The Call of the Penguins will have you wanting to whisk yourself to them in a heartbeat! Thanks to publisher – Transworld Books for gifting me a copy to review. Find out more in the blurb and my full review below.
A delightfully feel-good new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of Away With the Penguins – sure to become a firm favourite with readers!
At eighty-seven, Veronica McCreedy thinks her days of travelling the world are behind her. But when she’s invited to take part in a TV nature documentary that will take her across the globe filming her beloved penguins, she leaps at the prospect of a new adventure . . .
Review
Set, initially in Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland, The Call of the Penguins has charm and warmth and that call for a new adventure for Veronica McCreedy. The book is warm but tackles worldly issues within its cosyness of the penguins. There’s a new colony of penguins being introduced as well as updates on the penguins in the Antarctic. This brings a fresh and brings a new slant to human and animal stories.
The chapters are split between Veronica, Patrick and Terry. Readers get to know their trials and tribulations of life, such as family, health, relationship issues and more… It makes for an interesting read as they take you into the heart of the animal or at least penguin kingdom, as well as their own lives that have their ups and downs as do the penguins. In saying that, it does have a feel-good factor that will give you a cuddly warming feel, without being sappy as it deals with some of what can be found in hard-hitting headlines about the environment and conservation. Veronica McCreedy, although is trying to do something good in conserving penguins, isn’t without attracting her own headlines of controversy to a point.
This is a rather enjoyable book with all the adventures you’ll go on and the characters you’ll meet along the way as you cosy up from the cold winter days.
Review written by – Louise (Lou) – Day 4 of the blog tour
Firstly I am astonished and so excited to have in my grasp, as proof copy of The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman, but does it live up to his debut – The Thursday Murder Club, which was so fantastic and captured my heart? YES, YES, YES! I am captured all over again by this book and from the first page! He’s only written 2 novels and it feels like I’ve been reading them for ages because of the long lasting effect. I had high expectations. Who wouldn’t after all the success of The Thursday Murder Club and my expectations have been met, so I am very excited to tell you about this unputdownable book. It’s a phrase used a lot, but it really is and is another Must Read from Richard Osman. Put it this way. I read it in a couple of days. It would have been one, but I thought I should give my cat a bit of attention and also sleep, even though I did end up reading into the wee small hours. Please follow down to the blurb and my full review of the book that takes the Thursday Murder Club to darker places and with many, many murders and a whole lot of intrigue and humour… Before I do, I thank those behind Team Osman at Viking Books who gifted me a proof copy and for inviting me to the blog tour. Now, I leave you with the blurb and the rest of my review and a pic of the book I also bought with spredges.
Blurb
It’s the following Thursday.
Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.
As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?
But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can the Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?
Review
For a second book, this is absolutely sublime and is just as wise and witty and just as excellent as the first book. I already know I would love to read the third book in this terrific series. Firstly I love that it starts the following Thursday. That’s a great place to start if ever I saw one for a sequel. The gang of retirees are still sitting around in their retirement home discussing cold cases in their own formed club – The Thursday Murder Club, that is full of characters that are so easy to invest in and want to know more about, and one in-particular has a very interesting past indeed and quite some connections, which shows a life drawn into the darker corners.
There are many bodies, a life in danger and diamonds, so therefore a case to be solved and The Thursday Murder Club, using all their skills before retirement and all their wiley ways get deeply involved, but rather differently from the first book, now that they are established. It also takes one of them on quite the unexpected adventure on the Channel Tunnel. It’s all easy to get hooked into.
The mystery all begins when Elizabeth recieves a letter from an old colleague/friend, who she hasn’t seen since 1981. It piques my interest a lot. There within lies a great mystery full of tightly constructed twists and turns. The Thursday Murder Club, after all, have a wish for something exciting to happen again. Anything, it would seem. They do indeed have the taste for live mysteries to weedle themselves into being involved now, instead of sitting around just discussing them for their amusement.
The conversation is humorous, pretty realistic and brings not only some lightness, but also the desire of wanting to stay up-to-date with tech, but in their own manner. Now she’s wondering whether to be on Instagram or have a dog. What a choice to make! The tone of writing is just sublime and my goodness, all of the dialogue is spot-on, whether its serious, pregamatic or comical to the onlookers. It’s so expertly done and well concieved. The creation of Joyce is still as fabulous as ever! Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron are also very welcome to see return.
