lauraloves Posted October 30, 2011 Author Posted October 30, 2011 Oh man! I have always had a fixation for Norway 1940. Brigadier Morgan's 148th Brigade got decimated at Lillehammer. Thanks Laura I will buy this book and soon! I love this time period too! This book is the first in a series of four (so far) and I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series too Quote
lauraloves Posted October 30, 2011 Author Posted October 30, 2011 Marshmallows For Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson Synopsis - When Kendra Tamale returns to England from Australia she rents a room from Kyle, a divorced father of two, and begins a new job. She's looking forward to a fresh start and simple life. Kyle's five-year-old twins, Summer and Jaxon, have other ideas and quickly adopt Kendra as their new mother - mainly because she lets them eat marshmallows for breakfast. Kendra eventually becomes a part of their lives, even though she's hiding a painful secret that makes her keep everyone - especially children - at arm's length. Then Kendra bumps into the man who shares her awful secret, and things fall apart: she can't sleep, she can't eat, she's suspended from work, and the kids are taken away by their mother. The only way to fix things is to confess to the terrible mistake she made all those years ago. But that's something she swore never to do ... My Thoughts - To start with I was a little unsure about this book, as the first few pages didnt hook me too much. But I'm so glad that I perserved, because I ended up really liking this book. It centres on Kendra who is a little bit of a woman of mystery. She has moved back to England under a bit of a dark shadow. She ends up in the middle of a family and has to make choices. Also, different points of veiw are spoken within this book which I really really liked. I also liked the length of the book, not too long and not too short. I was hooked when I picked up the book too. I have a couple more books by this author and I can't wait to read them! A good, easy chick lit read. Rating - 4/5 Quote
lauraloves Posted November 8, 2011 Author Posted November 8, 2011 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie Challenges - BCF November Reading Circle 1001 Books to Read 501 Must Read Books Synopsis - Roger Ackroyd knew too much. He knew that the woman he loved had poisoned her brutal first husband. He suspected also that someone had been blackmailing her. Now, tragically, came the news that she had taken her own life with a drug overdose. But the evening post brought Roger one last fatal scrap of information. Unfortunately, before he could finish the letter, he was stabbed to death! My Thoughts - I read this book as part of the November reading circle on the BCF. I was a little apprehensive to start with as my nan is a huge fan of Agatha Christie and I didnt know if it was my type of book. Well, this just goes to show how much you shouldnt judge a book before you read it. I enjoyed this book so much, Agatha Christie has now gone into my top author list! The story centres on Dr Sheppard who discovers a murder has taken place, when it looks like the wrong person is going to get the blame, Poirot is asked to investigate the crime. I had heard of Poirot before, mainly due to the television series, so I had a bit of an idea of how to picture him. The book had so many twists and turns to it. I couldnt keep up on who was the suspected murderer, and when I did have a guess, I got it totally and utterly wrong. I couldnt help but try to work out the clues in my head as I went along, but I'm not ashamed to say I got it wrong most of the time. I think this enhnaced my enjoyment of the book a lot more! I was so shocked by the twist at the end. I actually had to read it several times just to make sure that I had read it correctly. I would say that it was the best twist that I have read in a book for a long time. This was my first Agatha Christie book and I really want to read more of them. A brilliant book recommended for crime/thriller fans faithful and also to those new to it. Rating - 5/5 Quote
lauraloves Posted November 11, 2011 Author Posted November 11, 2011 My Best Friends Girl - Dorothy Koomson Synopsis - What would you do for the friend who broke your heart? Best friends Kamryn Matika and Adele Brannon thought nothing could come between them - until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn's fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again. Two years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and begs Kamryn to adopt her daughter, Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five year old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice? So begins a difficult journey that leads Kamryn towards forgiveness, love, responsibility and, ultimately, a better understanding of herself. My Thoughts - I had heard good things about this book before I started it and I'm glad to say that it lived up to its very high expectations. This book hooked me from the very begining. It made me cry (loads!), laugh, smile, basically all the things that a good book should do. I had just finished another book by this author and I liked this one more. The only one little critism I have is I would have personally liked Adele to have featured more in the book, as she isnt actually in it all that much. But still, a very good read. it is chick lit but good chick lit. Highly recommended. Rating 4/5 Quote
