But I Smile Anyway…

So, September is upon us. A busy month for me, what with school starting back, and my birthday! Being back at school means that I tend to fall asleep a heck of a lot quicker than usual, as the physical and emotional exhaustion kicks in againk, after a relatively relaxing August, so I am conscious that there won’t be as many books completed this month, but you know me, I give it my best! I have done a preliminary read for two friends who asked for feedback, which was daunting, as I really don’t class myself as an expert, and I know how it feels to give your book baby to someone else, especially for that first time. Still, I attempted to be as constructive as I could, and that took me the most of the third of the month… so you see where I’m getting at with the whole I am tired think!

Still, here’s what I did read!

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There have been a few times where I have requested a book on Netgalley, after scanning the intro, not really knowing much about it, and this was definitely one of those books.

I’m not a sci-fi fan in general, with books or TV, but I am always open to trying new genres. I did the same with YA fiction, and realised that I quite enjoyed it! Still, back to the book.

April May is an Art graduate, looking for her niche in life. She happens upon a strange art installation in the middle of New York one night and is amazed that no one is paying much attention to this giant metallic Transformer-like statue that has just appeared. Wanting to make the world more appreciative of the effort that artists go to, to create, she, along with her friend Alex, film and upload a video of the statue to YouTube, christening the Huge ‘robot’ Carl.

They awake to a media frenzy surrounding their video and it emerges that there is not one Carl, but 63 others who appeared in major cities around the world at precisely the same time.

How did they get there? Who installed them? What are they?

So many questions.

April and her friends begin a whirlwind journey to trying to find out their origin, and purpose with some pretty devastating effects.

Is Carl an Alien? What is this Dream that everyone is suddenly having? Why does the President want to meet April?

More questions… see! But I’m not going to answer them. You need to read the book to find out!

This story really showed the power that Social Media has upon the world. A few tweets and videos and someone can become a household name with some real sway upon the followers they collect. Then there are the haters. There are always haters where there are fans, and working out how to deal with them can be a tough learning curve.

I took a little while to get into the swing of the story, but once I started, I have to say, I was hooked!

And the ending! OMG, the ending! Now I HAVE to know what happens next! Imagine that, Me, NEEDING to read a sci-fi book!

Yes. Definitely a recommendation!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas at Frozen Falls: A cosy, heart-warming romcom to curl up with by Kiley Dunbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The weather’s getting colder out there, and I sat with this book on my Kindle, snuggled up on the sofa all day today, and it wasn’t only my heart that was warmed, but the whole of me, as I read.

What a wonderfully upbeat, and truly smile-inducing tale, weaved by Kiley Dunbar!

Sylvie is suffering from the after-effects of a broken engagement, mere days before her wedding.
It’s been six months, now and her best friend, Nari, an intrepid traveller and travel blogger convinces her to take a trip with her over Christmas – a time when she was meant to be going on her honeymoon.

Memories from the past push her to accept a trip to Finnish Lapland, staying at the Frozen Falls resort.

Is it mere coincidence that the owner happens to be Sylvie’s old university love interest? And that his business partner may just have a ‘thing’ for singleton Nari?

I can’t explain how much I loved the story. Little personal connections, like the fact that the main character is a teacher, like me, to the location, in Finland, as I have family connections with that country, added to my enjoyment of a truly wonderful tale.

Well, I challenge you all to not read this and feel that you want to put your Christmas tree up, or better still, visit Lapland and find your own hunky Sumi hero trekking in the snow, whilst viewing the aurora, or Northern Lights!

Right, Kiley… I’m ready for another one of yours now!

The Christmas Holiday by Sophie Claire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second Christmas themed book I have read in September, perfect for curling up on the sofa with on the cooling evenings.
Two people still grieving for lost loved ones, find themselves in the little village of Willowbrook.
One grieving for a lost sister and a broken engagement and the other unable to forget the pain of losing his wife.
Evie and Jake were likeable characters, and even though you knew what would be the inevitable end, it was a comforting, easy read, which left you feeling warm inside.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday Mooney Wore Black by Kate Racculia

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Well, that was an interesting read!
I’m not usually one for picking up mystery/suspense filled reads, but the blurb for Tuesday Mooney Wore Black intrigued me.
I have to admit it took a little while to get into the story, but by the second half, I was in there, intrigued by the whole premise, and wanting to know what happened.
The book follows Tuesday Mooney, a researcher in Boston who gets caught up in a rather macabre game, set up by the late, and very rich Vincent Pryce. She and her friends begin to play and find themselves sucked deeper and deeper into a vortex of the unknown.
There are puzzles, murder, mysteries, and ghosts!
A fun read if you have the time to get into it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published 1st October

