March books

I've had a real binge session of certain book types the month and I am not ashamed of it!  I'd love to know if you've read any of these and any opinions


Snowflake in my hand- Samantha Mooney

This was my Bloggers' Secret Santa gift from Imogen.  It has the look of a children's book about it but it is actually the reminiscences of Veternary worker (she's not a vet, she's some sort of research assistant/fellow), Samantha Mooney in New York.  She shares details of her life working with cats with cancer or Leukaemia. The author has a lot of heart and you see how much she cares about her job and the cats that she meets.  There are stories of success and joys and experiences but of course, since she works in the cancer/Leuk unit, there are also many sad tales. But,I love the fact that these owners love their animals so much to pay for the drugs and treatments to prolong their lives. Tis heartening. This was a lovely read although I found Samantha's constant need to better herself by constant extra-curricular study exhausting at times!

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The Toll gate - Georgette Heyer
If you've read my blog for a few years, you will know that GH is one of my favourite authors. Her Regency romances have an impeccable attention to detail, very appealing heroines and equally dashing and likeable heroes.  The tollgate begins from the perspective of the male hero which is not synonymous with all Heyer's novels. Our hero is a returned Soldier from France, Captain John Staple, who like any good Regency soldier, finds life back in England rather dull.  The novel begins as he is escaping a party at his relative's house where it is certain he may be 'set up' with a young lady. He decides to escape for a hunting party at a friend's however, leaving late and taking a wrong turn leads him to end up totally on the wrong path.  It is seeing a young boy running the toll gate on a road which draws his attention and sympathy. The boy is not sure where his Father has gone and is clearly terrified of some person or other.  Jack decides to stay and help the boy with running the toll gate at the same time as trying to solve the mystery of where the man has gone.  His wish to remain is further ignited when he meets the brave Nell Stornaway, the old squire's Grand-daughter.

I loved this book because it brings together the two types of books that Heyer wrote- murder mysteries and obviously the Regency romance- this is definitely a mystery book as well and it is very exciting.  In addition, various plot-devices Heyer has used well before are used well, an unsavoury character who is after the main heroine, a highwayman and an older governess in love. The end of this book was very exciting and you are kept guessing as to the exact outcome until the end. Definitely one of the better Heyer books I have read.

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I read the next four books out of order!

The Stationmaster's farewell- Edward Marston

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 I was so chuffed to find this quartet of books in the charity shops in Feb!  The railway detective novels are superb.  In this book, the railway detective, Colbeck is called to Exeter St David station to deal with the unexplained death of the Station Master who is found in the Guy Fawkes pyre.   Interestingly, the murder victim, for once, is not a nasty piece of work, but rather, is a lovely, hard-working gentle, kind and sensitive soul which I found more upsetting than I usually find these books. I did struggle to identify a murder in this book and when I discovered who DID murder him, I did feel a bit indignant and cheated- there's NO WAY I would have guessed that. The characterisation of the book is great and the book finally leads up to the marriage of Inspector Collbeck to his beloved Madeline Andrews, who provides vital assistance at the end of the book. Much recommended.

Railway to the Grave- Edward Marston

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The wonderful Inspector Colbeck returns in this novel.  Interestingly, the book, set in the Victorian era, gives us a bit more insight into his superior officer, Superintendent Tallis' life.  Before this, Tallis was a bit more two-dimensional.  An old-army colleague of his begins the book walking to his death along the railway lines, choosing his moment to ensure he will meet his death.  His suicide note is sent to Tallis and so he and Colbeck plus the irrepressible Sergeant Leeming come to investigate. It seems his suicide is wound up with the disappearance of his wife and the suspicions around where she went and why. The Major's death is wound up in the railway and there are a LOT of red-herrings and possible suspects linked to the disappearance which lead you round the garden path a bit.  As with these books, I find the denouement rather sudden and wish for a little more explanation, detail. I also found the people implicated who I hadn't really had much information about. Admittedly, I realised who was involved but only by my usual logic of 'Who has no motive or interest in the death?'.  Still, this was a really exciting book and I recommend any of this series.

Blood on the Line- Edward Marston

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This book actually precedes the previous one.   Interestingly,we gain insight into the life of Colbeck himself, pre-books, as he encounters and chases after his Arch-nemesis, the man who killed the woman he loved which turned him from life as a solicitor to the life of a police officer. The story begins as the man in question, Jeremy Oxley has been arrested near Birmingham but is rescued, and his guards murdered by a young lady.