lauraloves Posted November 15, 2011 Author Posted November 15, 2011 Read 4, Buy 1. I have been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days of my reading habits. I actually have run out of space in my room for books. As I still live at home and cannot afford my own place yet, I am restricted to one room. I have 1 shelf of favourite books, five shelves TBR books, two piles of TBR books, and three boxes under my bed of TBR books. The total of all these books is 235 books. That is going to take me years to get through alone, let alone the 200 odd that I have on my wishlist. I needed to do something about it all. The main problem is I cannot stop buying books. I started to buy just the one per week, but I was still reading not enough to get the pile down. So my plan now is to read 4 books to allow myself to buy another. Hopefully this will also encorage me to read more. Since starting this I am on book 3 out of 4, so onece I have read another I can buy one. I am hoping that this will make me think more about the books I am buying too. I’m also starting to think more seriously about what I add to my wishlist too. Quote
lauraloves Posted November 15, 2011 Author Posted November 15, 2011 Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella Synopsis - Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it's 2004 and she's a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life.But, to her disbelief, she learns it's actually 2007 - she's twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she's the boss of her department - and she's married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life??! She can't believe her luck - especially when she sees her stunning new home. She's sure she'll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He's drawn up a 'manual of our marriage', which should help. But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up... and lands a new bombshell. What the **** happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does? My Thoughts - This book sounded really good from the synopsis, I couldnt wait to get started reading it, and Sophie Kinsella is meant to be a highly enjoyed author, so what could be wrong with this book? It started off very well. Lexi wakes up in hospital following an accident and thinks its 2004. In fact, its 2007. She has lost three years of her life to amnesia and her life has totally changed. To start with, I thought how terrible, loose your memory and three years, have no idea who your husband is, and loose your old friends in the process. Then I got a bit samey. It is chick lit, and I have read an awful lot of this genre, so its no wonder that I got a bit bored, but I was expecting spectacular things from this book. I have read that the Shoppaholic series is so much better, and I'm hoping so as I have the first two books already to read! don't get me wrong, it was enjoyable, but it wasnt one that stuck out from the crowd,, or will stick in my mind for much longer I would think. It is a good cosy read but not at all challenging. Rating - 3/5 Quote
Ooshie Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Good luck with the Read 4, Buy 1, Laura! I'm sure my books breed when I'm not looking, as I'm always sure I have cut right down on my book buying, but then I notice I need yet another bookcase ... Edited November 21, 2011 by Ooshie Quote
lauraloves Posted November 21, 2011 Author Posted November 21, 2011 Good luck with the Read 4, Buy 1, Laura! I'm sure my books breed when I'm not looking, as I'm always sure I have cut right down on my book buying, but then I notice I need yet another bookcase ... Thanks I'm sure mine do aswell. I need to cut down on my book buying too and I think this is the only way ill be able to do it! I need more space, I now have about 50 books piled up on my floor because I've ran out of room! Quote
lauraloves Posted November 22, 2011 Author Posted November 22, 2011 The Sweetest Taboo - Carole Matthews Synopsis - Falling in love isn't easy. Sadie Nelson ought to know – she’s got two men to choose from and neither one is hassle-free. First there’s Gill McGann, a Hollywood producer who’s flown her from a grey day in London to sun-soaked LA in order to win her heart. He has more to offer Sadie than she could ever have imagined... Then there’s gorgeous actor Tavis Jones, whose sense of fun makes Sadie feel immediately at home. But can they ever be more than just good friends? The longer she leaves it, the harder it gets, and Sadie’s about to discover that in LA anything can happen... My Thoughts - I have read other books by Carole Matthews and I was quite looking forward to this one, but I have to say I was a little disappointed by this book. The book focuses on Sadie, who goes chasing across to America after a man she has just