Category: Books

Being Watched – My Story Extract

It has been a while since I shared a snippet from one of my books. So today I thought I would share a small segment of my YA novel, which I didn’t really have chance to properly promote when it came out.

Check out this little extract and maybe you will be tempted to read the kindle version of my dramatic book about two teenagers who come across a weird and mysterious house. After coming across it by mistake, it feels to them as if they are constantly being watched.

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“I just can’t get my head around this,” I murmured to her quietly.

“The dead bird, you mean?” she said, whilst sliding a screenshot beneath my nose of a lifeless black bird hanging out of the mouth of her cat, Scruffy. “Or you mean the house things?”

“Well yeah, all of that… but also him! And him!” I said nudging her eyes towards first the teacher and then the boy sat by Martha, subtly caressing her neck while Mr Long tried to read the difficult surnames of an unfamiliar group of teenagers.

“You have to excuse me if I mispronounce anyone’s name,” he said with genuine discomfort. “Miss Hind is off today due to personal reasons.”

That was weird because Miss Hind was never off work. She was always the picture of health, wide eyed and on top of her workload.

“Is that something to do with her boyfriend, the postman?” came a call from a clearly recovered Scott.

“That is none of your business. Wind your neck in,” said the slightly old fashioned yet highly respected history teacher. Well highly respected by everyone apart from us, mainly due to the fact that we knew his dirty little secret. He seemed to chew his pen in between calling names and as he jumped to defend Miss Hind’s dignity he bit a piece off the end of it with a loud snapping sound.

I wondered for a moment what had happened to the postman, but was going to be filled in later by my mum. For now, I just kept thinking about the house, the shady cleaner, the blackbird and of course, Martha. She was clearly besotted with this guy and he was cheating on her. Even though I wanted her to suffer a little, there was no rationale behind it and in truth she didn’t deserve it as she had done nothing wrong. All she had done was fail to find me attractive and ask me out. Let’s face it, there was no way on Earth that I would have ever asked her out first. I repented for my earlier harshness and decided that I should look into this a little more using my number one spy, Max. I would have to catch up with him in maths and see what he thought. Maybe he could have a chat with the guy and even let on that he knew about it all. Or was that a bit too risky? Another option was to suss him out a bit and work out what his intentions were.

 

Being Watched is available in Kindle at most book selling sites and in paperback.

Read, Watch and Listen (September)

Every month I love to share some recommendations of a book, TV show and podcast that have kept me entertained. If you are anything like me, you will always be on the lookout for some well made programmes, dramatic novels and fascinating podcasts or fresh new music.

Read ‘Family of Liars’ by E Lockhart

I really enjoyed ‘We Were Liars’, the bestselling book about families that return each year to a small island for family summer gatherings. So as soon as I came across ‘Family of Liars’ which was written as a prequel to this, I knew I would enjoy the storytelling immensely.

This YA book is reflecting on a past summer, when a sad loss hung over the family who were trying to get back to that family holiday magic.

Well written in short chapters, this tale of teenagers growing up and enduring anxiety, enlightenment and love, is keeping me totally entertained.

Watch ‘Platonic’ on Apple TV Plus

As a fan of Rose Byrne, I was excited to see that she has reunited with Bad Neighbours co-star Seth Rogan to make this fresh comedy series.

Sylvia (Rose Byrne), a modern mother and out of practise lawyer, comes across her old friend Will (Seth Rogen) and starts to remember their fun times. Dragging her out for late nights, their friendship is back on track, somewhat at the expense of other relationships.

This comedy is funny and easy to follow. I love the chemistry between these two and Rose’s husband is also great fun to watch.

Listen to ‘That Gaby Roslin Podcast’

Gaby Roslin used to present a fantastic TV show in the 90s, called ‘The Big Breakfast.’ These days she hosts radio shows and presents the BBC Morning Live programme. Her presenting style has always been a combination of clever and witty.

I often listen to her podcast as she has brilliant guests who are always willing to open up to her. A previous highlight was her Kate Winslet chat and recently she has interviewed Harriet Walter. Harriet shone a light on her hilarious and dramatic contributions to Ted Lasso and Succession.

In Harriet’s episode she talks about her experiences in theatre and the fun she had hanging out with Hannah Waddingham. She laughs about her three children in Succession and remembers fondly meeting her idol.

Final Thoughts

Going back to work four weeks ago has meant I have been very busy after a lovely, relaxed six week summer holiday. Work stress is already massive and so any opportunity to escape into a book, take in a dramatic TV series or soak in the bath while listening to a podcast is welcome.

Make sure you check out one of my recommendations above and let me know what you think about them.

Talking of returning to work, check out my Back to school poem and maybe follow my blog for similar future updates.

Can Reading Be Passive?

Being an avid reader, I spend a lot of time thinking about books. Not only do I daydream about them but I also chat about them lots. Luckily many of my friends and colleagues are almost as obsessed with literature as I am.

My work mates are always recommending or slating books. Word of mouth is so valuable and I can see how authors benefit from people telling their friends about the novels that left a mark on them.

Whatever reading is, it definitely isn’t passive. Books are immersive experiences and it would be difficult to pick up a well written story without getting absorbed into the narrative.

Here are my three reasons why I believe that reading is an active sport.

1) Sucked In

When I read a good book, I soon become immersed in the pages. My mind wonders to the locations that are described and I lose touch with my surroundings. Not only that, but I usually lose track of time as well.

Getting sucked into the narrative is a complement to any writer. It shows that they are entertaining, intriguing and weaving a tale that distracts the reader from the monotony of their daily lives.

2) Talking Points

When people read novels and short stories that they like, they tend to want to talk about them. My friends often come in and excitedly proclaim how amazing their latest read is.

Enthusiasm is infectious. If I see someone being excited by a good book, I know that I have to read that book and fond out why it is so special.

3) Investments

If you were passively reading a book then you would not begin to empathise with the characters. This is hard to do. I certainly become invested in Joanne Harris and Liane Moriarty books and love when sequels come out.

When you are invested in storybook worlds, you cannot help but care about the main characters and want to discover what happened next in their fabricated lives.

Final Thoughts

If you love books as much as I do (and let’s face it – books are a multibillion dollar industry these days) then you will identify with the reasons I gave above.

It is impossible to passively read books because they are thought-provoking and, when written well, immerse you in their fictional landscapes, making you want to love or hate their characters.

Have you ever been sucked into a good book?

Has a character ever enraged you?

Do you think that reading can be passive?

Check out a recent review I wrote about Truly Madly Guilty by Liana Moriarty. Please also follow my blog for more book, TV and film reviews as well as climate change articles.