I chose to read My New Superjob as part of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team and received a copy from the author. This does not affect my review in any way.
This short story is basically an interview, but one with a difference. Taking place in an unusual setting, which is very well described, Samantha meets Mark who tells her he’s something of an expert in human resources.
What follows is unusual in terms of an interview and revealing in the questions asked and answers given.
I liked it a lot. There was great insight into the characters and the story ended very well so that it was finished off nicely but the reader is left wanting to know what happens next.
Fortunately there is a next as this is the beginning of a series, a promising one at that.
I received a copy of this book (which I chose to read as a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team) from the author but that does not effect my review in any way.
This is the first bilingual book I’ve seen and it caught my interest. I don’t speak Spanish although I learnt it for a year at school and that was enough for me to recognise many of the words.
I thought the pronunciation and grammar notes were useful and clear and I found it easy to read along in Spanish and fun to work out what each word meant.
Ivan, the baby, has a mess of food under his highchair. His parents, distracted with all they have to do to notice nothing, but his brother and sister, Benjamin and Elena, know that something’s wrong when even Ringo, the dog, won’t eat it.
Soon it’s clear something new is in the house and that can be looked for and spotted on each page which young readers will enjoy.
The illustrations are terrific and make what could be something quite scary into something not so. There’s also a lovely ending which leaves children knowing that everything’s alright.
There’s a list of the prepositions used at the end with the translations which adds to the learning experience.
All in all this is a wonderful book to share with a young person in your life with the added attraction of it being a learning opportunity too.
I generally don’t share personal stuff on the blog. Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn’t, I don’t know. However, a certain someone arrived in my life a week ago who most definitely has me shouting from the roof tops. I’d like to introduce you to my first grandchild, Oliver Kevin, with a special thank you to my beautiful daughter and wonderful son-in-law for providing him. He weighed in at 8lbs 3 ozs and is utterly adorable. I’ve attached a little picture of him below for those of you who are interested and then I promise I’ll shut up about him.
Now, onto the new release stuff! I know I’ve been very sneaky and not told you anything about it yet but this will give you all the facts, plus the opportunity to enter a special, and additional, giveaway I’m running in celebration of the safe arrival of Oliver. Here we go:
The Title:
Loving Vengeance
The Cover:
A woman with a troubled past. A new love hanging in the balance. Will an unexpected visitor strengthen her resolve or destroy the life she’s trying to build?
Madeleine’s world, once so organised, is a mess. Suffering the fallout from the mistakes she made with Tag, she has no idea where she stands with Daniel. Are they only friends or is there still a chance for something more?
Enter James – cool, calm and calculated. A stranger, she thinks. But he knows her, and he comes with an opportunity she can’t refuse, involving an enemy she’d tried to forget. At first keen to return to her past, Madeleine soon realises it’s not only the gang that’s changed, and battles her own demons as well as an unpredictable villain.
Can Daniel step up when he’s needed? Or will it be James who rides in to the rescue? Because when things go badly for Madeleine, and all hope seems lost, there is only one who can save the day. And only one who can bring more to the task than merely himself.
Loving Vengeance is the second book in this fast-paced duology. If you like strong heroines, character-driven action and powerful emotions, then you’ll love Georgia Rose’s exciting novel.
Buy Loving Vengeance now to get to the heart of the action today!
Publish Date:
13 October 2019
However, the eBook is already available to pre-order, and at a special discounted rate of 99p/99c (or the equivalent in your country) right here:
Thank you to all of you who support me with a pre-order xx
Now, onto the special giveaway, as mentioned above. This will consist of a paperback copy of both Parallel Lies and Loving Vengeance plus some other little goodies which I’m keeping as a surprise. We all love getting surprise post, don’t we?
How do you enter? Well, if you are good enough to pre-order your copy of Loving Vengeance from the retailer of your choice then if you send me your proof of purchase by email to info@georgiarosebooks.com I will put your name onto my special spreadsheet (sexy, I know!) and using a random number generator on the 13 October I shall pick the winner and contact them for their postal address. International entry.
