The Move by Felicity Everett Blog Tour

From the author of The People at Number 9, comes a new tale, one of neighbours who may be more likely to be found in your nightmares rather than your dreams ...

Karen has packed up her life and is making The Move. She’s on her way to the idyllic country cottage which her husband has painstakingly renovated for her. They’re escaping the London bustle and the daily grind. And they’re escaping their past.

A fresh start in a beautiful, peaceful village. It will be different here, right?

But something is awry. The landscape, breathtaking by day, is eerie by night. The longed-for peace and solitude is stifling.  And the house, so artfully put together by her husband, has a strange vibe. Now that Karen is cut off from her old friends and family, she can’t help wondering if her husband has plans of his own, and that history might be repeating itself.

Can you paint over the cracks in your marriage?

I was beyond excited when I was asked if I'd like to join the blog tour for Felicity Everett's latest novel, The Move. I'll admit I've never read one of her stories before but I had heard fantastic things about her previous works.

I Dare You by Sam Carrington Blog Tour

According to my Goodreads account, which I use frequently, I have managed to read and review over one hundred books this year. And now we're days away from the end of 2019, I'd like to share with you my thoughts on the thrillingly good novel I Dare You by Sam Carrington. 

Mapledon, 1989

Two little girls were out playing. One dared the other to knock on a neighbour’s front door and run away. But this was a game that had deadly consequences – only one girl returned home that evening.

The ten-year-old told police what she saw: a man, village loner Bill ‘Creepy’ Cawley, dragged her friend into an old red pick-up truck and disappeared.

No body was found, but her testimony sent him to prison for murder.

An open and shut case, the right man behind bars.

A village that could sleep safe once again.

Now…

Anna thought she had left Mapledon and her nightmares behind, but a distraught phone call brings her back to face her past.

Thirty years ago, someone lied.

Thirty years ago, the man convicted wasn’t the only guilty party…

And now he’s out, he is looking for revenge. The question is, who will he start with?

Have you ever played the game knock down ginger?

My Sunday Photo 2019 #51

Bad Order Book Review

Can a sister and her younger brother save the world from an interdimensional catastrophe?

I'm a lover of all genres of books and it seems that my eldest daughter has certainly got my taste in books because she also likes to broaden her horizons and try many types of stories. So it came as no surprise to me that when I asked her if she'd be interested in reading a book which featured aliens (so more sci-fi based) she replied with a completely certain yes.

Mary Day's life has always been different because her little brother, Albie, is different. He doesn't speak, but he can communicate with Mary via mental telepathy, sending her - and her alone - "memos."

Then one snowy day on holiday break, Albie transmits an alarming two-word message: bad order. Mary and her best friend, Brit, track the creepy vibe to a spot in the woods where a mysterious red mist seems to draw them in and turn their thoughts negative. When three extraterrestrials hilariously trying to pass as human reveal a disastrous leak in a dimensional universe, it turns out that the only person capable of repairing it is Albie.

Can he repair it before bad thoughts overtake the entire population?

Can Mary and Brit, Brit's brother Lars and Albie save the world?

And will Mary finally realize that she - like Albie - has something special inside herself?

Bad Order is the latest novel from B. B. Ullman, writer of storiesThe Fairies of Nutfolk Wood and Whistle Bright Magic.

My Sunday Photo 2019 #50

All the Wrong Places by Joy Fielding Blog Tour

Today I'm the latest to take part in the blog tour for the release of Joy Fielding's latest novel - All the Wrong Places. 

You always know who you're meeting online . . . don't you?

Four women decide to explore online dating, downloading an app that promises they will swipe their way to love and happiness.

But not everyone is who they seem online. Hidden behind a perfect smile and charming humour, one man appears to be the perfect date. But the night he has planned is unlike any other.

The clock is ticking, and for one woman, this date might just be her last . . .

What a story!

All-Action Classics Book Review

I count myself extremely lucky in the fact that all of my children like to read. Out of the four, my eldest definitely has the biggest passion for books but they've all found a genre that they can sink their teeth into.

Sometimes a normal novel isn't everyone's cup of tea. Something like the size of the book or the amount of words on the pages can really put someone off reading a certain story. This is why I always say to both my children and my pupils that it doesn't necessarily have to be a book that you read. Anything from signs, catalogues, subtitles, if there are words then you're reading!

In recent years graphic novels have become increasingly popular. 