The story also shows, like the first one, that older people had a life outside a retirement village and they have an interest in the world, when in one. Elizabeth for one is an interesting character with quite an intriguing past, that is delved into more in this book. Readers also get to see a number of Joyce’s likes in life, a lot involving the BBC, which adds entertainment and interest as well as a number of people and shows folk would be familiar with. It fits with the characters and in part, is perhaps rather (and nicely) shrood on Richard Osman’s part. He is an incredibly clever man after all.
There is a nice nod to independent bookshops and a direct message within this to the public, which I wholeheartedly approve of. It is also enjoyable reading about Ibrahim’s visit to one and picks up a book you would perhaps not instantly think he would, until something happens to him…
DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna Freitas are friends and colleagues and he can’t stop waxing lyrical about her mum, perhaps to the point of obsession in a funny way. They are also after Connie, a drug dealer/wholesaler. When they are with the group that makes up The Thursday Murder Club, they, as ever, have to put up with them wanting everything solved instantly, or even yesterday, especially when it comes to one of their friends. There are, it turns out there are many ways that The Thursday Murder Club can help, both on the case with the skills and connections they possess and also in their personal lives, especially Ibrahim, as the book continues its theme of loneliness. It makes a stark and really important point that it can hit people at any age and not just that of retired people. It’s weaved into the plot so well.
I think this should be made into a film too as it goes. Hopefully Steven Spielberg is looking at this book too. I also hope Richard Osman writes more of The Thursday Club. I’d be more than happy to keep reading and reviewing them.
Damage is compelling and one that grips from the very start. Thanks to Penguin Random House for gifting me a copy to review. Read on to discover the blurb and my review below.
Blurb
Sometimes, the true story is the hardest to believe.
TONY has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when Nick is badly hurt and it looks like he was the victim of sexual assault, Tony’s anger flares.
JULIA is alarmed by her husband Tony’s obsession with Nick’s case. She’s always known Tony has a temper. But does she really know what he’s capable of?
NICK went out for a drink. After that, everything’s a blank. When he woke up he found himself in a world of confusion and pain, and the man who hurt him doesn’t deny doing it. But he says the whole thing was consensual.
Three ordinary people; one life-shattering event. When the police get involved with this family in crisis, all the cracks will start to show…
Set to ignite debate and as gripping as your favourite box-set, Damage is a compulsive drama from an extraordinary new writer.
Review
Chilling, atmospheric, visceral, emotional and absolutely grips from the start! It’ll make you take a sharp in-take of breath!
Set between 2019 and 2015; Detective John Rice is on the case and Nick is the victim of a sexual assault. Tony Hall is his brother, who along with his wife, Julia want to protect him. Tony and Julia have their relationship issues and what’s happened to Nick furthers that stress.
This in a way tells an important story with a deep subject matter – it shows a young man being sexually assaulted and both brothers being damaged, not just by this, but the book also hints at the sort of man their father is. It shows their raw emotion and reaction, which is so heartrendering. This is all handled with realism and sensitivity, especially when it comes to Nick meeting Lisa who questions him. It’s a very moving book with the way the characters interact with each other and how they are affected by the secrets that spiral through the book.
The level of high intensity is consistent throughout the book. As much as it is an emotionally affecting read, it is powerful and so much so, it’s quite hard to put down. It magically draws the attention in, even though the subject matters within it are hard ones.
There are twists and turns as a result of so much damage being caused to people, that are deeper and darker than expected and that grip ferociously to the very end as the effects are huge and cause behaviours to spiral out of control.
Full of twists in an unpredictable. The Whole Truth is unpredictable, gritty and intense. Find the blurb and review below.
Imagine my excitement when I was lucky enough to receive The Whole Truth, written by Sunday Bestseller author – Cara Hunter, thanks to Ellie Hudson, Olivia Mead and Chloe Davies at Penguin Randomhouse publishers for inviting me onto the blog tour and for sending me a copy of the book
Blurb
She has everything at stake; he has everything to lose. But one of them is lying, all the same.
When an Oxford student accuses one of the university’s professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley’s team think they’ve heard it all before. But they couldn’t be more wrong.
Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player.
Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don’t realise is that someone is watching.
And they have a plan to put Fawley out of action for good…
Review
The book’s layout is great as narrative, newspaper cuttings, text messages and statements, police reports, transcripts of interviews, podcast episodes (written out as if readers were listening in), all intertwine to tell this story of this crime, set in hot temperatures in Oxford, where DI Fawley and DC Gareth Quinn are on a case. It feels a rather unique way of telling the story. It’s deep and gritty and highly immersive. The intensity increases as the book goes on.
