Archive | September 2022

The Arrival Of Jessica BunnyDuck by Harry Bird

Sep20

It’s Ok To Be Different

The Arrival Of Jessica BunnyDuck by Harry Bird is a beautiful book and just perfect for the under fives.

The book teaches our children that it is okay to be different on the outside. Inside we are all the same with our basic needs for food, warmth and love.

The message of the book teaches our children to love and care as we see an abandoned baby welcomed into a family unit. We learn the concept of sharing what we have with those around us who have nothing.

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The Invisible by Michelle Dunne

Sep17

Nail Bitingly Good

The Invisible by Michelle Dunne is a thrilling contemporary novel that had my heart racing and my pulse rising. It is the second book in the A Lindsey Ryan Thriller series but can be read as a stand-alone. I cannot wait for more.

Lindsey Ryan is a very strong leading lady. She is an army veteran who has seen terrible things and is still suffering from guilt over things she cannot alter. Her heart is huge and she hates injustice. Her tough exterior contrasts with how she feels inside. She will do what she has to in order to see justice and righteousness prevail.

We see the role of a service dog to help lives. “Frank was the force that got her out of bed each day.” PTSD threatens to cripple but the love and bond of a dog brings a character back from the brink. Frank is very much a character in his own right.

The bonds made in the military remain. No matter how much time has passed or how many miles, your military buddies are there for you.

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Sunny Skies & Summer Kisses by Eliza J Scott

Sep13

Absolutely Charming

Sunny Skies & Summer Kisses by Eliza J Scott is the most delightful contemporary novel. It is the seventh book in the Life On The Moors series but can be read as a stand-alone.

This was my first book by Eliza J Scott and it was absolutely charming. As I was introduced to the characters, they were all warm and welcoming. The community atmosphere in the North York moors is alive and kicking. The villagers all pull together. Where they see needs, they are met.

At the heart of the village are the pub and also the community hub where new ventures are encouraged and where they thrive.

Characters are supported and encouraged to be the best version of themselves. When a character who was gaslit by a previous partner, is being stalked by him, the community rallies round in support. No one is ever alone in the village.

Being hurt in the past has meant that a character has walled up her heart to protect. Far from protecting, her life was constricted. The walls need to come down. A heart needs to take a chance on love.

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All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

Sep13

Powerful & Heart-Breaking

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien is a marvellous debut novel that totally consumed me.

The story is set in 1996 in the Vietnamese community in Australia. It is very powerful and totally heart-breaking.

Much of the community fled Vietnam for the safety of Australia. They fled for a new life but were met with persecution and prejudice. “The looks she got… the way they saw her skin before they saw her.” The people were judged before they were known. Parents took low paid jobs and stressed the importance of education to their children, so that they could rise up out of poverty.

The streets were dangerous places to be. There was much drug related crime.

We follow a character as she searches for answers to her brother’s murder. Witnesses appeared struck blind and dumb as there was fear of retaliation if they talked.

The reader hears the back story to the main characters. We see the hand of kindness and generosity offered to one whose life had known only cruelty and neglect. A friendship rose up and then something happened – the reader can only guess at what as we work our way through the book.

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