The book moves at a cracking pace, the dialogue shifts between the criminal Oxley and his lady-friend to Colbeck and Leeming on their trail.  There is never a dull moment and I really wasn't sure how on earth Colbeck could capture Oxley.  Also, there were times when I wasn't sure if Collbeck would end up marrying Madeline, his beloved, since he might not be able to put the death of Helen, his previous love,to rest unless he caught Oxley.  The book ends with an amazing shift of location and gripping writing. Possibly the best of the Railway detective books so far and interesting since we KNEW who the murdered/baddie was, rather than the usual Who-dunnit!

Peril on the Royal Train- Edward Marston

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The final book of my quartet takes place after Colbeck has married Madeline and is again, a different type of crime. Marston keeps us interested by changing the nature of his crimes brilliantly! In this case, the book begins with the devastating crash and derailing of a goods train in Scotland. Old rivals from Colbeck's past cases are involved in the investigation and it seems an impossible feat to discover the arbiter of the crimes, but for a chance sighting by a shepherd boy who proves integral to the plot.  There are a lot of lucky coincidences in the book leading to the solving of the crime but I suppose it wouldn't be an interesting book otherwise! Not my favourite of the series but still excellent and fast-paced!

Treasures of the snow- Pamela St John

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The final book of the month was given to me by a friend and she gave me 3 Pamela St John books. I find them delightful.  They are fictional and deal with children and their discovering of faith and goodness in the world. Don't think they are some prissy evangelical book, they are books showing the goodness that can result in being aware of breaking relationships and how hope can be found. The characterisation is well done and the countryside description is beautiful.  The book tells the story of a little girl who lives in the mountains and how her rivalry and dislike of another boy results in much heartbreak, her brother's crippling and how the relationships change when the children discover the power of forgiveness.

Have you read any of these books? Would you?  What have you been reading recently?

xxx

Murder, intrigue, ghosts, secret passages, romance, sensibility...

It can ALL be found in Ann Radcliffe's novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho. (totally coincidental posting date!)

It rarely takes me more than a week to read any book (I often pick light-weight books of less than 300 pages) but just occasionally, I pick a weighty tome which keeps me occupied for some weeks!

I've wanted to read the Mysteries of Udolpho ever since I first read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, in which the heroine, Catherine Morland reads the novel.   Unlike most people, this is in fact my favourite Jane Austen novel.  CBC thinks it is because I have a huge, massive, slight crush on JJ Feild who played Mr Tilney in the recent adaptation of it on TV, which may be true but it has those ingredients that I adore- mystery, old houses with the possibility of secret passages, a sense of the heroine somehow managing to win over the hero (it's not too cut and dry that he likes her). Plus, she's fairly ordinary, she's not a considered beauty, rather average looking, she's inclined to an overactive imagination, loves reading and is worried of doing the wrong thing- rather like me!

Anyway, so I bought the Mysteries of Udolpho.

It is a book that many people have made presumptions about.  It is considered a gothic romance and yet it fails to be pinned into this particular genre.
It is a  story of a young French girl called Emily who is very virtuous, beautiful and talented who becomes orphaned and then ends up trapped in the mysterious castle of Udolpho in Italy and has to escape the rapacious schemes of her evil guardian Montoni and faces the prospect of her own psychological disintergration.

Or that's what the blurb would have you believe!  Yes, he's a rotter and yes, he has grand schemes for her but that's all a bit of an exaggeration.  It is well nigh on two hundred pages (small print) before Emily even gets to Udolpho.  She's there because her nasty aunt marries him, not realising he's a scoundrel (she's nasty and proud and selfish so there's a certain moralistic sense to this book that says she gets her just deserts) .

The description is very very flowery, Emily frequently expresses raptures over the beauty of the Pyrenees and the countryside (she sounds a bit like me!) but it intersperses the action all the time, not always in a convenient way. You just want her to up the pace a bit!
Emily's never in danger from Montoni himself although you do worry about her.  Yes, he has evil designs on her money and wants to sell her off, but he actually protects her from danger through the book to a certain extent, heck, when the castle is under siege, he actually sends her off to a lovely cottage some miles away where she has a gay and merry old time.   She escapes danger at every turn, fortunately for her. I think this is because in that time, a virtuous young woman would never have nasty things happen to her (good thing too!)