Postscript by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I always read a long-awaited sequel with a sense of trepidation… what if it’s not what I expected? What if things take a totally different turn to what happened to the story in my head? What if I don’t like it?
Well, I didn’t have to worry about that at all.
Postscript is a beautifully carved sequel to Cecelia Ahern’s debut novel, P.S. I Love You.
The original story touched the hearts of many and I have a feeling this one will too.
We meet the main character, Holly, seven years after her husband Gerry’s death and his series of letters, that helped her to deal with the loss of her husband in a way she had never expected.
Holly has moved on. She is working with her sister, seeing someone and considering selling her home.
After much pestering from her sister, Holly agrees to take part in a podcast, opening up about the letters Gerry sent her, and that one small podcast sets in motion, something much bigger than Holly.
Suddenly, she is in a position to help many others in similar situations to Gerry and her.
But does she want to relive the painful past? Will she be able to help any of the terminally ill folk who are looking to her for an answer?
What an(other) emotional rollercoaster of a ride, this book was! I laughed, I cried. I felt the emotions of a woman still grieving, but trying to get on with her life, as it is now.
This book is about loss, yes, but it is more about celebrating what we have now, and how our memories can be preserved to give our loved ones solace during that grieving period.
A fantastic read. Recommend? 100% yes!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fantastic book which I would have devoured much faster had I not been in the throes of the beginning of the school year tiredness!
Jojo Moyes has created a story about a group of women who are all very different, yet grow to have an extremely close bond, brought together by the WPA Packhouse libraries. Set in depression-era America, we learn the strength of five women who are not afraid to fight for their rights and go against the menfolk holding them back.
It was an emotional read, especially the last half, as I became more invested in the characters, their own personal stories, and what would happen to them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published 3rd October

The Trunk of Stars by Susie Dinneen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cairo Mulch is a young girl who has been brought up in a life of pickpocketing and crime. All she has of her own is a trunk which she was found in as a baby, and that trunk accompanies her everywhere as she travels with her ‘family’, The Mulches.
Unbeknown to her, that trunk, and her own background are of immense interest to a few people out there, who are searching for lost Egyptian treasure, seven Scarabs that were stolen at the time her own real parents went missing, presumed dead after their ship sunk.
The Trunk of Stars follows the story of Cairo, finding out about herself, and her long lost parents, and helping to solve a mystery.
We really enjoyed reading this book, and all the colourful characters we were introduced to Cairo, Lungo, Astrid, Felix, Higgs, and the horrific Gran!
A great read for children, and those child-like adults amongst us too!
Here’s to reading book 2!

My Husband’s Wife by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you, Amanda Prowse… you have done it again!
I have been working my way through Amanda’s back catalogue, as I am a huge fan of her more recent books, and hadn’t read some of her earlier books, and as always, I was captivated by the story. In fact, I devoured it in a few hours.
Amanda has a way of portraying situations that any one of us could be living through at any given time and placing the reader right at the heart.
This time we meet Rosie, who is a content wife and mother of two beautiful, boisterous girls. Sure, after twelve years of marriage, and two pregnancies, she might not look as svelte as she once did, but she was happy, her and Phil.
They had everything they needed: a family, a roof over their heads and each other.
Or so she thought.
Crushed when Phil decides this life isn’t for him, Rosie is left with her two girls and an empty space where her husband used to reside.
She copes until even the girls are no longer by her side.
Oh, how I want to go on and on about the nuances of the story, and all that poor Rosie has to endure, and oh, that other woman… (I wanted to go and slap her on Rosie’s behalf!) but I shan’t as it would be an injustice to anyone who is yet to read this book. Only know it is not just about loss, but the strength of a woman, too.
And if you haven’t, you most definitely should!
Definitely a five-star book!

Hello Love by Karen McQuestion

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Aw!!!
Who doesn’t love a romantic story complete with a gorgeous dog in it?
Dan is a widower who is getting over losing his wife, with his daughter Lindsay grieving for her mother.
Anni, their dog is one element of their life that keeps things on an even keel.
Andrea’s a recently divorced woman, who isn’t sure of the path of her future, since her separation.
The sudden disappearance of Anni causes shock and upset within Dan and Lindsay’s life.
Meanwhile, a complaint about a barking dog in one of her boss’s flats leads Andrea to the dramatic rescue of a traumatised pup.
A missing dog. A rescued dog.
A coincidence?
You’ll need to read the book to find out exactly what happens, but I really enjoyed the story and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this lovely tale (tail).

Well, that’s it for September, and looking back, I don’t think I did too badly for the first month of term! Let me know what you read last month!