained as to who was who as I find this can be confusing at times in some other books. It is also packed full of twists and turns which kept me hooked. This was a brilliant book one that I really struggled to put down and I'm so pleased I read it first. I've added the second book to my wishlist and I'm hoping its just as good! Rating - 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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