My newsletter subscribers have already had this information, and look what they’ve done with it…
It’s only number 1 in a Hot New Release category!! 😀 😀 Thank you everyone!
I was fortunate enough to be asked to go along to one session of Brilliant Books to talk to the students at Djanogly City Academy in 2017. Over a 6 week course other guests also took part in the scheme to encourage reading and writing in the classroom and beyond.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the students and found them engaged and enthusiastic. I also found their writing inspiring and this book came out of those sessions and that enthusiasm.
I don’t particularly want to pick out one piece over another because that wouldn’t be fair when all have worked so hard. Suffice to say I enjoyed reading this book and loved the imagination and the fabulous ideas shown by this group of young people. It is always refreshing to see things through the eyes of the young.
Sometime the speed time passes shocks me and I was surprised
to discover that although I bought this book in 2015 I somehow missed reading
it then (it was an extraordinarily busy year!) and although it’s been on my
to-be-read list I’ve only just got to it. What a treat it was though!
No Ordinary Day by
Clare Stevens
This is a very well written story of a wife who has
suspicions about her husband and what happens next. Excellent.
Red, Blue, Black
by Beth O’Neill
A therapist starts working with a boy who intrigues her but
little does she know his drawings mean more than at first appears. Well written
and sinister.
The Perfect
Stranger by Nina S Chung
This is all about Eveie, a young woman from Lincoln who is
curious and looking for adventure. She spots a particularly attractive bike and
decides to contact its owner, the old-fashioned way. Lovely story.
Yunnan Adventure
by Lynne Morley
This is a wonderfully written and fascinating account of the
author’s travels around an unexplored part of China and I absolutely loved
reading it. The amount of detail was just right to make it interesting and
absorbing – great job!
Shameless Virtue
by Ambica G
This is a sad story about domestic abuse, unhappy marriages
and keeping up appearances, but I very much enjoyed the delicious twist at the
end which was very well done.
Can of Worms by
Sarah Wilson
This is a well written and clever story that starts out
being one thing and ends up being something else entirely. Craig is being
watched in a cell when he is joined by Ray who starts tormenting him, the sad
tale developing as the truth is revealed.
Personal Statement
by Suzan Dickinson
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the personal statement Becky
was writing. Illuminating in places and funny in others it really was in the
voice of a 6th Form College student and very good. I liked the
positive outcome of the exercise too, well thought through.
Poetry
There was a really enjoyable poetry section in this book too with poems written by Suzan Dickinson Lynne Morley, Sarah Wilson, Beth O’Neill and Clare Stevens.
I grew up on a book diet of Enid Blyton and loved the Famous Five. I received this book as a gift and in it the five are all grown up so this is Blyton for adults. Having said that it is still a gentle read but the group drink and swear a little – things have moved on. I found it a fun read, the humour is dry, and the prose dotted with the traditional illustrations those familiar with the Blyton books will know and love.
If you read the Famous Five stories then you will know the part each of the characters, Julian, George, Dick, Anne and Timmy the dog, plays in the group. In this book Dick goes against type and disagrees with the others when they discuss going on holiday together. From this minor rebellion the decision is made that they are each going to go on holiday with other people this year.
I think my favourite chapter comes next – Dick Books a Holiday – Haha! I could sympathise with his struggles. Anyway, things happen, a holiday is eventually booked (although not the one he intended!) and that’s where the beach body ready bit comes in.
I won’t say more other than the fact there is a surprise, and not entirely welcome, appearance by the Secret Seven. A lovely nostalgic read though be warned the Five don’t get up to their old shenanigans of thwarting criminals and solving crimes.
The Blind Assassin
is a long book by today’s standards. My paperback copy is 637 pages, but every
one of them is a joy to read.
The writing is exquisite, each detail and description
thoughtful and showing the fertility of Atwood’s imagination.
Iris Chase is remembering her sister Laura’s mysterious
death, 50 years after the event. I loved Iris’s voice. Her dry humour and way
of commenting on her life both now and in the past was amusing and entertaining
to read.
Set against the backdrop of 20th century social
history this is the story of two sisters, their secrets and is fascinating
throughout.
