Archive | April 2022

Only A Yorkshire Lass by Andrea Dridi

Apr14

An Honest Account

Only A Yorkshire Lass by Andrea Dridi is the autobiography of the author’s life. It is a compelling read.

Andrea Dridi writes with clarity and honesty. Her writing is more like reading a letter from a friend than reading through a book.

Money does not bring happiness. Andrea Dridi has had a life that has ebbed and flowed. She has known times of poverty and times of plenty. Her life has certainly thrown up challenges. She talks openly about her abortions; suicide attempts and struggles with mental health.

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The Shape Of Night by Tess Gerritsen

Apr13

Keeping Watch

The Shape Of Night by Tess Gerritsen is a spine-tingling contemporary romantic suspense that I just could not put down.

The novel is written in the first person enabling the reader to really experience the action, along with the character. It is a book that definitely raises the hairs on your head! It is not a book to read in isolation in a dark setting!

A character is consumed by guilt and is running from her past – but no matter where she runs, she cannot outrun her memories.

The house within the tale takes on a personality. It is dark and brooding, not a place to linger for the night. There seems to be a presence – but is it good? Or evil? A murky atmosphere is perfectly captured by Tess Gerritsen with her words which highlight the tension.

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Childhoods Are Forever by Tony Muddimer

Apr12

Fascinating

Childhoods Are Forever by Tony Muddimer is a fascinating account of the second World War as experienced by the author. He was born in 1933, coinciding with Hitler becoming Chancellor of Germany. The book covers the years 1936-1945. We hear about the author’s life and also key points that happened during the war.

The author was brought up in Leicestershire before moving to Tenby where his father was stationed. We hear about the fear felt on 14th November 1940 as the bombers passed over Leicestershire on their way to destroying Coventry. “He [Hitler] could destroy our buildings, but he couldn’t destroy our spirit.” This perfectly encapsulates the attitude of the British people with their indomitable bulldog spirit.

The reader hears about the coming of the Yanks – much to the delight of the children who loved the sweets, and the women who loved the stockings!

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Phineas J Rabbit’s Prized Hand-Painted Egg Is Missing by Brenda J Taylor

Apr10

Deserves To Be A Best Seller

Phineas J Rabbit’s Prized Hand-Painted Egg Is Missing by Brenda L Taylor is a charming book for the under fives.

The story has a moral but asks the reader what we think the moral is, which enables us to recap the story with our children and see what they remember.

We see the importance of supporting each other, being truthful and forgiving.

All the book is beautifully illustrated which means we can spend a while talking about what our children can see in each picture.

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