The boy in her dreams by Laekan Zea Kemp

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Synopsis

When Roman wakes from a six month coma, the first thing he sees is the girl of his dreams. Except Bryn isn’t confined to the dream-state anymore and neither is he. He’s awake and alive and as the memories of how he and Bryn fell in love come rushing back, so do the memories of why he’s lying in that hospital bed in the first place.
Plagued by guilt, Roman makes a decision that alters both their fates and as Bryn fights for her life in a German hospital, Roman must fight for her forgiveness before it’s too late. Because Roman and Bryn weren’t the only things to wake out of Bryn’s dreams. The shadows seem to be hunting them both and a strange side effect of Roman’s miraculous recovery may be the only means of stopping them. That is, if he can reach Bryn before she slips too deeply into the very dreams that seem to be imposing more and more on their waking lives every day.

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My thoughts

In this sequel to The Girl in Between, we learn more about Bryn and the reason for her dreams and who the boy (Roman) is and where he belongs in her life.

Again this is well written with the characters developing as their story unfolds, new characters are introduced and again these are well written and believable. I cannot recommend this series enough as you will find yourself on a roller-coaster of emotions as the characters continue their journey, friends and family come and go, die and just simply disappear from the timeline as Bryn finds out what her powers are for and what she can achieve with them.

I usually only read the first book in a series if it is only available as a download, but this series is so gripp9ing and enjoyable that I will be buying the third and final part soon.

I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads

Posted in Magical Realsim, Review, Romance, YA | Tagged | Leave a comment

My Favourite Authors

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Every book lover has a favourite author or 10, I love to see who other readers love and why, this gives me the incentive to go out and read books by those authors, books that I might never have picked up without this kind of recommendation.

So here, in no particular order are my top 8 (I could not get 10, though I am sure that this will change soon)

Sir Terry Pratchett

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I was devastated like most fans when he passed away last year, but he has left us a legacy of wonderful stories and characters, Currently I have only read the Discworld series of books, but there are so many others that he wrote, by himself or with other authors, so I will be able to continue my journey with him for some time.

I discovered the Discworld series when I was in drama school and my then boyfriend was a fan, he had many of the books and soon I started collecting them from a second hand book shop in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, I love the way the Discworld is a mirror of our own with recognisable events and people, and every time you read one of the books again, you would discover something new.

 

Tess Gerritsen

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I am a huge fan of crime fiction, so you can expect a lot of reviews from this genre of books, Tessa Gerritsen was recommended by a friend at work a few years ago and lent me a few of her books. I really enjoy her style of writing and that the main characters are generally strong women, always a good amount of plot twists, and my favourite book is The Bone Garden, which is set both in the past and the present.

 

Terry Goodkind

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Another fantasy writer, Goodkind created the Sword of Truth series, and something about the characters in the first book Wizard’s First Rule, drew me in, I believed in them, the stories of Richard and Khalan really spoke to me and I felt their love, their pain and their loss in my heart, throughout the series, there are now more books in the series I have yet to read and hope to get them fairly soon. First I thought I identified with Khalan because she was alone and had green eyes and brown hair like I do, but both of my brothers have also read and loved the series.

Deborah Harkness

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Currently the only fiction books by this author have been the All Souls trilogy which began with A Discovery of Witches, I saw this book in my local Tesco and was drawn to the title and cover and bought it immediately. As I bought this not long after the release I had to wait ages for the 2nd and 3rd books, all the books were engaging and the story well told, although I felt the first book was the strongest of the three. Harkness has written a non-fiction book, but with her storytelling capabilities, I hope it isn’t too long before she writes another fictional book as good as this trilogy.

 

Peter James

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Creator of the Roy Grace series, I love all his books, but I am particularly drawn to his more supernatural offerings. Always set around the Brighton area, the twists and turns in both the Grace series and his stand alone horror tales are always gripping and sometimes frightening. I picked up the first book I read cheaply in a supermarket and loved it.

Michelle Morgan

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Myself (holding the book), with author Michelle Morgan at the launch for Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed

The only true non-fiction author on this list, Michelle specialises in biographies about actors, and has written books on Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Thelma Todd and her book on Carole Lombard is due out later this year. Michelle deals only in facts and does not proliferate tabloid gossip and unsubstantiated scandals, if the evidence points to an event she will write about it, if there is no evidence she may mention it in order to debunk it and provide evidence to the contrary, her writing style improves with every volume and I really look forward to any news pertaining to new works.

