Permanently Temping by Lauren Milner-Howells

 

 

In her attempts to avoid having to go work for her father, Holly is thrown into all manner of temping jobs. Jobs that make Holly question if there is the 'perfect' job out there for her. She spends a lot of time writing out her career plans in her lovely new jazzy notebook, her funky pen and sparkly post-it notes to boot! However, Holly soon realises that perfect job might not be out there for her after all.

Thrown into the mix are 3 men who are determined to complicate Holly's life - James the sleazy ex. Stephen the current love interest who is just not floating Holly's boat and Gavin who gives her butterflies every time she sees him but is just out of reach. Could things get any weirder or confusing for poor Holly? Decisions need to be made with regards to Holly's career and her future happiness.

 

This was a nice quirky story. Holly is a totally ditzy character who often gets herself into the strangest of situations. She was at times infuriating but I could so identify with her, especially her passion for notebooks! She is overly naive and I found myself often groaning, 'oh Holly!' She can be a bit silly at times. Holly is luckier than she realises with 3 men in her life! In her search for the perfect job will Holly eventually find the perfect man? Does he even exist?

Its a fun rom-com with some laugh out loud moments. Its a feel-good story. Easy, light reading.

This is the sort of book that's perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon in front of the fire or lounging by the pool on your holidays.

 

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Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Lucille and Ruth are two sisters who are raised by a succession of relatives after their mother's death. They live in a remote town called Fingerbone and never seem to quite fit in with the other residents of the town. Their family are considered a little odd. A little quirky. When their aunt Sylvie comes into their lives and takes over their guardianship their lives take on a whole new dimension. Aunt Sylvie has lead a transient lifestyle for many years and appears to be extremely eccentric, although there is obviously an underlying reason in the book which I won't go into too much detail about for fear of spoiling the story. Suffice to say, its really up to the reader to make their own judgements as to why Sylvie acts as she does, but I'd say its fairly obvious. What is sad about the story is it highlights not only the girl's physical abandonment but also how they have been abandoned, cast out by a whole community. Their isolation takes on not only an emotional form but a physical one. 

The descriptive style of this book is of such a high standard and so impressive for what was Marilynne Robinson's first book. There is no getting away from the fact that this is a great piece of writing. However, I found the pace of the book to be a little slow and a little bit of a depressing story, which of course it's supposed to be. And, perhaps that's why the book is paced the way it is...........to represent how life for the main character's merely meanders along. Their isolation is almost crippling. The main character's in the book are all women, with men having little mention.

The railroad and the lake in the town seem to affect every aspect of Ruth and Lucille's life, their past and their future and both also play a recurrent theme throughout the book. Whilst I found this a slow story, others reading it may enjoy the pace of the book. I found that the story left me feeling a little melancholy. Perhaps that was the authors intention? Beautifully written in a poetic way and atmospheric way.
 

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Cover Reveal - Life by Design by Elizabeth James

Life by Design by Elizabeth James will be released on 15th March. Here's what the book is about. 

Jane Carter’s life had never been easy. Leaving her parents behind only to be abandoned pregnant by the one man she thought she could depend on. She had a sense that things just weren’t going to be easy for her or her precious daughter Jolene. She’s so sceptical about life that she thinks she’s dreaming when she catches the eye of handsome, successful architect, Jay Anderson. Will Jay be willing to accept her and her child or will she be forced to return to a past that just won’t go away. Falling in love is easy.Life is hard. Has life finally designed the happy ending she’s always dreamed of? 

Now, without further ado...........lets have a look at the great cover which looks fantastic! Wishing Elizabeth every success with her new book.

