A library book. There‘s been quite a reserve list for this at the library so I‘m getting stuck in now. 😀

An uplifting story of healing and recovery that will warm your soul…and get you into the garden. Eleanor Oliphant meets The Authenticity Project on a well-being retreat in this story of one loner, two secrets and three weeks at Pinewoods Retreat. #Pigeonhole

This is quite the rollercoaster of a thriller, taking the reader on an exhilarating ride with an exciting cat and mouse chase at its heart. It‘s definitely a page turner with plenty of twists and turns. Action packed and well written, I can well imagine this edge of your seat nail-biter being adapted into an entertaining film/movie. Audiences would be glued to the screen. #Pigeonhole

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the combination of factual and fictional characters. They were well blended together. It‘s beautifully written with an engaging storyline. I could just imagine the trees being transported from one botanical garden to another through the streets of Edinburgh! Just a wonderfully fascinating read. I can highly recommend it.

Salad Days by Allie Cresswell

Prudence and Arthur take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to the sixties and seventies; turbulent, changeful years that contrasted with their idyllic childhood at ‘Salad Days,‘ the market garden run by Prue‘s extended family.

But was it idyllic? As Prue and Arthur retrace their youthful attempts to get to the facts, it‘s clear that truth and memory are not the same.

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I enjoyed this intriguing mystery. I‘m always drawn to a story set in my home county being a Yorkshire lass myself! I found it gripping, a page turner. There are plenty of twists and turns as in all good mysteries and I always wanted to read on. I thought the detectives, Leo and Shan, made a great intrepid duo. Roll on book two in the series! #Pigeonhole

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This is a wonderful tale. It‘s beautifully and imaginatively told but quite dark in places. At the beginning I really didn‘t like Estella but by the end of the story, I felt some sympathy for her and ultimately quite liked her! We are all a product of our upbringing and environment, I feel. It follows the plot line of the original relatively well but with some filling in of gaps and fleshing out of characters. Highly recommended. #Pigeonhole

Reading this with my online reading group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io

If this book hadn‘t been my local reading group‘s choice, I would have abandoned it early on. The blurb didn‘t really appeal to me. It‘s well written but I found it incredibly boring and so slow. Nothing really happened until the twist at the end. I skimmed a lot of it - too much animal gutting, midden & cathedral building, praying and copying of the Bible for my liking! I wouldn‘t eat a turnip from their vegetable patch, that‘s for sure! 💩🤢.

I very much enjoyed The Household. There‘s a fantastic cast of characters and it‘s beautifully written. Charles Dickens even features! It‘s an interesting plot line with a few twists and turns. I liked that it was about a real house, Urania House, one of Charles Dickens‘ projects, a home for fallen women funded by Coutts bank. An absorbing and engaging read.

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I enjoyed this murder mystery. The plot has quite a sinister vibe to it and it rattles along nicely with plenty of twists and turns. It kept my attention throughout, trying to guess ‘whodunnit‘. There are some well written characters and I liked the setting. It is a little far fetched at times but, hey ho, it is fiction - you just have to suspend belief. I look forward to joining Detective Talantire on her next case. #Pigeonhole

Reading Haven with my local book club. The theme is a story set in Ireland. I‘m not sure a story about monks is quite my cup of tea but I‘m giving it a go. 🫤. The blurb doesn‘t appeal to me.

Oh, what a wonderful and colourful life Ruby has had and what a journey! She‘s had a stab at espionage, living in a commune and visiting conflict zones to name some of her escapades.This is a brilliant read from beginning to end. It‘s beautifully written with some fantastic characters, Ruby obviously pipping them all to the post with her joie de vivre. Such an exhilarating ride, full of fun but also with some sad moments - I loved it! #Pigeonhole

I found this book disappointing. I think it‘s trying to be something it‘s not. I quite enjoy a slow burner but this one dragged a bit for me. It didn‘t flow. The tarot card elements were interesting although I don‘t believe in all that stuff. The characters weren‘t particularly likeable. It just goes to show you shouldn‘t judge a book by its cover and this book‘s cover is certainly eye catching. It lured me in!

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A library book. I‘m looking forward to reading this as I loved The Familiars and The Foundling. I haven‘t read Mrs England yet.

Gothic fiction is a favourite genre of mine and this story is an excellent example of such. It has an atmospheric setting which is Wales. Well researched with plenty of mentions of myths, folklore and the odd spot of witchcraft, it‘s written with a good sense of menace. The suspense builds up gradually, rattles along at a fair old pace, culminating in an exciting finale. I was totally gripped by this story and found it a page turner. #Pigeonjole

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I quite enjoyed this fast paced mystery, the plot rattles along and is intriguing. However, I did find it a little repetitive at times and lacking a certain depth - there wasn‘t a sense of place and the characters seemed one dimensional. It kept my attention nevertheless and I wanted to know how it all concluded, although I guessed the twist quite early on. It makes for easy, light reading. #TBC on Facebook

I‘m reading this with my online book group, thereadingloft.groups.io.

