Books- catch up on madness!

Despite horrendous busyness, I've got quite a wealth of books to catch up on in terms of reviews. All of the ones I have read have been really interesting and poignant in their ways.
22. Georgette Heyer Cotillion
I LOVE Georgette Heyer. She really does write rather like Jane Austen I feel (except I am more aware of the darker sides of Regency society. ) This book is all the about the exploits of a young lady whose parents (one of shocking French parentage don'tchat know) died and lives with a crotchety old Uncle. The book begins as the old patriarch has tried to gather his other nephews with the news that he is to leave his fortune to the young lady only on condition that she marries one of her cousins. It transpires, she has always had a soft spot for cousin Jack, and the Uncle intends to push him to offer for her, but he alone doesn't turn up. She persuades the one cousin who she isn't repulsed by but who wont actually offer for her (he's a bit of a dandy corinthian, in a stylish way) to pretend he's offered for her and she accepts, so she can escape to London, with the hope that cousin Jack will be put out and will endeavour to win her hand.

However, it transpires that whilst Jack does intend to marry her eventually, he's a bit of a cad and he's courting other young ladies and gets involved in all sorts of awful schemes. Somehow along the way, she ends up falling for someone else who she didn't expect to!

I LOVED this book more than I have loved any other Georgette Heyer I've read before. I adore Freddie, the cousin who agrees to get engaged to her to help her and the story is really intriguing. Plus, the way she writes it is JUST how I would like the book to end. Another interesting insight into Regency London. If you like romance without too much smut, then this is for you. Also, Austenites, I would recommend.
Eat your heart out Mr Darcy, there's a new hero in town! (Mr Tilney, don't worry, you're still my favourite!)

23. Alison Prince My Story Henry the VIII's wives

Despite learning about the Tudors in year 9 at school, I didn't seem to know that much about Henry VIII's wives. Since I am moving to year 4 next year, when I saw these books in a lovely bookshop in Aldeburgh, I was intrigued to have a look at this and see if it was suitable for year 4. Right away, I would say that it is much too old for year 4 and I would probably consider this more suitable for year 8-9, 13-14 year olds. Even though this was a fictional account, it was obviously based on real people and I had NO idea how quickly Henry actually got through wives and the reasons he divorced, beheaded etc. Apparently, Katherine Parr wrote respected religious books. The narrator is a young girl who is approaching the age of being in court and we learn about Anne Boleyn through the diaries of a previous narrator, a friend of hers who was a lady in waiting to the queen and a relative who was a lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon. I really recommend this as an intriguing read. How much is true I don't know, but I was quite shocked to read of the antics of his majesty, but also intrigued! If you like historical fiction based on real people, this is worth a read.

24. Michael Morpurgo Kaspar- Prince of cats

The thing I love about this significant children's author (and if you are a mum or dad, get your children to read his books- he is a REALLY good model of excellent story writing) is how he takes a gem of a real story or tale and tells a tale that you really believe could be true! This is set in the year 1912 or 1913 I believe, and a significant amount takes place in the Savoy and on board the Titanic. Throw in a Russian opera singer, a bellboy and a runaway American child and you have storytelling magic! A typical Morpurgo book, written in the first person, so he draws you in, with an animal playing a crucial role (in this case, Kaspar, cat of Opera singer), beautiful setting descriptions and a beguiling tale! 25. David Almond. Skellig

This is a seriously intense and creepy but WONDERFUL book. If you want to demonstrate how to write suspense then read this. I read it because I was studying it with my top guided reading group. A mysterious character, Skellig, what is he? He is found by our (1st person narrative again) main character in the garage of his new house. The character is worried by having moved house, a very sick baby sister and preoccupied parents. He discovers a new friendship with an unsual young lady and together they help restore the mysterious character Skellig to his full glory. Is he an angel? Read and find out. Amazing setting descriptions again, beautiful characterisations, I did shed a little tear reading this. Teenagers also study this book and it has become a film.

26. Alexander McCall Smith Espresso tales

I suddenly realised that I wasn't trying to read 52 authors this year so I have stupidly been starving myself from reading those tantalising Alexander McCall Smith books that I really wanted to read that have lined my shelf for over a year! Hurrah, can read them all mwa ha ha!
This is my first 44 Scotland street novel and I don't know why I was expecting a mystery novel but it is a contemporary account of different characters's muddled lives. The narrator and focus changes in each chapter between a 5 year old, a young trainee doctor, and various others. They lead such interesting lives! The great thing about this book is that it was published daily in an Edinburgh newspaper. Alexander McCall Smith is a genius in writing characters that you love and empathise with. Don't want to give anything away but highly addictive. And great if you put books down for a while!

26. Michael Morpurgo Cool!

Another classic from this ex children's Laureate, I was reading this with another guided reading group. Boys will like this as it is a fairly easy read and there is a little focus on football. Again, first person narrative, this is written from the point of view of a boy in a coma who is worried about having killed his dog. As the story unwraps, we learn more and more about him and his accident. All may not be what it seems with his dog.... I would recommend this for children aged around 8-10 with a reading level of around 3b/a if you know what I mean!