Love interest comes in the form of Valancourt, an amiable, nature-loving young man. He's nice but a bit wet.
One thing which I did find a bit annoying was the poetry interspersed ALL through the book, including Shakespeare and Milton and other 18th century poets (Radcliffe herself too) .  I like flowery poetry but ALL the time???

Emily herself is a bit annoying, she's full of sensibility (i.e. faints at any slight scare, full of emotions and well-meaning indignation) and overactive imagination (er, like me) and scares really easily. She's also a little wet.

I sound like I didn't like this book.  I really did!  The suspnse is  well maintained throughout the 675 pages or so (not including a lenghthly academic introduction and copious references and explanations at the end) - mysteries such as what is behind the black veil, who is the ghost, or is there one? Who were certain characters?  Where did certain characters disappear to?  Who was Emily's mother? 
The descriptions were beautiful, if rather lenghthly, the plot is an interesting one, if a little imbalanced.  For example, Emily's escape from Udolpho takes place over 2 pages (huh? Where's the action?) whereas she and Valancourt take several pages to part from each other when she's first off to Venice, other characters remain a little 2D as does Emily a bit, but that's fine, I love the labyrinthine idea of Udolpho.  A secondary plot which is crucial to the final denouement for Emily which is SUDDENLY introduced to the book, with a whole new set of characters 500 pages in, was a bit of a surprise which I was inititally confused about, it seemed a bit jolty, but later on realised the significance even if I think she could have introduced it a bit, earlier.  I liked the way the whole plot knitted together in the end.  I liked the fact we find out what everything was and why it happened - I hate books where things are left unexplained.  Call me simple,but  that's just what I like.

If your read it, DON'T read the introduction to the book at the beginnings because it will spoil all the mystery and suspense of the story- what IS behind the black veil, who will Emily marry? It gives it all away, spoilsport! How will she escape from Udolpho? Not least, I didn't read it because I find such things boring UNLESS I've already read the book which is fortunate for me! That said, when I read it, it was very well written and concurred with many of my thoughts on the book!

I think this is a brilliant book to read, it has such a strange dreamlike quality to it and the suspense is well-maintained, despite the length of the book, it gets a little spooky at times!  And you can feel proud once you have read it.  I did feel proud to have finished it, being so long! I'd like to try some of her other books!

Linking up to Lakota's Tah Dah Wednesday as I am really happy to have finished the book! It's taken a while!

If you want to read it, you can buy the edition I have from here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mysteries-Udolpho-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199537410/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1351714380&sr=8-2

Ballet and beasts

Suddenly aware that since it is the new year, I should finally publish this book review blog that I have been prevaricating about since the beginning of December, adding the final reads of the year!   There are one or two real corkers here that have been an absolute pleasure to read.  And then some Dickens...

58.  Lorna Hill Rosanna joins the Wells

Once again, I find myself being lured into reading kiddie books.  Helen my friend has slowly been bringing these to orchestra for me to borrow.  I loved the start of this book, set in Italy in a lovely village- I could just sense the heat and beauty of the old place- Ms Hill writes wonderfully evocative setting descriptions that warm the very reaches of your heart.  There was an interesting sort of Cinderella perspective to this book as Rosanna, Italian girl who has just begun to learn to dance and discovers she is good, gets sent to live in the North of England due to the death of the priest who was her guardian.  We meet old favourite characters from Hill's previous 8 Wells books, including the now-exiled King of Slavonia who unexpectedly met Ella Rosetti- heroine of the previous book and now is following her to pursue her in love.  Again, you can kind of guess how this book is going to end, but I am a creature of habit and I like formulas!

59.   Lorna Hill Principal Role

Aha, the younger sister of the King of Slavonia begins this book, in exile staying in Switzerland whilst there are threats against her life from republican elements who fear a return of the royal family to Slavonia.  It transpires she is good at dance and because of her Brother's love for Ella Rosetti (unrequited), she is sent to the Wells school to study.  So basically, a Princess at the Wells. There is certainly a sad ending to this book but one that is refreshingly surprising, except that if anyone knows my views on Phantom of the Opera, this is an ending that does ultimately make me cross!