met. However, things don't go as easily as she had hoped for. These include ex wives, new love intrests, fame, fortune, new friends and glamour. I have to say, I just didnt find the plot all that believable. A woman goes across to America after a guy she met two days before and ends up with a place to stay and a job in the space of hours, despite not knowing anybody apart from said guy who flew here over to America. I also didnt like the twoing and froing of the relationship between the characters. I did like the fact that it was told from different perspectives, and different opinions were brought in because of this. I did think some parts were funny too. I do normally like carole matthews style of writing, but I just don't think that this plot worked for me. I konw its chick lit, and its not meant to be thought prevoking or anything, but I was hoping for a little bit more! I have several other Carole Matthews books on my shelf, so I'm hoping I enjoy those more than this book. Rating - 2/5 Quote
lauraloves Posted November 25, 2011 Author Posted November 25, 2011 Cuckoo - by Julia Crouch Synopsis - A dark, juicy, deliciously unsettling, read-it-in-one-sitting psychological drama. Rose has it all - the gorgeous children, the husband, the beautiful home. But then her best friend Polly comes to stay. Very soon, Rose's cosy world starts to fall apart at the seams - her baby falls dangerously ill, her husband is distracted - is Polly behind it all? It appears that once you invite Polly into your home, it's very difficult to get her out again... My thoughts - I read this book as part of a book ring, I had heard many good things about this book and when the chance came up to read it, I jumped at the chance. The book centres on a family, who seem to have it all. And then, Polly comes to stay. Polly has lost her husband, in seemly a tragic car accident leaving her and two young sons behind. When Anna invites her to stay, Polly agrees. Once Polly gets her feet under the table however, things start to happen. Everyone seems to have a secret (or three!) and during the book these all come out. I thought it was brilliant how these all came out. I don't want to say to much more and ruin the plot for anyone that hasn't read the book, but its safe to say everything was good until Polly came along. This book is creepy, in a good way. There are so many twists and turns and it is so nice to read a book that is nor predictable. It is very fast paced, and once I had picked the book up I found it extremely difficult to put down again. The writing style was a little different to what I am used to, but I settled into it very easily. I didnt expect the ending, what a brilliant end. I even had to read it a couple of times over to make sure that I had understood it and read it correctly. This is a brilliant book, highly recommended. Its a book full of twists and turns, a page turner and very difficult to put down! Rating - 5/5 Quote
Ooshie Posted November 27, 2011 Posted November 27, 2011 Glad you enjoyed it so much, lauraloves, I thought it was a great read too Quote
Weave Posted November 27, 2011 Posted November 27, 2011 Glad you enjoyed 'Cuckoo' so much Laura, I was the same with the ending, it was done really well. Quote
lauraloves Posted November 28, 2011 Author Posted November 28, 2011 Glad you enjoyed it so much, lauraloves, I thought it was a great read too It was brilliant, definitaly going to take advantage of more books like this one! Glad you enjoyed 'Cuckoo' so much Laura, I was the same with the ending, it was done really well. It is such a good read, and its probably going to be one of my favourite book endings of the year! Quote
vodkafan Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 Thanks I'm sure mine do aswell. I need to cut down on my book buying too and I think this is the only way ill be able to do it! I need more space, I now have about 50 books piled up on my floor because I've ran out of room! kindle Quote
lauraloves Posted November 28, 2011 Author Posted November 28, 2011 kindle funny you should say that, I'm getting quite tempted by them! This is coming from the person that always said never, but I might be turning towards a kindle hehe! Quote
lauraloves Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 Be Careful What You Wish For - Alexandra Potter Synopsis - Heather Hamilton is always wishing for things. Not just big stuff - like world peace or for a date with Brad Pitt - but little, everyday wishes, made without thinking. With her luck, she knows they'll never come true... Until one day she buys some heather from a gypsy. Suddenly the bad hair days stop; a handsome American answers her ad for a housemate; and she starts seeing James - The Perfect Man who sends her flowers, excels in the bedroom, and isn't afraid to say 'I love you'... But are these wishes-come-true a blessing or a curse? And is there such a thing as too much foreplay? My Thoughts - this was a bit different from other chick lit books that I've recently read as it involved a bit of magic. If anyone has seen the film Just My Luck starring lindsay lohan and McFly, it was very