BEAUTIFUL BOW BANGLE AND EARRINGS...

Here is the wonderful Charlie the Chocolate Magic Monkey (CCMM) doing his modelling stint again...

These little trinkets came from Quiz Clothing in the sale- the bow bracelet was £10, reduced from 15, and the earrings were £5, reduced from £15.

They are just lovely- like my cuddly model!

NETHERWOOD by JANE SANDERSON

NETHERWOOD

BY JANE SANDERSON

THE BLURB:-

Above stairs:- Lord Netherwood keeps his considerable fortune, and the upkeep of Netherwood Hall, ticking over with the profits from his three coal mines. The welfare of his employees isn't a pressing concern- more important is keeping his wife and daughters happy and ensuring the heir to the family wealth, the charming but feckless Tobias, stays out of trouble.

Below stairs:- Eve Williams is the wife of one of Lord Netherwood's employees. When her life is brought crashing down, Eve must look to her own self-sufficiency and talent to provide for her three young children. And it's then that upstairs and downstairs collide in truly dramatic fashion...

THE REALITY:-

This novel was a wonderful and elaborate study of life in a Yorkshire mining town during the reign of Edward VII. Gloriously detailed and inspiring, the writer sketches all the quirks of this life; the job of mining itself, the union movement, and the lives of the miners' wives, with finite precision.

You can't help but get a great feel for all of the characters, as everyone seems real, with good points and shortcomings. There is a good mix here, and not just in the contrast of “upstairs and downstairs”. You can't help but like the super-talented but uncertain Eve and the industrious Anna. And you can't help but hate the smarmy, snake-in-the-grass bully that is pub landlord Harry, and the very singular and nasty Absalom.

Various worlds collide as you learn about Anna's previous, wealthy Russian lifestyle and get taken down to the London house with its set-in-its-ways and almost cruel bunch of staff.

It's lovely to see the upper class- often portrayed as inhumane and selfish- shown as normal, fun people who, despite being against vast union movement are all for the cause of people trying to better themselves. It was also fun to read of the masculine Henrietta's antics (and feel her frustration) and the fornications of naughty Tobias certainly delivered a laugh. Their younger, manipulative, spoilt sister, Isabella, was another unlikeable character, one that needed a good slap.

It was great that Eve's cookery was discussed in detail as that was really what the novel was all about. But I was disappointed when the novel ended abruptly, without really coming to a conclusion. Then I learned that there are, in fact, two sequels to this book. Ah well, so the author is being clever and encouraging readers to fork out on two further books. You know, I might just do that! A charming novel and a bloody good read.

THE MOMENT YOU WERE GONE by NICCI GERRARD

THE MOMENT YOU WERE GONE

BY NICCI GERRARD

THE BLURB:-

Gaby and Nancy were inseparable when they were young. They had no secrets and believed nothing would break up their friendship, even when each found love- Gaby with Connor and Nancy with Gaby's brother Stefan.

Then one day Nancy left Stefan and walked out of all their lives. Gaby has not seen her now for nearly twenty years, and in all that time she has never known where Nancy went or why.

Now long married to Connor, Gaby is preparing to take their only son Ethan to university for the first term when, quite by chance, she spots Nancy on a television report about a flood in a tiny village in Cornwall. And in a recklessly impulsive moment, she turns up on Nancy's doorstep, unannounced.

Nancy's secret explodes into all their lives, wreaking havoc on long-held assumptions and beliefs, and Gaby is forced to examine her own past in order to try to save what is precious to her.

THE REALITY:-

I've read Nicci Gerrard before, but only as part of Nicci French- her writing double act with her husband, Sean French. I remember the crime chiller Killing Me Softly (although the film was a load of unadulterated shite), Beneath The Skin (think that appeared as an okay TV mini-series) and The Memory Game. I maybe also read one or two more, but I can't remember much about them. I do, however, remember that they were good!

This book deals with the subject of middle class affairs, and also the horrible issue of having your friend sleep with you husband. I recently read a book which sprang from a very similar storyline, and the trouble with both novels was that the actual sex bit seemed meaningless and unspectacular. Which is probably the point- that out of something pretty base, a massive trail of destruction can occur.

The characters are vividly described and the “secret” that causes Nancy to disappear does make you want to read on and on until you find out why. Us human beings are curious, nosey sods, which is why intriguing novels like this sell!