60.  Philip Ridley Krindlekrax
Aha, this book is brilliant!  It's the book I've been reading with my top-group for Guided reading at School.  I've managed to get across to them, and helped them to recognise, be able to explain and identify examples of the following:  Suspense, (through the use of grammar- short sentences, paragraphing and the holding back of information, Cliffhangers, Idiosyncrasies, and be able to analyse how exactly the writer achieves the effect of writing excitingly.  This story is a sort of modern-day David and Goliath type idea- where Ruskin, a red-haired, scrawny with dreams of being an actor, faces the trials of Elvis, a bullying, violent thug.  However, in order to become a hero and defeat Elvis, it is only through his conquering of a fearsome giant lizard that lurks in the sewer called Krindlekrax with his friend Corky, the caretaker, that he can achieve this.  It deals with the issues of friendship, bullying, anti-social behaviour, consequences of actions and trying to be popular, not judging a book by its cover  It deals with death of characters in a sensitive way also.  As a teacher, (or parent also, if you're keen), it is a wonderful book for drawing out the assessment focuses in reading. I might actually put up my questions for guided reading up here sometime if anyone might want to use them? Parent or teacher? Let me know in the comments)

61.  Sally Odgers and John Bennett Timothy Whuffenpuffen
This book regards beast of the more friendlier variety.  The named character is in fact an inherited dragon belonging to a family.  Marcus, the main character, is a bit of a wuss, dominated by a bossy girl who lives near by who wants him to be her friend.  He lives with his Mum in a nasty old flat with a mean landlord and bully son.  When Marcus inherits Timothy from his enigmatic Uncle who runs a circus, it appears his uncle is dead- but all is not as it seems and Marcus, reluctant hero, goes off with a strange young lady who is supposedly the Uncle's fiance to find him.  Bit of a cliched story considering, but a harmless enough book for kids to read!

62.  Angela Brazil  The Jolliest term on record.
 When I went to Hay-on-Wye during August, CBC and I were most excited to find a 1920's first edition of this book.  It's totally Jolly Hockey sticks and of the Malory towers ilk but I adored this public boarding school book and can't wait to read more of Angela Brazil's books! Trouble is, they're rather expensive!!!! It tells the story of 2 sisters who end up at a rather lovely boarding school.  If you've read any Enid Blyton school book, you know what to expect! This book is special to CBC and I! 
(It's at CBC's house, so I hope http://www.stellabooks.com/ doesn't mind using their image- they seem to have loads of Angela Brazil books so go there if you want to buy one!)

63.  Charles Dickens  The Christmas books:  A Christmas carol, The Chimes, The cricket on the hearth
Like Gemma, I wanted to read some Christmas books and with the exception of a Christmas Carol, I've never read any Dickens and this edition had been on my shelf for years (like since Penguin did their £1 classics- bought in my 2nd year at Uni!)  So I persevered with these.  I've not met anyone else who has read the latter two stories, everyone looks bemused when I mention them.  Have you read them?  All of them have a moral tale at the Christmas time and show the plight of poor people .   The Chimes, follows the tale of a Porter called Trotty who lives with his daughter Meg.  The Church bells ring every day of his life and after being drawn by their ringing to the church cellar soon after Christmas, fairies take him to discover the fate of his family in the future!  The cricket on the hearth was hard going at first.  I had no idea what the point of the story was and found it rather dull until somewhere near the end, it suddenly clicked and a lovely message came from the book.  Again, it involves fairies and showing people how things really are and I confess to shedding a tear at the end (in Durham cathedral!).  I don't want to say more otherwise I ruin it, but they are worth a read as they're not too long although don't be despondent at the start, they get more interesting towards the end!

64.  Carola Dunn Death at Wentwater court

I bought CBC's mother these for Christmas last year as they seemed like fun looking books she might enjoy.  I didn't think any more of it until I read Dino-Princess Char's review of one of the Daisy Dalyrimple books a while back and suddenly realised I would LOVE to read that type of book and I knew someone who had 7 of them!!!!  So, rather inwardly sheepishly, I asked to borrow them this Christmas whilst we were up there!  Oh and what a GREAT range of books they are!  I adore both Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie and these are like a combination of the two.  There's a mystery to solve, lovely 1920's references, rather cracking Blyton-esque exclamations and a touch of romance! This first in the series tells of a murder that seems to involve an early morning ice-skating accident to a rather nasty piece of work!  Of course, it doesn't pan out like that and the Honourable Miss Daisy Dalyrimple, newspaper reporter and photographer is on the chase, much to the reluctant yet admiring attempts by a Scotland yard inspector!

65.  Carola Dunn The winter garden mystery.

I demolished this one on the train journey home- Daisy is off to write another article but visits a real battleaxe who is the mother of an old school friend.  Death soons shows its face as Daisy discovers a boy in the flower beds and has to track back to find out who the murderer is!  Wonderful again, all I could think is, "WHY oh why haven't you interrogated that person!!!!"