I discovered Michelle when I became a member of the Marilyn Monroe fan club that she set up and ran, The Marilyn Lives Society, and I am proud to consider her a friend, and in fact a photograph I took of Marilyn’s piano when it was auctioned in 1999 appears in the hardback edition of the highly acclaimed book – Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed. If you like your biographies full of well researched information and facts Michelle is the author for you, if you like scandal and gossip go read Irvine Schulman or Kenneth Anger – but stay out of my way!!

Michael Connelly

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Creator of the great Harry Bosch series, again another crime writer I love, if you like your books riddled with dark twists and turns, set in Los Angeles Connelly is for you, I love these stories and her describes Los Angeles perfectly, so if you see a picture of a location and then read a book in which it is mentioned, that picture is there in your head, wonderful stories and beautifully developed character.

Thomas Hardy

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He may seem out of place on this list of modern authors, but I have loved his work for a very long time and The Mayor of Casterbridge is still my favourite book of all time, a tale pf betrayal, regret, love, redemption and death, powerful stuff and I am currently reading some of his poems and a biography of him.

 

So those are my 8 favourite authors, these are people whose books I will buy without reading the blurb on the back or any reviews, for good or bad, I will always read these authors.

Why don’t you let me know who your favourite authors are and why I should add them to my list in the comments below

 

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5 Lesbians eating a Quiche by Evan Lander and Andrew Hopgood

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

 

Synopsis

It’s 1956 and the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. Will they be able to keep their cool when Communists threaten their idyllic town?

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My thoughts

This is a very short play and would work well in a studio environment or as part of compilation of short plays.

The characters while having some funny moments, have no real background and there is very little development.

I do like the audience participation that is included as part of the plot and it is because of this that I think it would work better in a small studio than on a big stage.

As it is a play it is very hard to judge the overall comedy impact by simply reading it cold, however, in parts, just reading the dialogue made me laugh out loud.

I would really like to see this performed as I think it would be a lot more funny. I would go and see this if a company near me was doing it.

I gave this 3 out of 5* on Goodreads

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Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Synopsis

I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado – taking you with it – you have no choice but to go along, you know?
Sure, I’ve read the books. I’ve seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can’t be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There’s still a yellow brick road – but even that’s crumbling.
What happened? Dorothy.
They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.
My name is Amy Gumm – and I’m the other girl from Kansas.
I’ve been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I’ve been trained to fight.
And I have a mission.

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My thoughts

When I started this book, I really didn’t want to like it. I didn’t like the idea of the stories I loved growing up (including the MGM film), being twisted inside out, but as the story unfolded, Danielle Paige’s clever retelling had me enthralled, her writing is excellent, and I quickly parked the idea in my head that my ideals of Oz (Judy Garland in the movie version) would not be ruined by this work.

In fact I loved it. Amy Gumm, (I see what you did there Danielle) is a well defined character, a normal teenager, with normal and no so normal teenage problems.

The characters she meets along the yellow brick road are beautifully written and fit in well with Baum’s legacy. I loved the winged monkeys in the book, tired of being controlled by successive witches clip their wings so they can be free.

And the story goes on to prove that sometimes ‘No place like home’ is wrong and that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

But even though Dorothy is now the villain, I still can’t hate her, instead I feel sorry for her, the powers of Oz are not meant to be used by humans.

A less talented writer would have not been able to turn Glinda and Dorothy bad, and make this an enjoyable retelling of the classic Oz stories

 

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Dying to get Published by Judy Fitzwater

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Synopsis

Jennifer Marsh is a mystery writer with a stack of eight unpublished manuscripts and rejection letters to match filling her closet. She’s sure that if she can just get famous for something, someone will have to publish her books. Why not murder?
She’ll find a target so mean that she’d actually be doing the world a favour by bumping him or her off. And she knows just the person:
Penney Richmond, a high-powered literary agent who’s made it her job to ruin people’s lives. All Jennifer has to do is frame herself, do the deed, and come out with an iron-clad alibi, and she’ll be well on her way to getting a three book deal. So what if she chickens out at the last minute? A vegetarian good girl who rescued a greyhound could never actually kill someone. But when Penney is found murdered and the police think Jennifer did it, she’d better find the real murderer before she goes away… for life.
Along with her eccentric writer’s group, spunky old ladies with a nose for sleuthing, her neurotic greyhound, and a sexy, sarcastic reporter named Sam, Jennifer embarks on a journey filled with danger, deception, and disguises that could leave her Dying to Get Published…

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My thoughts

This was another free Kindle download.

