Summer Reading 2013

This summer I'm hoping to read:

• The Wish List by Jane Costello
• The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon
• Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher
• Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop
• and I'm finally going to read Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

What is on your summer reading list?

Sunlounger: Beach Reads & Cocktails

The Sunlounger anthology, packed with short stories from exotic locations, is finally available on Amazon. The website has been running for a few weeks, teasing us with the stories to come. The website is crammed with information about the stories and their authors and one question in the author section caught my eye; favourite cocktails.

What goes better with a good book on the beach?

A lot of the authors seem to be fans of mojitos so I thought I'd post the recipe before sharing my own favourite cocktail.

Classic Mojito

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 limes, cut into wedges
• 20 fresh mint leaves (plus extra to garnish)
• 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar (or to taste)
• handful of ice
• 65ml white rum
• soda water to taste

 
 

• Place the limes, mint leaves and sugar into a tall glass and mash
• Add the ice
• Pour in the rum
• Add soda water to taste and stir well before adding the mint leaf garnish

And now for my own favourite cocktail, which is a good old fashioned Sex On The Beach. Not only is it colourful, it's also deliciously fruity.

Ingredients:

• 1 shot of vodka
• 1 shot of peach schnapps
• 200ml orange juice
• 2 shots grenadine
• ice

 

• Place the vodka, peach schnapps and orange juice in a cocktail shake and shake like mad
• Pour into a glass and add ice
• Add the grenadine plus a bendy straw and an umbrella

What's your favourite cocktail?

In June...

... I read:

• The Accidental Husband by Jane Green
• The Back Road by Rachel Abbott
• Save The Date by Allie Spencer
• Pilgrim Soul by Gordon Ferris
• Lover At Last by J R Ward
• Marshmallows For Breakfast by Dorothy Koomson
• The Story of Before by Susan Stairs
• Home Front Girls by Rosie Goodwin
• A Stitch In Time by Amanda James

... had guest posts from Shelley Hickman, Debbie Howells, Ellie Campbell and Elle Field

... took part in Kathleen MacMahon's This Is How It Ends Blog Tour

... received 2 awards

... made a blog-inspired bookmark

... compiled a top ten karaoke songs list

... called out for guest posters

... and chose my Cover Star and Book of the Month



Book of the Month - June

I've read some fantastic books since starting this blog and I'd like to give some of them a bit more recognition. So I've decided to add a new feature to the blog and give a special mention to one outstanding book each month. Feel free to add your thoughts of the chosen book in the comments below or even recommend an outstanding book of your own.

June

 

Jane Green's The Accidental Husband is a powerful story about two women connected by an earth-shattering secret.

Maggie and Sylvie are perfect strangers: two very different women, living very different lives on opposite coasts. But they share more in common than they could ever imagine.

Both women have beautiful children on the verge of flying the nest, the home they worked hard to build and always longed for, and a handsome and devoted husband they can't believe belongs to them. Both women think their lives are seamlessly secure, but they couldn't be more wrong . . .

For each is about to discover a secret that will shake their world to the very core, throwing into doubt everything they ever thought they knew, and bringing Maggie and Sylvie together in the most unexpected way.

 

 

It's been difficult to pick a Book of the Month for June as I've read some fantastic books and it was a toss up between The Accidental Husband by Jane Green and The Road Back by Rachel Abbott. The books are very different but they've been battling in my mind to become Book of the Month since I read them early on in June. But, after a LOT of thinking, I decided to fly the flag for chick lit and picked The Accidental Husband, which I thought was a fantastic read. I was hooked from the very beginning, desperate to see how the women would react when the big secret was revealed.

 

You can see my review of The Accidental Husband here and my review of The Back Road is over on Novelicious here

 

Click here to see all 'Books Of The Month'.



The Accidental Husband by Jane Green

 

 

Sylvie never thought she'd fall in love again after the death of her husband, leaving her to raise their young daughter on her own. But then she meets Mark who offers Sylvie love, passion and security as well as being a wonderful father to Eve. Sylvie and Mark don't have a conventional marriage, with Mark working away from home for large chunks of time but the marriage has worked for them until now. Until recently, Sylvie had been happy for Mark to work away, leaving her and Eve to spend time together but she's started to want him around more.

 

Maggie has what she always wanted; handsome, successful husband, happy children and a beautiful home to be proud of. Maggie enjoys her luxurious lifestyle, hosting lunches and jetting off on holidays but her lavish lifestyle is about to come crashing down around her.

 

Sylvie and Maggie don't seem to have anything in common but they are about to be bound together by a shocking secret.

 

It's been a long time since I've read a new Jane Green book but I'm glad I read this one as I thought it was a fantastic read that had me hooked. I didn't want to put the book down, especially at the beginning as I awaited the big reveal of the secret. It's quite clear what the secret is going to be but I was looking forward to seeing it unfold and the fallout that would ensue. My only criticism of the book would actually be at the beginning too because we only get to know Sylvie, Mark and Eve in the first part (approximately 150 pages). I can see why it was written this way as the first part is building towards the big reveal but, as it was obvious what the secret is, I didn't think it was necessary to keep Maggie held back for so long. Because of this, it took me a while to feel connected to Maggie whereas I felt the connection to Sylvie straight away.

