Category: Publishing

Review: Sara Cox’s Thrown – A Dramatic Hit?

I have always liked Sara Cox and remember seeing her present the Big Breakfast as well as the Radio One Breakfast Show back in the early 2000s. She made me smile when she hosted ‘The Great Pottery Throwdown’ and I especially enjoy her TV panel show about books – ‘Between The Covers’ – on BBC 2. So it was obvious that I would want to try out her autobiography and now this new work of fiction. Make up your own mind about her book but here is my Sara Cox’s ‘Thrown’ review.

I was lucky enough to bump into Sara Cox at the Eurostar terminal in Amsterdam in the summer and she had a book tucked into her pocket. We spoke about her TV show and she mentioned that she actually read each book that would be discussed in the upcoming series. She was absolutely wonderful to chat with and I later discovered that she had a debut novel – which is what I reviewed in this post.

I am excited to have offer this book for review.

What’s It All About?

Four women join a new pottery class at their local community centre, not knowing just how important that group would be for them. Becky hopes that the class will breathe a new breath of fresh air into the venue which had been struggling to find users.

She had an ex-boyfriend in prison who was soon to be released and her son was about to go abroad and work as a club rep. Meanwhile, Sheila was getting used to her son having flown the nest and her husband being unwilling to consider retirement in sunny Spain.

Jameela was a successful lawyer whose inability to get pregnant had forced a wedge between her and her husband while Louise was longing to work in a more creative career.

The pottery teacher was handsome and intriguing with a skilful way of bringing the potters together. Each chapter was told from a different character’s viewpoint and the storyline was cleverly entwined.

In A Nutshell

The book was cleverly written and I could feel the northern aspect of the setting. Sara worked hard to give nuggets of information as the book went on. Her narrative was moving, amusing and relatable. The pottery references were interesting and the use of humour was great.

I would totally recommend picking up a copy of this very warm and inviting book. As a book review writer, I really have enjoyed both reading and reviewing this new novel.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you will consider commenting and following my blog for future similar content. Meanwhile, here is a review of Joanne Harris’ fantastic novel, Blackberry Wine.

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If you have Kindle Unlimited, perhaps you would like to check out my original short stories. I would appreciate some reads to celebrate the fourth birthday of my book Short Dates. Thank you so much for checking out my bookish blog,

Blackberry Wine – Book Review

As a fan of contemporary literature, I love a good story. Over the years I have developed a taste for narratives that are complex, well told and written in short chapters. This week I want to share a book which has all of these elements and many more.

BlackBerry Wine – Delicious and Tempting

This story is about Jay Mackintosh and is partly told through the lens of a bottle of long-brewed wine which he holds dear to him. His ‘specials’ (the wine bottles) remind him of his childhood stays at his grandparents’ where he explored the northern landscapes and befriended an old man who was filled with tall tales and gardening tips. He also made homemade blackberry wine.

Now, Jay has decided to follow his dream and move to a quaint village in France -Lansquenet- where he bought a run-down farm house and began writing another book. His big selling novel was several years earlier and he hadn’t been able to replicate that book for lack of ideas.

In Lansquenet (also a setting for the Chocolat novels) he finds a split family with a mysterious rift. He also makes friends with the initially suspicious locals. When an ex arrives from England to mix things up, Jay has a wake up call that changes his outlook on things.

Haunted by memories of the intriguing old man, Joe, he finds himself torn between memories, hopes and emotional awakening.

In A Nutshell

As always, Joanne has written a narrative which is fascinating, warm and full of twists and turns. It is not a thriller but sits well as a strong drama. The story is carefully written, with elements which seem unrelated but then become clearly woven together in a satisfying way.

Final Thoughts

Check out Blackberry Wine and see for yourself. Even though it was published in 2000 it is still highly relevant, really entertaining and well worth reading with a coffee on a rainy day (I say this as rain is going to soon be the most common type of weather in the UK – thanks climate change). Please comment your own thoughts on this book and share if possible.

To learn more about Joanne Harris’ books, visit her author website.

For another of my book review posts, check out my thoughts on Three Wishes by Australian author Liane Moriarty.

If you have Kindle Unlimited, perhaps you would like to check out my original short stories. I would appreciate some reads to celebrate the fourth birthday of my book Short Dates. Thank you so much for checking out my bookish blog,

Being Watched – My Little Book (Snippet)

Today I wanted to share another extract from my new YA mystery book – ‘Being Watched’ which is available in Kindle and Paperback at all the usual places. I hope that it grabs your interest.

Here goes…

It was getting close to twilight when I called out to mum.

“I’m off to hang out with Max.”

“Alright, remember your key,” she yelled back as I undid the door that linked the garage to the kitchen.

 

I had picked up some crisps and other vital supplies on my way down and squeezed a bottle of lemonade into my rucksack before picking up my bike. I took a deep breath and was just about to leave when my phone started ringing. It was Max.

“Sorry man, I can’t make it,” he said with a frog in his throat. “You know how much I wanna be there. My throat has flared up and I have just been sick.”

“Oh man. That sucks,” I said shrugging my shoulders.

“Can we do it tomorrow instead?” he said with a genuine sound of someone who was not well.

“Don’t worry. We got this,” I said, putting the phone down and opening the garage up. I wheeled my bike out, clicked off the light and pulled the door down behind me. Taking a deep breath, I switched on my lights and took off.

 

My first stop would be the local shop. I needed to see if they had any garlic, just in case it was a vampire. Ok this was a long shot, but you have to be prepared for everything right? As I zoomed through the aisles, I soon set eyes on a clove of garlic and chucked it into my basket. Nearby they sold kitchen knives so I thought I may as well get one of those too. It would take the place of a stake just in case I needed to stick whatever was in there in its chest.

 

Maybe I was getting too carried away and this was starting to be me acting out my favourite movies a little, but I knew Siobhan would be pleased that I had taken precautions. To my surprise, when I got to the checkout, the cashier asked me for ID as she said I could only buy a knife if I had proof of age. Of course, that was one thing I had forgot to bring with me so I gave her the knife back and paid for the garlic. I also grabbed some cheap chocolate buttons to add to my supplies. I knew Siobhan had a soft spot for them and we might both need some instant energy during our mission. Especially if things got really scary.

 

I threw that idea to the back of my thoughts and got back on my bike. I didn’t want to be late and leaver her waiting for me at the top of that hill. My feet ached a little as I had done some cricket practise earlier. Every time I turned the pedals they reminded me that I had fallen over trying to catch a long ball. Eventually I neared the top of the road and could see her stood next to her bike, earphones on, staring at her phone. She waved when she caught a glimpse of me.

“Hey, what took you so long?” she jested, knowing full well that we were both early.

“What you listening to?” I asked as I got off my bike and sidled up with her.

“Shawn Mendes. What else?” she replied, as if to say it was obvious.

“You know Max can’t make it? He came over sick.”

“That guy is sick. For sure,” she laughed, not really meaning it in a bad way, but equally not referring to him being cool either.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked, nervously.