Author page: www.facebook.com/elizabethjamesauthor

 

blog: http://eajames2013.wordpress.com/

 

twitter: @ejamesauthor

 

email: eajames2013@gmail.com

 

Book links:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Love-By-Design-ebook/dp/B00B5KVE3G/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359118145&sr=1-3&keywords=love+by+design

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-by-design-elizabeth-james/1114224887?ean=2940016028446

 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/278387

 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17232032-love-by-design

 

link to Life by Design on goodreads:

 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17376521-life-by-design

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The Twelve by Justin Cronin

The Twelve is the long awaited sequel to The Passage and the second book in the Trilogy. You can read my review for The Passage HERE. A more action packed, faster paced book than the first, if that’s possible, the reader finds out more about what happened to some of the central characters and those who were originally considered minor characters from the first book.  Appearances can be deceptive! Like The Passage, the story often takes the reader back to ‘the time before’ during the time the Virals appeared to consume humanity and its way of life. The reader is then brought back to the Time of the Virals and how those characters continue to play central roles.

Like The Passage, this book is rich in characters and introduces some new ones. All are connected in some way.  Again, Amy The Child From Nowhere remains central to the story leading her loyal band of friends and fellow ‘survivors’ further into the perilous journey to overcome the Virals and prepare for another epic  battle of survival. This book has a more intense post-apocalyptic feel than the first insomuch as it’s far more brutal and also focuses on the brutality of man as well as that of the Viral population. There are also quite a few surprises for the reader. This book is huge and could not be read in isolation, needing to be read as part of the trilogy. I am not sure how I will be able to cope waiting for the final instalment!

 

                                                   

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100 Little Words on Parenthood by Charlie Plunkett

 

100 Little Words on Parenthood is a lovely little book. Its the type of book that makes you smile and nod appreciatively. Its the type of book that makes you think, 'oh yes I remember that!' It is not a fictional book but a collection of memories, advice and lovely snippets of quotes and poetry that relate to the highs and lows and roller coaster of parenthood. The overall consensus seems to be that parenthood is a huge shock to the system and changes us in more ways than we could ever imagine from the time the pregnancy test gives a positive reading.
 

 

The book is divided into sections such as Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding etc and even discusses teens! In each of these sections people from all walks of life give up their stories and anecdotes about what parenthood has meant to them. All done in 100 little words. What I liked about the book is we are given a little bio on each contributor with links to their various websites and blogs. The contributors range from writers to bloggers to professionals, grandparents etc. All with a common bond - children have a way of coming into our lives and changing it in so many ways and on so many levels! There's a whole variety of people representing all walks of life, each offering the reader a peek into their own experiences.
 

 

I really enjoyed reading this book. At times it made me laugh so loudly that my husband thought I was crazy! Many of the experiences also made me get a little emotional and I shed a tear for times gone by. And, if I'm honest, it made me a little broody. At that point my husband was going to hide my kindle to stop me reading any more of the book! 100 Little Words on Parenthood is such an easy read and I really enjoyed it. Well done to Charlie Plunkett for writing such a little masterpiece!

 

 

 

                                                          e-book                     paperback

                                                    

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Author in the Spotlight - Sue Watson

Brook Cottage Books is thrilled to have Sue Watson as the Author in the Spotlight. Here's what Sue had to say.

 

When asked to take part in the author spotlight for this blog I procrastinated and nibbled and drank wine and baked a cake. Then I finally came up with an idea. The question I’ve been asked most since becoming a writer is: ‘where do you get your ideas from?’ which is almost like asking ‘how do you breathe?’ It’s a tough one to answer because, luckily for writers it just happens... or so I thought. Anyway, I contemplated this and realised the subjects I write about are often based on or around my obsessions - dieting, eating, baking, wine ... and when I’m not doing any of the above, I consume reality shows. My show of choice often involves weight loss and has ‘Celebrity’ or ‘Brother’ in the title. Therefore, any one of these profound issues are likely to turn up in my novels ... oh yes, my shallowness runs pretty deep!

So where do I get my ideas?  From everyone. Everywhere. Every day. My handbag is a mess but among the carnage of receipts, congealed sweets vital phone numbers and old tissues, there’s a note book to write everything down, even my most embarrassing moments. You have to capture those feelings as they happen... even if they make you cringe.  I’ll confess, I also plunder all my friend’s lives, comments and dramas, changing a few elements so they’ll never know ... I hope!