The mix of words and images give a new lease of life to certain stories and make them more accessible to a wider audience.

Recently I was sent a couple of All-Action Classics books and it was my eldest daughter who was scrambling to read them first.

All action classics are full colour graphic adaptions of some of the world's greatest and most action packed stories.

The stories that have cleverly been adapted are Bam Stoker's Dracula and The Wizard of Oz.

Read With Me 2019 #50

Hello everybody and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. Thank you to everyone who managed to link up and join in with the linky last week. Your involvement is always appreciated.

My favourite post of last week came from Kate with her review of The Blanket Bears book.

My Sunday Photo 2019 #49

ad Elli Smiles Toy Review

My youngest two daughters at seven and nine years old still love to play with dolls. They push them around in what was my dolls pram, which is over thirty years old and they turn into mini mums as the play.

I've always believed that dolls are great for imaginative play, to get the cogs turning and to encourage interaction. Between the chatter, the dressing up and the role play, there is so much to be gained from simply playing.

Elli Smiles from Zapf Creations is a doll that offers the opportunity for all of the above, she is an interactive doll who really smiles and my girls were lucky enough to be gifted her for the purpose of this review.

Turn and Learn Books from Little Tiger

Something that Little Tiger books are very good for is interaction. Regardless of what the subject matter is, they are designed in a way that encourages little ones to really get involved with a book/story. This is definitely the case in their latest releases which come in the shape of these Turn and Learn books.

Our world is a spectacular place, full of curiosity and wonder. Why not take a closer look...

There are two books so far in this clever little series, they are called Our World and Weather.

Each hardback edition comes complete with slide and reveal wheels, a tool that even my nine year old felt the need to play with.

Read With Me 2019 #49

Hello everyone and welcome to this weeks Read With Me link up. Thank you to everybody who took the time to link up last week. 

The count down to Christmas is well and truly underway now so I thought I'd carry on with the sort of festive/winter theme of books and share with you a beautiful children's book that I was recently sent.

Just So Willow is the story of a petite polar bear called Willow who likes to have things 'just so'. And because of that when a snow storm hits she struggles to deal with the mess that everyone seems to create as they stomp, slide and bump through the clean, smooth blanket that was first created by the storm.

My Sunday Photo 2019 #48

Elf for Christmas

ad we were kindly gifted an elf and accessories for this review however all thoughts and opinions are my own

Christmas is a truly wonderful time of year. Filled with festive cheer, it is a time when many traditions are upheld. From writing letters to Santa to visiting the man himself, every family has their own ways of enjoying this jolly season.

One of the most modern traditions has something to do with elves, you may have seen a few of them floating around on social media.

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of welcoming a new member to our elf family, the Elf for Christmas. This sort of present isn't primarily just for Christmas, it is in actual fact an Elf for December, especially if you partake in the tradition that is Elf on the Shelf (something that I'm now into my seventh year of joining in with.).

Now when I was sent my previous Elf for Christmas my children were informed that he was a new Nanny for our baby elf that had also arrived that year. Two years down the line and Nanny is still around - looking after our littlest elf as well as being a tad mischievous.

A Most Peculiar Toy Factory by Alex Bell December Book of the Month

The minute I received A Most Peculiar Toy Factory, I just knew I was going to fall in love with the story just as much as I hoped my children would too. From the best-selling author of The Polar Bear Explorers' Alex Bell, comes an enchanting tale of toys brought to life.

Something has gone very wrong at Hoggle's Happy Toys. But five years after shutting its doors, the toy factory is opening again, and Tess Pipps has found herself a job there. As she and her siblings start their first day of work, they are about to discover what dark secrets are lurking inside the factory's walls...

Mystery and dark humour aplenty in this tale of toys brought to life from bestselling author Alex Bell.

Hoggle's Toy Factory has been hounded with rumours of creepy goings on, the children in the town of Cherryville often whispered about the awful things that they thought had happened (apparently the toys went mad) when the factory had finally shut its doors five years ago.

Read With Me 2019 #48

Hello everyone and welcome to this weeks Read With Me, the first in December 2019 no less! Thanks to everyone who linked up last week, always appreciated, as are the comments that you take the time to write.

The Christmas count-down has begun so I just had to share a Christmas themed book with you.

The First Christmas Jumper (and the sheep who changed everything), is the funny and festive book from TV presenter Ryan Tubridy - who is well known for his countless Christmas jumpers.

My Sunday Photo 2019 #47