#TBC on Facebook (The Book Club) Review book.

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This is a fun and entertaining read although it does have some serious themes woven through it. The plot and the characters are just like a cassoulet - various differing ingredients being thrown into a pot, slowly simmering away together with the end result combining to make a harmonious blend, leaving a satisfying after taste. It‘s a story to remind us that it‘s never too late to follow your dreams and you‘re never too old to tango! #Pigeonhole

I enjoyed this cosy murder mystery. It‘s well written with some beautiful descriptions. Daphne makes a wonderful amateur sleuth and she‘s also a great character. The plot flows along nicely and we get to meet some other interesting residents. It‘s a real hive of activity and secrets hidden in the closet. The suspects mount up, the suspense increases and it rattles along to an exciting finish. An engaging and entertaining read. #Pigeonhole

A wonderful dysfunctional family drama set over the period of one day, a wedding, with flashbacks to the past. Well written, insightful and very engaging with some fantastic, realistic characters. I loved it!

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It‘s beautifully written and well researched. I loved the setting, it was very visual. I particularly loved the addition of a tandem tricycle - it made me smile every time it was mentioned. Non was a fantastic character, she was a brilliant model for women‘s rights in the Victorian era. Basil was another fascinating character, he had his own secret. I was gripped from beginning to end. Recommended. #Pigeonhole

A library book.

I read this book with my local reading group. I really didn‘t like it - I don‘t like books containing child or animal abuse. It seemed far too padded out at times and I absolutely hated the ending. I‘m so pleased I‘ve finally finished it so I get on and read something more pleasant!

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This is a fun, entertaining and easy if somewhat predictable read. I loved the idea of the Bibliotherapy and Epeolatry, a bookshop and literary bar/club on the cliffs. Gran was zany and quirky and Evie was a little immature and irritating. Far-fetched and slapstick in parts but overall it‘s an enjoyable and engaging read, just right for escaping from the rigours of every day life. Great for relaxing with an Epeolatry cocktail! 🍸 3.5⭐️ #TBC

A library book which I‘m reading with my local book club. The theme is a story set in South America so we‘re in Trinidad.

I really enjoyed this book. It‘s a heartwarming read about finding yourself. I liked the main character, Martha, she certainly evolves throughout the story. She‘s quirky. A captivating read involving family secrets, a book to get lost in. I read this with my online reading group, thereadingloft.groups.io.

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What a wonderful book! I loved Eadie. She‘s so quirky. It‘s a heartwarming and nostalgic read, a coming of age story. It‘s about the power of friendship. As the blurb says it‘s a moving love letter to youth. I was so sorry to turn the last page - I will miss Eadie very much.

I enjoyed this book, although I did find it a little disjointed at times as there were gaps in the story which weren‘t explained. It‘s told in the first person by Synne herself - I liked her voice and found myself cheering her on throughout the tale. It‘s well researched and interesting to read. I haven‘t read many books set during this era so it was great to immerse myself in the 11thC world and gain some knowledge. #Pigeonhole

This is an atmospheric and sinister gothic thriller. It‘s fast paced, kept my attention throughout and I was always eager to pick up my Kindle to read on. The characters are colourful and well drawn. A thoroughly enjoyable and intriguing read which ran a tingle up my spine at times. This is the first in a new series so I look forward to joining Martha on her further adventures. #TBC on Facebook

A book from the library.

The Rise of Synne by L P O‘Bryan

1066: England‘s Darkest Hour. A Young Woman's Destiny Beckons. In the bloody aftermath of the Battle of Hastings, Synne, an orphan healer, navigates a perilous path. Captured by the forces of William the Conqueror, Synne carries a message that could alter the course of history.

In a world where alliances are as shifting as the winds, Synne must fight not only for her family's legacy but for her life.

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I enjoyed this book but did find it confusing at times - I had to make notes! It‘s quite the puzzle and it‘s not until the end when all the dots join up that the final piece of the jigsaw drops into place. There are a great cast of characters, however, who are clearly defined with their own individual personalities, making it easy to identify them. It‘s quite a sad story in some respects but ends on a hopeful note. An engaging and worthwhile read.

I enjoyed the first part of this book with the interaction between Charlie, Mr Bowditch and Radar the dog. However, when Charlie and Radar went down the tunnel to fairyland it seemed to lose its way somehow. It dragged a bit and some of it felt childish. I almost thought I was Alice in Wonderland! I was quite pleased when I finally finished it although I will miss Radar - she saved it for me.

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This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction based on fact. It‘s beautifully written in a very evocative and descriptive manner, even operatic in some ways. The story rattles along at a fair rate. The characters have distinctive voices. It‘s really quite the page turner and very much a thriller. A powerful, moving and worthwhile read and I look forward to reading book two, The Ghosts of Rome. #Pigeonhole

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