simular in theme to that. it centres on Heather who always makes wishes but they never come true, and she thinks she doesnt have a good life, compared to what she thought she would. Then when she meets gypsy woman in the street, her luck seems to change and she gets everything she wants. However, when a crisis strikes, is it really everything she wants? I did like how the 'magical' part played in this book, it wasnt just romantic fluff, and who should she choose. I thought the first half of the book was really good and fast paced and really hooked me in. However the last 100 or so pages really dragged a little bit for me, and I thought that quite a few of those could be cut out. However, I did enjoy the book a lot, definitaly one I would recommend to someone who is looking for a light read Rating - 4/5 Quote
lauraloves Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling Synopsis - A remarkable sequel to the best-selling Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Harry Potter is a wizard. He is in his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Little does he know that this year will be just as eventful as the last even getting there is an adventure in itself! The three firm friends, Harry, Ron and Hermione, are soon immersed in the daily round of Potions, Herbology, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Quidditch. But then horrible and mysterious things begin to happen. Harry keeps hearing strange voices, sinister and dark messages appear on the wall, and then Ron's sister Ginny disappears My thoughts - As many people know, the Harry Potter series are my favourite books of all time. I love love love these books and can read these again and again. having said that, this is my least favourite book of the series. I still love it, but I think it has something to do with the giant spiders. This does put me off a little bit from this book. It still reads quite child like, as this is when the books were still primerally for children. I love the rest of the story, especially as this is the book where we first meet Dobby, just a shame about the giant spiders. theres not really much else I can say about this book, apart from I love the series! Rating - 5/5 Quote
chesilbeach Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 Have you read any others by Alexandra Potter, lauraloves? I adored her first two books, then the next few didn't quite live up to the first, but Be Careful What You Wish For was a bit better, and then I loved Who's That Girl?. Her first few books were with a different publisher and were really difficult to get hold of after she moved to a new one, but I've just had a look on Amazon and the new publisher is gradually re-releasing her early books, so I'd recommend What's New Pussycat? and (my absolute favourite) Going La La. At her best, my favourite chick-lit author. Quote
lauraloves Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 Have you read any others by Alexandra Potter, lauraloves? I adored her first two books, then the next few didn't quite live up to the first, but Be Careful What You Wish For was a bit better, and then I loved Who's That Girl?. Her first few books were with a different publisher and were really difficult to get hold of after she moved to a new one, but I've just had a look on Amazon and the new publisher is gradually re-releasing her early books, so I'd recommend What's New Pussycat? and (my absolute favourite) Going La La. At her best, my favourite chick-lit author. Oooh will have to check those out then as youve recommended them so highly I do have Me and Mr Darcy on my shelf, have you read that one? Quote
chesilbeach Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 Yes, I liked it a bit better than Be Careful What You Wish For, and then Who's That Girl? a bit more again! Her newer stuff seems to all have a little magic/fantasy involved whereas the two first books were straight romcom, but at the time, it was when I was first reading chick-lit and I liked her sense of humour a lot, with decent characters who I cared about. Quote
lauraloves Posted December 5, 2011 Author Posted December 5, 2011 Yes, I liked it a bit better than Be Careful What You Wish For, and then Who's That Girl? a bit more again! Her newer stuff seems to all have a little magic/fantasy involved whereas the two first books were straight romcom, but at the time, it was when I was first reading chick-lit and I liked her sense of humour a lot, with decent characters who I cared about. oops only just seen this I will definitaly keep a look out for more of her books, I really enjoyed that one Quote