66. Carola Dunn Requiem for a mezzo.

Another wonderful Daisy Dalyrimple book- we see the relationship developing between her and Chief-inspector Alec Fletcher. I liked the musical setting of this one at the Royal Albert Hall and Verdi's requiem!  I quite like poisonings in murder books- they are always very exciting working out who could have done what and I guessed right!!!!! Hurrah!!!

 

67. Keri Smith How to be an Explorer of the World

I actually finished this after midnight on New year's eve (A party animal me-ya?) but since I'd read the majority before Big Ben chimed, I counted it as a 2011 book!  CBC received this for Christmas from his sister and it is a book that TOTALLY could have been written by me (in the sense that I've done lots of the tasks involved - not that I am clever like Ms Smith).  It is a book full of tasks to get you to look at the world in a different way- to scrutinize, ponder, organise, appreciate, draw, write, classify.  It involves thinking skills and awe and wonder.  Each task offers you the chance to be an artist in some way- to look at things you have never noticed before- to slow down and regard the mundane as something enchanting!  Adults who are young at heart and kids will appreciate this.  The tasks include something like finding 30 found objects on your way to work/school/somewhere- classify them- describe them, describe differences; draw a sound map of all the sounds in relation to you as you sit on a park bench; collect pebbles and lay them out in formations; make a sculpture from materials you find; draw character profiles of people around you and much more!  This is the type of thing that I love to spend time doing.  A lovely book!

Have you read any of these?  Have I tempted you in any way?!!!

What have I read? Marathon catch-up!

Hallo all! Thank you for recent loveliness regarding posts- and a big hello to all the explorers who found their way here and let me know! Pleasure to meet you mi hearties!

Where oh where is my camera!!!!??? I cannot find ANYTHING in my house at the moment! Everything is buried, missing, AWOL, hiding, AHRGH! I've wanted to post for a couple of days to no avail so I finally caught up with book catch up! DO let me know if you have read any of these, like them, think they're awful, want more info, or are thinking of reading them- I'd love to know if my reviews are useful as well being an opportunity for me to discipline myself in the art of saying my preferences!
34. Vikram Seth An equal music.
As a classical musician who has played in String quartets, I had a lot of knowledge pertaining to the context of this story. It is a love story- the story of Michael (violinist) and Julia (pianist). A mystery unravels from the beginning- just why did they split up when he is obviously still in love with her but having no idea where she now is since he left her. The story continues with a chance sighting of Julia and what happens when their lives cross again. All is not as it seems. We are party to Michael's thoughts, regrets and hopes and rejoice and commiserate with him as he faces the challenges of his life. This is not a simple story and it's one of 'those book's that doesn't end the way I want it to but it is beatiful. You gain a wonderful flavour of places, a good understanding of the music world and your heart beats with Michael's. There are some strange moments, but this author is very clever- he really gets into your mind.

35. Christina Jordis Bali Java in my dreams
Dull and not engaging I should like this considering my link to Indonesia but I must confess I have abandoned this half way. Will return to this when I finally persuade myself to pick it up again, as a dear relative bought it for me (and find the carrier bag it is in!). I will not be defeated!

36. Lorna Hill Masquerade at the Wells

I adored the first two books in the 'Sadler Wells school for ballet' series. My sister, who once upon a time wanted to be a ballet dancer (she was very good) was bought these. I had no idea there were more in the series. I found these (3 all in all) in the Barter Books secondhand shop in Alnwick quite by chance as I was hovering by the children's paperback classics whilst waiting for CBC to finish browsing. How could I resist the opportunity to hark back to my childhood, read books in a series that I had never read? (I am a little obsessive over reading ALL the books in a series or by an author if I love them. Enid Blyton hello, you are still amazing me!)

All these books follow a formula. Beware if you want a mystery or something less predictable, this might not happen for you. The books are rather lovely in that they are nearly all set in Northumberland at the beginning and places I know are featured. They follow the trials, dilemmas, delights and successes of young girls who have a gift and penchant for ballet and how they end up at Sadlers Wells ballet school. Familiar characters from the earlier books, Veronica Weston, Sebastian and others (depending on the book you read) all crop up, establishing her own world.