I think that from the discovery of the secret though, the book does go a bit downhill. One the suspense has gone, the story, although never boring, does go into freefall, and the fallout doesn't come across as being that massive (another symptom of middle class affairs). I did question whether we needed to know quite so much about Ethan, but then I suppose that the story had to be fleshed out.

I would definitely read Nicci Gerrard again. This book was likeable and sometimes intense, but next time I'm expecting something better!

LUCY SULLIVAN IS GETTING MARRIED by MARIAN KEYES

LUCY SULLIVAN IS GETTING MARRIED

BY MARIAN KEYES

THE BLURB:-

...Or is she? Lucy doesn't even have a boyfriend (to be honest, Lucy isn't that lucky in love). But Mrs. Nolan has read her tarot cards and predicted that Lucy will be walking up the aisle within the year.

Lucy's flatmates are appalled at the news. If Lucy leaves it could disrupt their lovely lifestyle of eating takeaways, drinking too much wine, bringing men home and never hoovering. But Lucy reassures them that she's far too bust arguing with her mother and taking care of her irresponsible father to even think about getting married.

And then there's the small matter of no boyfriend. But then Lucy meets Gus, gorgeous unreliable Gus, and she starts to wonder- could he be the future Mr. Lucy Sullivan? Or could it be Chuck, the handsome American? Or Daniel, the world's biggest flirt? Or even cute Jed, the new boy at work?

Will Lucy find her soulmate? Read this book if you want to laugh, cry and do no work for a week.

THE REALITY:-

I picked this book up in a charity shop, purely because I remember the TV series from the late 1990s/ early 2000s. It was on late at night and I thought it was charming. It starred Letitia Dean, at the time one of my favourite actresses from Eastenders and Sarah Stockbridge, model and muse of the best fashion designer in the world, Vivienne Westwood.

I should have known better than to bother reading the book. It's “chick lit”... yuk, yuk, yuk, BIG yuk.

This is really not my genre. I have never been a girls' girl and have always been a bit of a geezerbird. I cannot stand the cliquey, girly, gossipy, bitchy “all girls together” mentality, and I find it extremely hard to tolerate female insecurities, jealousy and bitchiness.  Okay, I'm not perfect myself, and have been known to behave like these unlikeable cows from time to time.  But if you lay down with dogs then you get fleas.  I have never lived with a gaggle of women (heaven forbid) and don't get obsessed with dating, dieting and shopping. I've never really dated (more “hooked up”) refuse to diet as I'm an ex-bulimic and know where that can lead, and hate shopping with a passion.

There is nothing wrong with this book- Marian Keyes is an acclaimed author, and I can see why. At 740 pages long, I did speed read some sections, but also found some parts endearing. I found the chapters dealing with Lucy's dad really moving, and they hit a raw nerve as I was brought up with alcoholism in the family. And I'm so glad Lucy found her balls and stood up the the user that was Gus and her bully of a flatmate, Karen.

This is a well-written book if you like this sort of thing- unfortunately, I don't.

MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL by DOROTHY KOOMSON

MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL

BY DOROTHY KOOMSON

THE BLURB:-

Best friends Kamryn Matika and Adele Brannon thought nothing could come between them- until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn's fiancé Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them ever again.

Years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and asks Adele to adopt her daughter Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five-year-old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice? So begins a difficult journey that leads Kamryn towards forgiveness, love, responsibility and, ultimately, a better understanding of herself.

THE REALITY:-

This will have you crying intermittently throughout. We've all been hurt and betrayed- and sometimes that action comes as a complete and utter shock, as it does to our Kamryn. But there is more to it than meets the eye, and this novel deals with the reasons behind the infidelity as much as the infidelity itself. The emotions Kamryn has to deal with regarding Adele- her once-best-friend, who is dying, come across in a blur of pain. This character should probably have got to the bottom of her issues with her fiancé, Nate, and Adele a long time ago, for her own sanity.

There are some very real characters in this book, the most awful being Adele's father and stepmother. It makes you question how their abuse towards both Adele and Tegan could go unnoticed in this day and age. It's quite fun watching Kamryn transcend from being a party girl to a mummy, and also a career woman to someone whose work plays second fiddle to her daughter, and it's also interesting looking at her difficult relationship with her new boss, how she deals with it, and how things develop between them.