lauraloves Posted December 6, 2011 Author Posted December 6, 2011 Confessiobs of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella Challenges - Ultimate Teen Book Guide Challenge Synopsis - Retail therapy is the answer to all her problems. She knows she should stop, but she can't. She tries Cutting Back, she tries Making More Money. But neither seems to work. The stories she concocts become more and more fantastic as she tries to untangle her increasingly dire financial difficulties. Her only comfort is to buy herself something - just a little something... Can Becky ever escape from this dream world, find true love, and regain the use of her Switch card? My Thoughts - I have had this on my shelf for a while, and have had it recommended for me quite a few times. I really really love this book, and I wish I had read it sooner. The book centres on Becky, who is a shopaholic bigtime. I found myself relating to becky a little bit, not so much with her huge spending, but with how easy it is to spend a little here and there and let it get into a big problem. Her plans to make more money or cut back were so so so funny and brilliant too. I loved her excuses for not paying the money too, the letters really broke the book up a bit and made it a bit different. Also, the ending was so good! I felt the plot was very good and so funny. The book was just the right length too, as I find sometimes this type of book can go on a little to much. Anyway, the best part of the book, is that is part of a series. I already own Shopaholic Abroad and Shopaholic and Baby I just need to get my hands on the others and ill be away to read the whole series. I'm so pleased to have found another series that I'm going to enjoy. a brilliant read, if you havent already give it a go, beacuase I thought it was fabulous. Rating - 5/5 Quote
lauraloves Posted December 13, 2011 Author Posted December 13, 2011 Step on it Cupid - Lorelei Mathias Synopsis - Amelie’s life is arranged just how she likes it. Brilliant job, great social life, and on-off love-life. So it’s a shock when she realises one day that everyone she knows seem to be happily coupled up – getting married even. Is it time she thought about settling down? Assigned an awful project in work – writing the ad campaign for Britain’s biggest speed-dating company – she is forced against her will into plenty of market research. And with her best mate Duncan, her annoying boss Joshua and her ex-boyfriend Jack all causing havoc in her life, maybe a speed-dating romance could be her salvation… My Thoughts- To be honest, there isnt that much that I can say about this book. I really didnt enjoy it very much, it did get better as the book went on, but unfortunatly I didnt get this book very much. it was too fluffy for my liking and I didnt find it very believable. The plot centres on Amelie Holden (everytime I read the name I was reading Amanda Holden) who is trying to work on a pitch for work and in doing this, starts to go speed dating for research perposes. I found the ending very unbelivable, after all the hard work she put in would she really do that? I think I need to take a bit of a break from chick lit for a while and see how it picks up in the new year Rating - 2/5 Quote
lauraloves Posted December 14, 2011 Author Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) Just Married - Zoe Barnes Synopsis - Emma (ne Cox) and Joe Sheridan have just got married. Emma has been in love with Joe since school - marrying him was the happiest day of her life. But now the honeymoon is over and Emma's having to cope with the reality of married life. She's living in a new town, has a new job and a new husband who hasn't quite left his bachelor days behind him. Then there's Emma's interfering mother-in-law who's expecting the patter of tiny feet before Joe's even carried her over the threshold! Still, at least she and Joe are together at last. But Joe and Emma have never lived with each other before - and apart from the odd holiday - have never spent more than two weeks in each other's company. Setting up home together for the first time might be romantic, but nobody told them that living happily ever after takes a lot of hard work... My Thoughts - well what a refreshing read! This book is all about a couples first year of marriage, all the bad things included too. Along with the normal ammount of couple parts, there is an awful lot of bad bits too. The arguements and everything that happens because of it. I found this a really good change to all the books that are out there, that you get married, book ends, and you live happily ever after. Although the ending was a little happily ever after, it was more a message of, if you want to be happy you need to work at it. I liked that it was told from both perspectives, and that it also had the veiws of some of the secondery characters too, it was good to have a bit of a shake up with it all. Overall a good book, not one I would read again, but enjoyable none the less! Rating - 3.5/5 Edited December 14, 2011 by lauraloves Quote
lauraloves Posted December 20, 2011 Author Posted December 20, 2011 I've decided what I want for Christmas . . . A KINDLE!!!! I've been dropping some not so subtle hints to my boyfriend, but I'm thinking that it might be a bit late for him to get me one now. But I've decided that I might aswell jump on the Kindle wagon, as so many people seem to love theirs. I had a bit of a play on one in a shop the other day and I really thought it was quite easy to navigate, but we shall see if I manage to get one. Fingers crossed I get one Quote
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