Archive | May 2019

Out Of The Ashes by Vicky Newham

May31

No Stone Unturned

Out Of The Ashes by Vicky Newham is a fabulous contemporary crime novel that will grip you from the start. It is the second book in the D.I. Maya Rahman series which I am really enjoying.

The novel is set in the Brick Lane area of London. Once it was a thriving community. Now it is run down and in need of redevelopment but it is still home to some elderly residents who love it in spite of the damp and deprivation. The houses and shops hold memories that are hard to let go of.

There are murders and arson to solve. Experts at ICT mean phones and IP addresses are hard to trace. Aliases and broken CCTV merely serve to aid the criminals. Vulnerable youngsters are exploited.

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Where You Go: An Interactive Journal For Your Adventures With God by Joanne Gilbert

May29

Stunningly Beautiful

Where You Go: An Interactive Journal For Your Adventures With God by Joanne Gilbert is the most stunningly beautiful book. The illustrations ‘spoke’ to me as well as the words. This is a book to be used, kept, treasured and revisited again and again.

Joanne Gilbert describes life with God as a beautiful adventure. Life is not meant to be boring but lived in colour. The journal is divided into five sections: preparing; taking steps; facing trials; reflecting; and colour and meditate. Within each section there are activities to do, illustrations, Biblical wisdom and verses, questions and quotes all designed to draw us closer to God. There are also blank pages for us to write or draw what God is saying to us. The final section of the book has illustrations for us to colour as we meditate on what God is saying as we relax.

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The Little Gift Shop On The Loch by Maggie Conway

May25

Technicolour Dreams

The Little Gift Shop On The Loch by Maggie Conway is a most delightful contemporary tale about finding your true identity.

Too often we rush through life immersed in our jobs but never really discovering what is really important. “How easy it was to rush around, never stopping to appreciate something simple.” Within the novel an unexpected redundancy becomes a new opportunity. What starts as an escape to lick one’s wounds soon becomes the lifeline to a new dream.

The story is about loss. “Time was meant to be a healer but… it wasn’t. You simply found ways of dealing with it.” Sometimes we become so busy to avoid facing our loss. Sooner or later we must slow down and meet our loss face to face. Losing loved ones hurts but the blow is softened by knowing how much they loved and how much they were loved by others.

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My Colorful Life by Marion Ueckermann

May24

Transported To Far Away Lands

My Colorful Life by Marion Ueckermann is a delightful collection of poems that spoke to my soul. With vivid descriptions, I ‘travelled’ to Ireland and Africa. The detail enabled me to ‘see’ the landscape and ‘feel’ the African heat.

I had two favourite poems – The Writer and Words. They appealed to me because of their detail and subject matter.

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