Camp Payback- JK Rock (Camp Boyfriend #2)

Alex is sort-of-famous.  The troublesome teen daughter of two 'family lifestyle' bloggers, she can't wait to escape to her final summer camp.  She's determined to make the most of it, live life to the full and break some of the rules.  Her plan is to be outrageous and shock her wholesome parents and her conniving ex boyfriend-her wild summer will be payback.

But then she meets Javier.  Her world turns upside down.  Alex no longer wants to put herself first, and is almost shocked to find that she cares for someone other than herself.  However, she still manages to cause chaos, even if it is unintentionally...

Camp Payback is a coming of age tale, sometimes a bit too pious, but overall an enjoyable tale of the experience of summer camp.  As a Brit this is something I have never experience first hand (except 2 nights at Brownie camp when I was seven, where we slept in a church hall in fusty, festering sleeping bags) and I have always enjoyed books in this genre.  It is the balance between freedom, the parent free existence, and the constraints imposed by other adults.  Like books set in boarding schools, there is that limbo state where boundaries are constantly being pushed. 

I didn't especially warm to Alex, which probably hampered my enjoyment of this book.  However, I really liked Javier, he came across as warm and honest despite his difficult life.  The romance between the two protagonists was sweet, but again my lack of empathy towards Alex didn't make me long for their happy ending.

I found the beginning of this book great, but as it progressed my interest faded.  It wasn't badly written and I quite liked the plot, but Alex became more and more irritating to me as the story went on. 

Overall, I am sure that the teen audience will enjoy this book- I also expect they would overlook some of Alex's character traits which I, as an adult, found annoying.

Camp Payback is out today.

6.5/10

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Blog Blitz for The Other Side of Morning by Joanna Lambert

 

Charlotte Kendrick’s ill-fated relationship with rock star Christian Rosetti still haunts her. The new man in her life, handsome, rich Italian restaurateur Marco D’Alesandro, is everything she wants. But when beautiful heiress Rossana Caravello arrives to spend time with his family as their house guest she wonders whether history is about to repeat itself. Marco insists he loves her and that he has no interest in their guest, but how can Charlotte believe him when everything about his behaviour around Rossana indicates he is lying? Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Charlotte wonders whether his ruthless stepmother Thérèse may be involved, and decides to find out more about the young heiress. However, far from putting her mind at rest, what she discovers leaves her feeling more unsettled than ever about her future with Marco…

From rural West Somerset to the glorious rolling landscape of Tuscany and the Italian lakes THE OTHER SIDE OF MORNING is a story of love, betrayal, deception and ultimate sacrifice.

This sounds like an interesting read....

The Good Luck of Right Now- Matthew Quick

I am possibly the only person in the world who has neither read the book nor seen the film of The Silver Linings Playbook.  I have heard good things about both (and Bradley Cooper-mmmmmm), but have been drowning under review books for so long that I haven't had a lot of time for reading books on my own shelf.

When I saw that Matthew Quick had a new book out I was keen to read it, and The Good Luck of Right Now sounded unlike anything I have read before.  Here's the blurb, which is what drew me to it in the first place...

Call it fate. Call it synchronicity. Call it an act of God. Call it . . . The Good Luck of Right Now. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook comes an entertaining and inspiring tale that will leave you pondering the rhythms of the universe and marveling at the power of kindness and love.

For thirty-eight years, Bartholomew Neil has lived with his mother. When she gets sick and dies, he has no idea how to be on his own. His redheaded grief counselor, Wendy, says he needs to find his flock and leave the nest. But how does a man whose whole life has been grounded in his mom, Saturday mass, and the library learn how to fly?

Bartholomew thinks he’s found a clue when he discovers a “Free Tibet” letter from Richard Gere hidden in his mother’s underwear drawer. In her final days, mom called him Richard—there must be a cosmic connection. Believing that the actor is meant to help him, Bartholomew awkwardly starts his new life, writing Richard Gere a series of highly intimate letters. Jung and the Dalai Lama, philosophy and faith, alien abduction and cat telepathy, the Catholic Church and the mystery of women are all explored in his soul-baring epistles. But mostly the letters reveal one man’s heartbreakingly earnest attempt to assemble a family of his own.

A struggling priest, a “Girlbrarian,” her feline-loving, foul-mouthed brother, and the spirit of Richard Gere join the quest to help Bartholomew. In a rented Ford Focus, they travel to Canada to see the cat Parliament and find his biological father . . . and discover so much more.

I mean- how can anyone fail to be intrigued by that?! 

The Good Luck of Right Now is unlike any other book I have read.  Something about Bartholomew's vulnerability left me with a sense of disquiet, and whilst I was turning the pages I had an uncomfortable, heavy feeling inside me.  His letters to Richard Gere bared his soul, giving me an insight into every thought and feeling he experienced.  It is hard to compare it to any other book as it really is one on its own, but it did remind me of how I felt reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. 

It wasn't an easy book to read-infact I almost found it emotionally exhausting and I did have to put it down a few times to have a 'rest' from it.  This is a testament to how well it is written- it evoked such a strong feeling in me.  To say I enjoyed it would be wrong.  However, I was compelled to keep reading and I cared enough about Bartholomew (and other characters in the book, particularly Max and Elizabeth) to invest the energy into reading this book.