In this book, Jane and Mariella, cousins, are stuck with the opposite situations to what they want- Jane's mum loves horse-riding and her life is one long Gymkhana (which she detests) and Mariella's is ballet, ballet, ballet (her mum was a famous dancer). When they meet and spend time together, they learn from each other. It isn't until Jane comes to stay in London 2 years after their first meeting, now an accomplished dancer, that they conceive the daring idea of Jane taking Mariella's place in an audition for the Sadler's wells ballet school. Predictably, Jane gets in and then proves herself! A lovely nostalgic read!

One for girls who love dancing!

37. Lorna Hill Return to the Wells
Further on in the series, we meet Ella, who has spent some years at the Wells school. However, we also meet previous characters Mariella and others and it is all about them forming loves and relationships as well as Ella, meeting someone who loves her and her fight to come back from illness. Interestingly, a large section of this book is set in Switzerland with her convalescence time which has some interestingly far-fetched events! Again, a lovely, nostalic read.

38. Gillian Cross Facing the demon headmaster
More nostalgic reading. I love Gillian Cross. As a child, I read and reread The Demon Headmaster and The Primeminister's brain and LONGED for sequels. She obliged many years later in my adult life. This is the last one I hadn't read, purchased in Richard Booth books in Hay-on-Wye, last month. Dinah Hunter and SPLAT face another 'craze' where children are really getting into some trend or other (quite formulaic, but children love formulas in book writing! And I confess, me too!) . In this case, it's a club called Purple and a masked man called DJ Pardoman. Interestingly, it touches a little on Dinah Hunter's past before living with the Hunters, which made for an interesting read, and I wasn't sure where this one was going. We also saw the Headmaster being a vindictive and revengeful towards the children proving he does have SOME emotions! A great read!
39. Alexander McCall Smith Love over Scotland. (44 Scotland street series)
Oh if only you were 30 and not married, I would love you Mr McCall Smith. I LOVE his writing so much! The book touches upon the lives of regulars in his previous books- Pat, Matthew, Dominica, Stuart, Irene and Bertie Pollock, Big Mo, Angus and Cyril the dog (who gets his own misadventure) and introduces new regular, Antonia. Bertie has a wonderful adventure in Paris, Irene is mother is as toxic, insensitive and overbearing as ever and one-off criminal from the 2nd book, Lard O'Connor makes an interesting, amusing and somewhat foreboding appearance. I hate to tell you anything more about this as I want you to find out for yourself by reading it!!! Sheer brilliance. Can be read in one fell swoop or put down and picked up!

I learnt 2 new words in this book (saddo I am, who looks words up in the dictionary and writes them down to remember in future books and to use at a later date)

retrousse (adj): turned up at the tip (nose)
lambent (adj): (of flame or light) playing on a surface without burning it, with soft radiance, softly radiant, lightly brilliant. (love this meaning!!!!!)

This book didn't fail to disappoint and it had a new romance in it which I was hoping would happen. I love books which meet my expectations/wants!
40. Robert Mandelburg The Case of the Curious Campaign - a whodunit of many mini-mysteries.
This is sheer genius! If your child has issues with comprehension, I would say this is a great book for getting them to read for clues in the story to infer things. It is split into 16 mini chapters which have a little mystery for you the reader to fathom, turning detective (us wannabee Poirots! I guessed many of them right!) before the denouement in the final chapter unravelling the whole mystery! Fun and fab I think for children! Give it a go! I've recommended it to my headteacher for her children's bookclub!
41. Lorna Hill Ella at the Wells.
I loved this one- definitely a real Cinderella story. Another in the Sadlers wells series, which preceeds Return to the Wells. I love the real insight into a poorer but respectable household in vintage Nortumberland! Very exciting and I loved Mariella realising what a total meanie her cousin Nigel is!

I think I enjoyed this one most out of the Wells books. Definitely a Cinderella book! (and if you have read any of the books that I have read in past years- you will notice a certain propensity towards Cinderella stories!)
42. Piers Moore Ede Honey and Dust: Travels in Search of Sweetness
I bought this as my Grandfather is a bee-keeper and despite my not really liking honey, I am fascinated by the whole process. It was a wonderfully interesting read, plotting the exploits of this man after he had a horrific cycling accident and travelled round the world seeking wild honey and coming to terms with his new self. You gain a wonderful flavour of some very remote parts of the world, a fascinating insight into the production of honey and a very appealing author. Well worth reading despite it being non-fiction (not my usual liking).

Images are from www.amazon.co.uk thank you for them!