The fact that Kamryn is a black woman who is trying to adopt a white child is not dealt with in depth, and that's good- I wouldn't have wanted racial differences to become an important part of this book as they don't seem highly relevant to me, whereas Kamryn's love for Tegan is. The story moves towards its conclusion with Nate and Kamryn having the talk that should have occurred WAY back, and dealing with the fall-out. And you are made to face up to facts- that some things can't be repaired, and perhaps weren't meant to be.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL...

I like my bling!  Very much so, and I always have.  So (as requested by some) I thought I'd share a couple of my favourites with you.

  This is Charlie the Chocolate Magic Monkey modelling.  In the absence of one of those head thigummybobs you get in clothing and accessory shops, I decided to utilise him.  I didn't go as far as to pierce his ears though- I don't want the RSPCSA (Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Stuffed Animals) arresting me.

This lovely necklace cost me £1.50 in a junk shop in Bognor Regis.  Seriously, people have no idea what they're throwing/ giving away.  The man who ran the place could probably have fetched ten times that had he taken it down to an antiques fair.

I think the earrings I bought to go with it were £4.50 in the Debenhams sale.  They're by Matthew Williamson.

This stunning, ecclesiastical piece did come from an antiques fair, at Alexandra Palace, and was a present (but he let slip that it cost him £15!)  I've had it for years and it always receives compliments.  

This one is from a charity shop.  The central stone fell out and got lost, so I simply gouged a contrasting pink stone from an old, unused piece of jewellery, applied the Araldite and voila!

The necklace was a charity shop present, and when I saw these earrings in the New Look sale, for only £1.50, I had to have them as they go with it nicely (if not perfectly).

This necklace and earring set is my current favourite (I am wearing it on my blog photo).  The set cost me £7 reduced from either £25 or £28 in the Debenhams sale, and was some find! It has already lost one strand of diamanté, but for that price, I can live with it.

My friend has suggested that I show stuff like this in "real time" and display current bargains, so that everyone who reads my blog can take advantage of them.  A kind of SuperSavvy Me. 

 You know, I might just start doing that!!!!  

A WEEK IN PARIS by RACHEL HORE...

A WEEK IN PARIS

BY RACHEL HORE

THE BLURB:-

The streets of Paris hide a dark past...

September, 1937. Kitty Travers enrols at the Conservatoire on the banks of the Seine to pursue her dream of becoming a concert pianist. But then war breaks out and the city of light falls into shadow.

Nearly twenty-five years later, Fay Knox, a talented young violinist, visits Paris on tour with her orchestra. She barely knows the city, so why does it feel so familiar? Soon touches of memory become something stronger, and she realises her connection with these streets runs deeper than she ever expected.

As Fay traces the past, with only an address in an old rucksack to help her, she discovers dark secrets hidden years ago, secrets that question who she is and where she belongs...

THE REALITY:-

It's really hard to find fault with this novel, as it drew me in and kept me there until the very end, eager to turn the pages as it reached its conclusion. And that's exactly what a story should do. This was not the first Rachel Hore book I've read, and whilst not as personally appealing as A Place of Secrets, this one certainly worked for me.

World War II was a harrowing time for so many millions of people, and it's the tales of individual strife that interest me the most- we all know and understand the basics, but it's the personal stories that matter supremely. There were so many layers to lives during wartime. Kitty's life in Paris under German occupation, her husband's work and death, her subsequent arrest and transportation to Vittel and harrowing mission to be reunited with her little girl were moving in the extreme. You rooted for her all the way! This was all brought to life by interesting perspectives from characters such as Natalie/ Therese (you feel for her whilst wanting to wallop her, all at the same time!) the other Parisian nuns, Serge and likeable, tragic figures like Mr. Zipper. The writer has certainly done her WW II research.

Rachel Hore uses a career within an orchestra as a backdrop for both Kitty and her daughter Fay. She did this in The Glass Painter's Daughter, so it makes me wonder if she has personal experience in this field herself? I did question whether it was believable that Fay would simply not be able to recall the first four years of her life, as happens here. I know childhood memories are fragmented at that age, but to remember NOTHING? But then maybe trauma does strange things to some people.

I loved the spooky deja vu from Fay that opened the novel and made me want to read more. Compelling reading!