I hope this doesn't come across as a negative review, because it really isn't.  The Good Luck of Right Now is a great example of a book where the reader can get completely into the mind of the protagonist-I just found it difficult being inside the mind of someone as misunderstood as Bartholomew Neil.  However, it is also a book filled with hope, Bartholomew's naivety and literal outlook bringing a charm and simplicity into what could otherwise be out and out depressing.

This is one of the hardest reviews I have had to write, because I am sure my opinion of this book will change as I digest it.  It is extraordinary.

The Good Luck of Right Now is out now.

7.5/10

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Say It With Sequins- The Waltz- Georgia Hill

 

When writer Lucy agrees to take part in a TV dance show, she knows she is out of her comfort zone.  However, she doesn't realise that dancing will only be part of the problem.  She develops a huge crush on hunky swimmer Max, a fellow contestant on the show- but the word on set is that he is gay.

I enjoyed this novella and read it in one sitting.  Lucy and Max were both charming characters- very 'normal' and easy to relate to.  And Max was HOT.  Not as hot as Harri from The Rumba ( he was Welsh, no one was ever going to compare), but he got my heart fluttering none-the-less.

I did find there were mentions of a lot of minor characters that I personally felt were surplus to the plot, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of this sweet, romantic tale.  It was lovely to get a little update on characters from the previous Say it with Sequins book, The Rumba (you can read my review here ).

There is a wintery, festive backdrop to The Waltz, but don't let that put you off.  Whilst it has a festive feel it could just as easily be enjoyed on a beach in the height of summer.  It is essentially a story of repressed lust, something that can be experienced at any time of year!

If you are missing the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing, the Say It with Sequins series could be just what you are looking for to fill the void.  Although be prepared- I totally craved butterscotch Angel Delight after reading this book!

The Waltz is out now, published by Harper Impulse.  Find out more by clicking the banner below.

7.5/10

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Story of the World Cup- Richard Brassey

 

I live in a house where football is a way of life.  My husband and I first met on an online football forum.  He has a season ticket at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane (as I did too, until we had our son and it became difficult to juggle childcare).  We watch a ridiculous amount of football on TV-not just the big Premiership matches-anything going.  So perhaps it isn't surprising that our son Zachary, who is now six, has developed a minor obsession with the game.

 

Zachary is a competent reader (reading age of 8/9) and read The Story of the World Cup independently.  He loved the bright, detailed illustrations and the comic book style, and adored the facts he learnt as he read.  Out of nowhere he was asking me if I knew about Pele, or if I could tell him about the stadiums where previous World Cup Finals had been played. Children (especially boys) seem to love facts, and this book is chock full of them-about the origins of the beautiful game, the Jules Rimet trophy and previous World Cup tournaments, winners and notable players.

 

This would be an excellent book for primary school teachers to use to support a topic on The World Cup.  It might also be suitable to encourage reluctant boy readers.  Although girls can be football fanatics too, as I can attest!

 

I have looked for more books by Richard Brassey since reading The Story of the World Cup, as it was a fantastic non-fiction text for children-visually appealing and with enough detail to make it interesting without being too weighty.

 

Zachary says 'It's amazing! It tells you all about when the trophy was stolen'.

 

The Story of the World Cup is a winner in our house.

 

The Story of the World Cup is out now, published by Orion.

 

9/10

 

With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Little Celeste- Dawn McNiff

The Blurb

Eleven-year-old Shelley only leaves her bedroom for two minutes, but when she gets back, there's a real, true-life, lavender-eyed baby on her bed. It's far too noisy, smelly and heavy to be a ghost baby - so whose is it? It can't be her mum's - Shelley would have noticed - but it's not like she's around for Shelley to ask, anyway. She's too busy trying to get her horrible ex-boyfriend Scott ('the Toadstool') back, who Shelley definitely does NOT like as much as her mum does.

But someone's got to look after the baby, and give her a name. 'Celeste' sounds good (in fact, it sounds kind of magical) and so Shelley and little Celeste embark on some rather messy adventures, gain some new friends and realise that maybe some wishes can come true after all...

The Review

I have been spoilt lately by a plethora of fantastic reads for children and young adults.  It is my favourite genre, so I've loved getting to know some new characters and discover authors I haven't read before.

Little Celeste sounded like the kind of book I would enjoy- unusual and slightly fantastical without veering into out and out science fiction.  Infact, although it is a read which has a magical feel, it is very much about family and belonging.  The mystery of Celeste and where she came from had me guessing for quite a while, although I wasn't surprised by the revelation when it came.

This book has a fairytale feel and offers a fresh and unique take on how it feels to be a child in a family-the lack of choice, the longing for independence juxtaposed with the need to be loved and cared for.  Shelley is instantly likeable, although she is vulnerable she is also extremely ballsy.  I am sure readers, particularly girls, will be able to relate to her. 

I loved the imagery in McNiff's writing, my favourite line being 'wow, so many stars...it looks like a huge firework went off and froze in the sky'.  Wonderfully evocative.  I'll be interested to see how she follows Little Celeste-if it is with something else as sweet and engaging I will definitely be seeking it out.

Little Celeste is out now, published by Hot Key Books.

8/10

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Undertaking Love-Kat French COVER REVEAL

My wonderful friend Kat French has her cover reveal today!  Look how beautiful it is!  Undertaking Love is available for pre-order now at all the usual outlets.