 

I liked how the fallout was handled, with everybody coping in their own ways and while there wasn't anywhere near a fairytale ending, it was believable and, in some cases, heart wrenching.

 

The Accidental Husband is full of family drama, friendship and heartache. The women in the book are all different but are strong in their own ways and I loved it.

 

 

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy to review.

Two Awards!

Back in May I was nominated for two Liebster awards from Sylvia Ney and Sidonie Helena and have finally gotten round to responding (it's been a hectic time, blog-wise. Sorry).

Liebster Award Rules

1. List 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you.

3. Ask 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.

4. Choose up to 11 up and coming blogs to nominate.

5. Go to each blogger’s page and let them know about the award.

6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

 

As I've been awarded two awards, I'm going to combine them and only post one set of 11 facts (I'm not interesting enough to have 22) and I'll answer half(ish) of the questions from each of my nominees.

So here goes.

My eleven facts:

1. I'm embarrassingly thick when it comes to geography. I only found out this year that Transylvania is an actual place and not just made up for vampire stories. Seriously.
2. I've never seen the film Mary Poppins all the way through. But I have seen the musical on Broadway. 
3. I've also seen Billy Elliot on the West End. But I have seen the film all the way through. Many, many times.
4. My favourite colours are pink, pink and more pink.
5. I don't like cheese unless it's been melted in or on something.
6. *whispers* I have never read the Bridget Jones books.
7. The first film I watched at the cinema was The Little Mermaid.
8. The last film I watched at the cinema was Identity Thief.
9. I'm the youngest of 5. I have a sister and three brothers.
10. I've been stung by a wasp once. I was about 11 or 12 and was innocently waiting outside the library for it to open when it jabbed me.
11. I can't stand coffee. The smell alone makes me feel sick. 

 

Questions from Sylvia:

What do you hope to have accomplished five years from today?
I'd love to be a published writer.

What is the best trip or family vacation you have ever taken?
We went to New York for Christmas 2011 and it was amazing. I've always wanted to go, especially at Christmas (thanks to Home Alone 2) and would love to go again.

Name one children’s book that you think all adults ought to read and take to heart.

The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann

What fairy tale character do you identify with the most?

Sleeping Beauty. But only because I love to sleep.

What do you think is one of the worst movies or TV shows ever made?

All the TOWIE type programs

If you had a super power what would it be?

I'd love to be able to pause time. Think of everything you could get done in a day!


Questions from Sidonie

What was your least favorite subject in school?

I'd have to say languages. We learned French and Spanish at school but I really struggled with them.

Do you prefer talking over the phone or face to face?

Face to face. I hate using the phone, even though I was a receptionist in my younger days.

Where did you grow up?

Oldham, Greater Manchester. I've always lived within the same general area.

If you could live anywhere on earth, where would you live?

New York. Although I'm sure I'd miss home.Your favorite film is...?

You've Got Mail.

Apple or PC?

PC. Apple is too confusing with its different kinds of clicking.


And now my questions:

1. Who is your favourite author?
2. And your favourite book?
3. When and why did you start your blog?
4. If you could live in any time period, what would it be?
5. What is your favourite thing about summer?
6. And your least favourite thing about summer?
7. Tea, coffee or none?
8. What is your favourite song?
9. What are your current favourite tv shows?
10. Do you have a party trick?
11. If you could have one wish, what would it be?

And finally, I nominate the following blogs:

Shaz's Book Blog 
The London Diaries 
I heart Books
Georgina Troy 
Reading In The Sunshine 
Miss Bookworm Reviews
Jersey Girl Book Reviews
Victoria Loves Books

PS Please ignore any formatting issues within this post. It's been a bloody nightmare and I wash my hands of it.

Save The Date! by Allie Spencer

 

 

When Ailsa receives an invitation to her cousin's wedding, she isn't sure she wants to go. Even if it would mean an all expenses paid trip to Tuscany for a week. Ailsa's family are all a bit bonkers and there is the added trouble of the ten year rift between Ailsa's mum and her auntie Sheila, the mother of the bride.

 

But bride to be Jess convinces Ailsa to go to the wedding and so she flies over to Italy. While there, the last person Ailsa expects to run into is Nick, the man she split up with three months earlier and is still trying to get over so she is shocked to see him checking into the hotel.

 

Bickering with Nick is not the way Ailsa thought she would spend her luxurious week away. Nor did she expect to adopt a stray dog or become a referee between the bride and groom.

 

Save The Date! is a fun, summer read taking place in a beautiful setting that made me want to pack my suitcase and jet off to Tuscany. Jess starts off as a bit of a spoilt princess with an expensive, over the top wedding but we soon get to know her more and she really grew on me and I ended up thinking she was quite sweet, if a little ditzy at times.

 

There are loads of amusing moments in the book, most of which come courtesy of Arthur, a little stray dog who takes a shine to Ailsa. For me, Arthur completely stole the show. I thought he was an adorable character packed with personality.

 

As a main character, I really liked Ailsa. She came across as warm and witty and while she finds herself in the centre of many dramas throughout the book, I felt the drama wound itself around her rather than Ailsa actively seeking it out, which I liked.

 

 

Thank you to Arrow for sending me a copy to review.