Back to reading ,after a bit of a Netflix obsession. Two choices were a result of watching Netflix this month. Books have always been part of my life,and if I don’t read ,I feel I am missing something vital.
The Newcomer by Fern Britton.
It’s springtime in the Cornish coastal village of Pendruggan, and a newcomer is causing quite a stir…
My review
When the Cornish village of Pendruggan farewells its popular vicar Simon and his wife Penny, they are anxious to find out who will be their new vicar. The newly ordained Reverend Angela Whitehorn is equally anxious. It is her first parish, and she wants to make a success of it. Accompanied by her husband Robert, a well-known political journalist, who is ready to play at house husband and her daughter Faith, it’s a challenge for all of them.
Angela wants to make her mark on the village by starting up new initiatives, such as a book club, women’s circle, and couch to 5k training. She ruffles the feathers of the local ‘Queen bee’, who resists all of Angela’s efforts. Then Angela starts to receive poison pen letters. Who can resent her that much?
Believable characters and the ending ties in with the beginning, which by then I had forgotten, so I was dismayed at the loss of a favourite character.
Nasty Astrology by Richard McDonald.
Exploring exactly what hidden demons lurk within other people’s psyches, Nasty Astrology reveals all the unspoken truths about people’s star signs.
Aren’t you bored with all the astrology books that tell you what a nice person everyone is? Don’t you know, deep down, that there are some very unpleasant aspects to all our characters? Wouldn’t you like to know the truth about the other signs? What makes them tick? What their dark little secrets are?
In this wonderfully nasty book you learn the truth about the personalities of your friends, lovers, boss, colleagues, and even the dark secrets about yourself. Lifting the lid on real astrology, you can know what everybody around you really thinks and feels, about their secrets and motivations, and how to push people’s buttons. With humour and wit, and no holds barred (no, really), Richard MacDonald, unveils saucy secrets, motivations and the unspeakable traits of the zodiac.
My Review.
The title says it all.
Virgin River by Robyn Carr.
A Netflix Original Series!
Welcome back to Virgin River with the book that started it all…
Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.
When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad, she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving—the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she’s made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.
My Review.
I first watched the series on Netflix and decided I’d like to read the book. They are not the same, many similarities , but some parts of the story are transposed or altered. I cant honestly decide which version I liked best.
Pastels for Absolute Beginners by Rebecca de Mendoza
Take your first steps with pastels and learn how to produce modern, lively and colourful artwork with this exciting medium.
Artist and teacher Rebecca de Mendonça offers the beginner a complete course in using pastels. Step-by-step exercises and longer projects help you to build essential skills and allow you to produce a range of pictures, including landscapes, still life, portraits and animals. Vital drawing skills are explained and demonstrated, along with an easy-to-follow guide to colour theory. A huge wealth of finished paintings provide ideas and inspiration for your own future pastel work.
My Review
In recent months I have found an escape in art. I have never used pastels before and wanted find out more. I find it relaxing although often frustrating. A good introduction that shows the versatility of pastels and demonstrates various techniques. What I particularly liked was the author showed a variety of subjects, including people and animals, and not just landscapes.
What Cats Want by Dr Yuki Hattori.
An illustrated guide for truly understanding your cat. From the top feline doctor in Japan comes a fun, practical, adorably illustrated “cat-to-human” translation guide to decoding your cat’s feelings.
When your cat’s tail is upright, she’s saying hello. If it’s quivering? She’s happy to see you. But if it swishes ominously from side to side across your living room floor? Beware-your cat is annoyed.
With nineteen bones and twelve muscles, cats’ tails have countless ways of expressing their emotions. What Cats Want is here to uncover the meaning behind every movement, and the motivation beneath every quirk. Did you know, for example, that adult cats love to reconnect with their inner kitten? Or that cats prefer multiple watering holes over just one? Our cats are sophisticated-no matter what any dog lover says-and What Cats Want has the answers to every question asked by cat owners young and old.
An invaluable new guide filled with creative tips and darling illustrations, What Cats Want provides a much-desired glimpse into the minds of our most mysterious pets.
My Review
Advice from a feline expert made it easy to understand and with delightful, funny and charming illustrations. A gem.
An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn.
Will she accept the offer before the clock strikes midnight?
Sophie Beckett never dreamed she’d be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball. Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, waltzing in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.
Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other— except, perhaps, this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid’s garb. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breath taking maid makes him weak with wanting her. If he offers her his heart, will he sacrifice his only chance for a fairy-tale love?
My review.
Book Three in the popular Bridgerton series, but you don’t need to have read any of the others. This is the story of the second Bridgerton brother, Benedict. There is a distinct Cinderella is feeling in Sophie Becket’s life. She is the unacknowledged illegitimate child of an Earl. Lived in his home as his ward and was educated with his stepdaughters. All that changes on the earl’s death when she is relegated to the role of servant to her vindictive stepmother and stepsisters. Her life of drudgery is unending, until the fateful night, she attends the masquerade ball in borrowed finery. She captivates Benedict and is equally attracted to him. Like Cinderella, she must leave at the stroke of midnight. Disappearing from Benedict’s sight and his life.
After a confrontation with her stepmother, Sophie is almost destitute and decides to leave London. Two years pass as she works as a maid. Occasional glimpses of Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers confirm that Benedict is still single. Sophie has never forgotten him. can it be that he hasn’t forgotten her? Ah, the course of true love and all that.
They meet again when he rescues her from three would-be despoilers. Benedict is attracted to her, but true to the era and his class, he suggests that Sophie become his mistress. This is something that she has vowed never to do, knowing too well the misery of being illegitimate.
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 