At first I didn’t think I was  going to enjoy this at all. At firs the main character, Jennifer Marsh seemed so shallow, who would seriously considering committing a murder to get their book published? So I put the book down for a while and read something else, and I am glad I did, because when I came back to it, something clicked and I loved it, it was fresh and funny, with Jennifer accused of murdering the literary agent who turned down her novel and whom, she fantasised murdering, enlisting her author friends and people she had met at the murdered woman’s apartment building, in clearing her name.

Jennifer’s disappointment and anger at her work being rejected again and again is something that we can all empathise with, a the apprehending of the killer is both hysterical and believable.

The characters are well written and Jennifer’s realisation that maybe her books aren’t quite good enough because she doesn’t dwell on the actual murders enough and that she really doesn’t have it in her to be a killer, is gradual, as it would be in real life.

In the end I gave this 4 out of 5* on Goodreads.

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Little Girl Lost: The life and hard times of Judy Garland by Al DiOrio

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Synopsis

Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm, was on stage from the age of 2 1/2 and died aged 47. Weaving all the fascinating sides of her life through the texture of her unique career, Al DiOrio creates a magical picture of innocence, talent and heartbreak. Here are all the moments of triumph and tragedy, the men in her life – the bad and the beautiful: Mickey Rooney, Robert Donat, Louis B. Mayer, Arthur Freed, David Rose, Vincente Minnelli, Robert Walker, Joe Pasternak, Sid Luft, John F. Kennedy.

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My Thoughts

Published just 4 years after Judy Garland’s death in London, Little Girl Lost is a fan biography of the star dubbed ‘The World’s Greatest Entertainer’ and although lovingly written, it is clearly a fan bio written through the Rose Tinted glasses of youth, even the author has said in the years since, that there was so much more to her story.

Although the more traumatic episodes of Judy’s life are skirted over, what this book does give us is something that the popular press, when reviewing new books on the star does not mention – the triumphs, the legend, the laughter and the talent. If Garland was as bad as everyone said then she never wound have made as many movies as she did, as many records and performed as many concerts.

While maybe not as thoroughly researched as some books on Garland (anything by John Fricke is highly recommended.), it is a lovely look at a troubled and sometimes troublesome star.

I gave this 3 out of 5* on Goodreads

 

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1929 by M. L. Gardner

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Synopsis

As Black Tuesday triggers financial despondency, three young couples in New York City must trade their lives of luxury for poverty, tragedy, and setbacks.
When Jonathan Garrett’s brokerage firm collapses on the day of the Stock Market Crash, he unites with his closest friends (and former business partners), Aryl and Caleb, to relocate, track down a low-paying job, and cultivate a new life.
As the three men toil in their laborious jobs, their wives, Ava, Arianna, and Claire, slowly adapt to life in a shabby, rundown apartment, learning to sew, cook, and clean. With the help of their former, outspoken, Irish maid, Maura, and a new, equally Irish friend, Shannon, the wives become even closer than before.
The couples’ rocky path leads to more turmoil, however, when a business rival, Victor Drayton, creates one disaster after another. From petty tricks to outright violence, Victor’s nefarious mind will stop at nothing to beat down Jonathan’s last glimmer of hope.
Despite everything, Jonathan and his friends are fixated on surviving.
Emotional and financial destruction nip at their heels, until finally, with a lucky twist of fate, they escape city life and begin anew in their hometown of Rockport, Massachusetts. 

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My thoughts

1929 chronicles the lives of three couples devastated by the 1929 Wall Street Crash, as they move from elaborate mansions, to seedy tenements and eventually back to their home town as they try and rebuild their lives and fortunes.

M.L. Gardner as created a wonderful set of well defined characters, especially the main 6, there is rivalry between the friends, an old flame of the married hero and a villain from the past who is determined to destroy our main storyteller.

This was so well written that I really did not want to put it down and when I reached the end, I was really moved by the story because I really believed in the  characters and the situation.

The desperation of the era is well documented in this book, from the holes in the windows to the scarcity of food. The great depression was a truly devastating time for thousands of people and this comes across really well in this book.

If you like historical fiction then you will like 1929, and I will be getting the next one in the series soon.

I gave this 4 out 5* on Goodreads

 

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A night in with Audrey Hepburn by Lucy Holliday

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Synopsis

Actress Libby Lomax has retreated into the world of classic movies, where the immortal lives of her favourite screen goddesses seem to offer so much more in the romance department than her own life.
After a terrible day on set where she embarrasses herself in front of the entire cast and worst of all, it’s sexy bad-boy star, Dillon O’Hara, she plonks herself down on her battered couch to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the trillionth time.
Suddenly, Libby is astonished to find screen icon Audrey Hepburn, complete with little black dress, trademark sunglasses and vintage cigarette holder, sitting beside her and proffering advice.
Has Libby got what it takes to turn her life from a Turkey to a Blockbuster? Perhaps with a little bit of Audrey Hepburn magic, she might just pull it off…

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My thoughts

What would you think if Audrey Hepburn suddenly appeared on your sofa? Well that’s exactly what Libby Lomax faces one evening. Audrey Hepburn, her new friend gives her advise from men to make up, hair, clothes and family matters.