Lady Launceleve College – or EL near where the Banbury and Woodstock roads are) and where Hillary Reynolds is Head of House is the setting. It’s relevant and feels vital as this is about feeling unsafe in colleges and universities; this is about when someone may have been sexually assaulted and discovering just what the truth actually is in what happened between the victim and the accuser. What makes this story so different is that the plot is far from what is expected. It turns everything you may think it would be, entirely on its head. This is far from a predicatable story with its tightly written twists and the detectives are up against it, to discover the whole truth, which isn’t always as straight forward as one would perhaps imagine and with someone watching, there is also an added thriller element. It’s gritty and intense right to the very end!
There is an ingenious layout of a “previously in the Fawley Files”, so it is absolutely fine if you’ve never read any before, it gives enough detail to catch-up on the key characters and also refreshes the mind well for those who have read the other 4 books in the series.
Kate In Waiting is full of humour, the ups and downs of teenage life, including crushes and juggling dull school work with the exciting bright lights of the theatre and exciting rehearsals. Becky Albertalli has nailed it all in such a convincing story and it has just been published. Read the blurb and the review to discover more about the book that has been waiting in the wings…
I thank Roma Baig for gifting me this rather fun YA book.
Blurb
From bestselling YA rom-com queen Becky Albertalli (author of Love, Simon) comes a new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life and theatre.
[PRINCIPAL CAST LIST] Kate Garfield Anderson Walker
Best friends, and contrary to popular belief, not co-dependent. Examples:
Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.
But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script.
Enter Stage Left: Matt Olsson
He is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.
Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship…
Review
Missing theatre? I know I am. So join this YA Romcom and find out about Kate in this witty book about stage life and romance. So many teenagers/young adults will be able to relate, even if having to carpool to rehearsals isn’t part of your life. From the first to the last page this book is very entertaining.
The book screams Teen-RomCom basically and lives in their communal world of SnapChat etc and the need to tell each other everything. There’s the romance and the crushing end of one and also a lot of humour too with Kate, Anderson and Matt, the stars of the show, with a great supporting cast. The vibe is brilliant within the book, even when everything changes and the script that seemed so planned before makes life a bit messy and the teens suddenly find themselves having to do some improv to figure everything out all over again.
Chapters become scenes and many other theatrical references are made. There’s songs to practice and rehearsals to attend, but amongst all of that, there is school, which is entirely not as exciting, except it gives a bit of a chance for Kate to daydream, until she is interrupted…
Teens will be able to empathise with them all and feel the fun and the pain of those crushes and be there with them right to the very last page.
With warmth and so much humour, this is enough to brighten anyone’s spirits!
Kate In Waiting is full of humour, the ups and downs of teenage life, including crushes and juggling dull school work with the exciting bright lights of the theatre and exciting rehearsals. Becky Albertalli has nailed it all in such a convincing story and it has just been published. Read the blurb and the review to discover more about the book that has been waiting in the wings…
I thank Roma Baig for gifting me this rather fun YA book.
Blurb
From bestselling YA rom-com queen Becky Albertalli (author of Love, Simon) comes a new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life and theatre.
[PRINCIPAL CAST LIST] Kate Garfield Anderson Walker
Best friends, and contrary to popular belief, not co-dependent. Examples:
Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.
But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script.
Enter Stage Left: Matt Olsson
He is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.
Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship…
Review
Missing theatre? I know I am. So join this YA Romcom and find out about Kate in this witty book about stage life and romance. So many teenagers/young adults will be able to relate, even if having to carpool to rehearsals isn’t part of your life. From the first to the last page this book is very entertaining.
The book screams Teen-RomCom basically and lives in their communal world of SnapChat etc and the need to tell each other everything. There’s the romance and the crushing end of one and also a lot of humour too with Kate, Anderson and Matt, the stars of the show, with a great supporting cast. The vibe is brilliant within the book, even when everything changes and the script that seemed so planned before makes life a bit messy and the teens suddenly find themselves having to do some improv to figure everything out all over again.
Chapters become scenes and many other theatrical references are made. There’s songs to practice and rehearsals to attend, but amongst all of that, there is school, which is entirely not as exciting, except it gives a bit of a chance for Kate to daydream, until she is interrupted…
Teens will be able to empathise with them all and feel the fun and the pain of those crushes and be there with them right to the very last page.
With warmth and so much humour, this is enough to brighten anyone’s spirits!
A delightfully feel-good new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of Away With the Penguins – sure to become a firm favourite with readers!
For a second book, this is absolutely sublime and is just as wise and witty and just as excellent as the first book. I already know I would love to read the third book in this terrific series.
She has everything at stake; he has everything to lose. But one of them is lying, all the same.
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 