Being a Booker Prize winner it doesn’t need me to recommend it but I do because it was recommended to me and I’m thankful for that.
Congeal by John F Leonard is a post-apocalyptic horror story which I chose to read as a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team. I received a copy from the author but this does not affect my review at all.
I think this is the longest story I have read from this author but the pace is unrelenting throughout. Congeal is the stuff of nightmares. You know, those ones in which you are being chased by something that doesn’t tire when you do, and which may subside during daylight but by night returns bigger than before.
At the beginning of this story we meet Amelia, who is running, along with Pete, who definitely annoys her, but then her choice of company is limited so beggars can’t be choosers. There were more in their group but that number dwindled in ways that you need to read the book in order to discover.
As always with Leonard, the writing is a joy to read, each turn of phrase or descriptive passage a delight and I highly recommend this to all who like their reading to be on the dark side.
When I started this writing caper I decided to review everything I read. I posted those reviews to Amazon in the UK and US (you could in those days without having to spend $50 with them first! #JustSaying!) and Goodreads. It didn’t cross my mind to post them on my blog… duh! As I’m aiming to stick to a blogging schedule – oh, how we laughed! – and as I read desperately slowly I shall add in these retro-fitted book reviews when I don’t have a current one to post.
I don’t know the author, other than via social media, but I was highly delighted to be gifted an audiobook copy of ‘The Hole Opportunity’ by the very generous James Minter after an exchange on Goodreads. I don’t usually listen to audiobooks as I have little opportunity to do so but I thoroughly enjoyed the next couple of weeks of dog walks when I took ‘The Hole Opportunity’ with me.
This is a book from a genre I would not usually choose but it just goes to show that you should always keep an open mind. It is a very British farce based on the genius idea of a farmer, Colin Griggs and his wife Izzy, wanting to diversify and subsequently coming up with the ‘hole’ business. It is far-fetched, obviously, this is a work of farce after all but it is carried off throughout with great ease and enthusiasm. The fully rounded characterisations are solid and stereotypical – just as they should be in this sort of story – you could picture each and every one brilliantly. This is a fun, light hearted book to read or listen to filled with misunderstandings and entertaining situations that involve the whole village, golf club, nearby country house, pub, bank…amongst others and a cast of ‘mostly’ likeable characters.
Finally I thought the narration of the book by Pete Nottage was excellent, he has done a very good job and I was really impressed by this presentation of the book.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Alphabet Series and read the final book, Y is for Yesterday, while on holiday. Sue Grafton tells her tales in detail, building up great settings and characters, my favourite of which is Kinsey Millhone herself, followed swiftly by Henry, what a lovely man he would be to have in your life.
In this story Kinsey not only has a recurring problem in the form of Ned Lowe to deal with but is brought in to investigate a mystery, that is 10 years old. We get to see what happened, in a series of flashbacks, when four teenage boys assault a 14 year old girl, and film the attack. Kinsey is called in when the tape resurfaces when one of the boys , newly released from prison, is blackmailed.
I always enjoy the process Kinsey goes through in solving her cases and this was no exception. An entertaining read with one of my all time favourite characters.
Sadly, Sue Grafton didn’t get to complete her series and for her family and readers the alphabet now ends at Y. I would have loved to have seen how Sue Grafton finished the series but instead have to imagine Henry, William, Rosie, Cheney and Anna, amongst others, and of course not forgetting the terrific Kinsey Millhone simply getting on with their lives from where we leave them at the end of this read.
As a side note, and it doesn’t form part of my review as it’s nothing to do with the author, but I received this paperback new as a gift for Christmas, and it fell to pieces in my hands.
Coming from a traditional publisher, Pan Books, and imprint of Pan Macmillan, I would have expected better. It’s certainly not possible to ever reread this book which is a shame.
Please note that there are affiliate links attached to this website and blog, which means if you click on a link, it may take you to a shopping platform and if you purchase something, although it won’t cost you anything extra, I may earn a small commission. This goes towards running this website and the production of my books. Thank you.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here:
Cookie Policy