My first novel ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,’ is about Stella, a wife and mother with a weight problem, a work problem and a man problem, who finds comfort in baking amazing cakes. Though I didn’t live through the man problem (my husband has asked me to make that point!) I certainly lived through a lot that’s in the book. The heroine is disorganised, can’t stick to a diet and loves the smell of icing sugar in the morning and when I’m stressed, just like Stella I find solace by whipping up a fresh batch of warm, vanilla fairy cakes.

 

I’m currently completing and editing my second novel, ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder,’ and have created a very different heroine. This lady is organised, disciplined, obsessed with cleaning, exercises constantly and has amazing control over her weight ... you guessed it, the absolute opposite of me! I wanted the challenge of entering into a completely different life and believe I’ve created an entertaining, funny and perfectly flawed heroine. A successful daytime talk show host, Tanya Travis appears to have everything, a fabulous career, walk-in wardrobe, designer kitchen and gorgeous, hunky boyfriend. But at forty-something her age is becoming an issue in the youth-obsessed world of celebrity and  when her life begins to unravel, she finds herself in a strange situation, questioning what she’s sacrificed along the red-carpet way. It’s a romantic comedy about women, lovers, money, age, fertility and the truth behind what we consider to be ‘a successful life.’ As a former TV Producer with the BBC, I know and worked with people in the public eye and feel I can provide an insight into the ‘real’ life of a presenter/celebrity. Oh and my favourite things have popped up again, there’s a reality show, a handsome guy and lots of very expensive shoes... what’s not to love?

Anyway, I have a deadline to meet so I’ll sign off and get back to that edit... or perhaps I’ll just grab that mixing bowl and make a fresh batch of vanilla fairy cakes, well I need something to eat while I’m watching The Biggest Loser! 

‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder’ is published by Rickshaw Publishing and due out in the Autumn (if Sue can ever put the cakes down, stop watching TV and get back to the edit!)

 

 http://www.fatgirlsandfairycakes.co.uk/

http://fatgirlsandfairycakes.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sue-Watson-Books/201121939909514

https://twitter.com/

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Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews

 

 

 Nell McNamara leads a simple life. She works in the local chip shop with friends and the owner who she considered her family. She lives in a humble home with her partner Olly and their little girl Petal and they just get through life as best they can. However, Nell has dreams of doing something different with her life. Nell wants to be a success and give her daughter a better life. However, it's not going to be easy. With the support of her friends and a large dose of resentment from Olly, Nell sets about changing the course of her life - with handbags! Nell begins designing and creating them with a passion. But, this passion is not without its price and soon Nell's dream starts to unravel into a nightmare. Is it possible to have it all? Is it possible to be a successful business woman and a mother? And, what of the financial cost? Nell soon discovers help comes in the most unlikely of places. And so do people who want to see her fail!

 

I adored this book. Carole Matthews has created a whole host of wonderful characters with great personalities. Its even difficult to dislike the bad guys too much too. Many readers will recognise themselves in Nell McNamara as Nell definitely represents the struggle that many working women deal with. A desire to have a career but also the need to be all things to all people and juggling work, home, children and a partner. Not an easy task! I adored the character Petal, Nell and Olly's daughter. What a little madam! Reminded me of one or two children I know! However, in the most desperate of situations Petal always brought humour to the situation and I loved that.

 

Carole Matthews has a writing style that is draws the reader in. I found myself cheering for Nell  and having a good old grumble at Olly! Nell's struggle almost became my own and I was willing her to succeed. To me, this is the sign of a great writer. One who makes the reader feel they have a vested interest in a character and becomes entangled in their struggle. This was the first book by Carole Matthews that I have read and I will definitely be reading everything I can by her from now on. This book was a lovely easy read with the right amount of romance, dubious characters and comedy sprinkled in. I passed the book onto my mother in law who read the entire thing in a single sitting. She simply could not put it down.

 

 

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