This novel is a quick, nice easy read, and there are some genuinely funny moments. The characters are well written, though I felt Libby should stand up for herself more, however as this is the first of three, I’m sure she will change as the stories progress.

There’s romance, family fights, an uninterested Father, and a lot of glamour courtesy of Miss Hepburn for good measure, the parts where Hepburn discovers online ordering and twitter are really good, as I have always wondered what the stars of old Hollywood would make of the internet an Social Media.

We see in Libby ourselves -everything that can go wrong will, she is a disaster magnet (though I have never set my hair on fire).

If you are looking for a fun light hearted Summer read, then this is a must, I also have the 2nd in the series and will be reviewing that soon.

I gave this 4 out of 5* on Goodreads.

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Colony of the Lost by Derik Cavigano

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Synopsis

Nestled in the heart of the Berkshires lies Glenwood, Massachusetts–the perfect picture of suburbia. But when the children of this affluent town begin vanishing one by one, baffling local and federal authorities alike, Glenwood becomes anything but a utopia.
Built upon the ruins of a lost colony, Glenwood is home to a long-forgotten secret, and when three strangers are lured into the midnight woods by the phantom of a Puritan boy, they discover the truth of the town’s dark past and must face a vision of its bloody future.
Together, this unlikely trio–Jay, an alcoholic school teacher, Tim, a wise-cracking new kid in town, and Sarah, a nine-year-old with a host of imaginary friends–must somehow find a way to rescue the town from an ancient demon and its legion of human slaves. But in order for them to succeed, Jay must first conquer his own inner demons.

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My Thoughts

Wow! What a ride! This book is just brilliant, from beginning to end the pace never lets up

The Characters were well written and believable, from the Alcoholic Jay, to Tim, the teenager with a loud mouth who doesn’t fit in.

This is a horror story in the true sense of the word and you are never sure who will turn out to be controlled by the demon!

This book as so gripping that I read it in less than 8 hours, I just could not put it down. I needed to get to the end to find out if and how they could defeat the creature.

At the end of the book, my heart was racing and the relief at the end was so real that I had tears in my eyes.

One of the best horror books I have read.

I gave this 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

 

 

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The Curse of the Bridal Chamber by Hunter Murphy

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Andrea Pryke

Rolltop Publishing

Sept 15 2016

Synopsis

The indomitable senior sleuth Imogene and her outrageously endearing Alabama family find themselves in hot water while on a family vacation at a mermaid convention in sunny Florida. When Imogene and her brood, including Goose the bulldog, encounter a dead body floating in the freshwater springs beneath their glass-bottom boat, the local police immediately arrest one of the Alabama visitors for the crime.
Now the aging amateur crime solver must exonerate her own family, but unearthing a killer among the park’s past and present mermaids and employees promises to be no easy task, since so many of them are thrilled that the victim is sleeping with the fishes. And a decades-old curse that has deposited more than one dead body in the Bridal Chamber spring now seems focused on Imogene and her kin, who are wading into dangerous waters indeed. Witty and colourful, The Curse of the Bridal Chamber will keep you enthralled until the final surprising revelation

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My thoughts

I liked the idea behind this book, but it just didn’t work for me, part of me is hoping that this is not the finished product, it is a very odd book, the first half of the story really jarred with me and seemed really disjointed, with the characters really over reacting at the situations they were in and it just didn’t flow, after the 50% point, it was like a different writer had taken over and the story flowed so much better and the characters settled down.

However, I really wanted to give the sisters Imogene and Agnes a good slap in the face, they were just so obnoxious, yet they are supposed to be the heroines of the pliece.

I did like the relationships between Billy and Jackson, and Peter Luce and Frances, especially the later 2 who were beautifully defined.

Another gripe I have is that the book is too long for the story, a lot of the same things are gone over, when it is not necessary and the story with the monkey seemed pointless and could e removed without detriment to the story.

It is a shame because this story has the potential to be a very funny and good read, but it’s just not for me in it’s present form.

I received a copy of this book  from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review for an honest review

I gave this 1 out of 5* on Goodreads.

 

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