26 December 2019

A Ration Book Christmas

I'm always fascinated to read about WWII and the 'spirit of the Blitz'. This was an enjoyable book featuring main character feisty teenager Jo Brogan.

Jo was evacuated to the country with her young brother. She blamed her sister Mattie for being sent away, thinking Mattie had told Mum about Jo kissing Tommy Sweete. The Sweetes were local petty criminals.

When Jo stops receiving letters from Tommy, she runs away back to London with her young brother. She has to find out why he has stopped writing.

But Tommy thinks she has stopped writing to him and there is a lot of misunderstanding and emotion before things get sorted between them.

Meanwhile, Tommy with his brother and brother's mates sign up to rescue bombed out victims from crumbling buildings. Chiefly so that his brother can look out for valuables to steal. And Jo signs up for ambulance duty.

There is also an interesting plotline around Jo's married older sisters: Mattie is heavily pregnant and there is mystery surrounding her absent husband. Cathy is trying to keep quiet about her husband being in prison for helping Nazi spies.

It was a pleasant read though felt a little predictable in places. I've awarded it 3*.

18 December 2019

Transformed by God's Love

Transformed by God's Love is the personal account of Sarah who, for more than thirty years, identified as gay. She was one of the first same sex couples to formalise her relationship by civil partnership.

But in 2015, she was called out of a gay lifestyle.

This book is her story, of the internal and external battles she faced as she sought answers to her many questions about sexuality, God and the Church. During the process, she was welcomed and loved - without judgement - by her local church. They gave her the space and support she needed to work things through, trying to make sense of what the Bible says and what she believed.

She writes honestly and directly about the process of trying to understand what God says about human sexuality. She initially researched online and questioned people within the Church for answers. Was being actively homosexual wrong? Or was it okay? But she got hugely differing responses from it being the worst ever abomination to yes, it was fine and God was okay with same sex relationships.

But Sarah wasn't satisfied with the Church's wavering opinions. She wanted to go to the source: what did God think?

This book is the result of months of ransacking the Bible on what it really says about homosexuality. The arguments Sarah offers are easy to follow and backed up by her own testimony. 

It is a powerful and thought-provoking resource for anyone wondering what God says on this hot issue. 

Sarah also challenges the Church to a) stand up for the Bible on this and other issues, and b) to truly welcome all people. 

I, for one, am thankful that Sarah's church welcomed her and gave her space to explore the Bible and a relationship with God without pressure or judgement. May every Christian church in the UK follow suit.

I am delighted to award this short and very useful book 4*.

13 December 2019

The Yorkshire Pudding Club

If you've ever read and enjoyed The Fat Ladies Club, you'll like Milly Johnson's fictional The Yorkshire Pudding Club.

The three main characters are: quiet but determined Helen, career-woman Janey and emotionally-complicated Elizabeth. They are best friends who all fall unexpectedly pregnant within days of each other.

Since they are all in their late thirties, one might assume they'd be delighted. But it's not as simple as that.

Helen is desperate for a baby but is worried about her husband who seems less than pleased. Stuck in an unhappy and abusive marriage, how can Helen protect herself and her baby?

Janey's husband is ecstatic - if slightly burdened by guilt - that he is going to become a father. But for Janey, this pregnancy has come at a bad time since she is up for her dream promotion. She doesn't want to spoil her husband's delight in the baby but is unable to share in it.

Elizabeth is consumed with fear that she won't be able to love her baby since she knows so little about love herself after an unhappy childhood. She is determined to push everyone away and remain fiercely independent. Until the return of an old friend who somehow manages to slip through some of her barriers.

In different ways, all three women find themselves empowered by their pregnancies. As their boobs and bumps get bigger, so does their confidence in who they are as women.

I loved this book which is both funny and sad, sensitively touching on some difficult issues without being overshadowed by them. It's a great read and I'm happy to award it 4*.

10 December 2019

She was the Quiet One

Another fabulous thriller from Michele Campbell. This was one of those books where I got immersed in its world and its characters seemed real. I wanted justice to be done and didn't want the murderer to get away with it.

The lives of twins Rose and Bel and teacher couple Heath and Sarah become entwined when the girls arrive at Odell, an exclusive boarding school.

Rose is the quiet twin who abides by the rules and gets frustrated and angry with her sister who is - shall we say - rather less law-abiding.

Bel falls in with the noxious privileged rich kids straightaway which leads her directly into one nasty prank after another.

Heath and Sarah are their dorm parents, with Heath caring for Bel who is struggling to come to terms with their mother's recent death. Sarah takes on Rose and encourages her to keep an eye on her troubled twin, though this leads to nothing but trouble for Rose.

Heath and Sarah appear to have a perfect loving marriage with two adorable young children and a dog. Heath is ambitious and has his eyes fixed on becoming headmaster. Sarah longs for Heath to believe in himself and succeed. But ugly rumours going around the school could scupper their happy life and future dreams.

As per usual, this book kept me guessing:  initially, who was going to be the murder victim? And then, who's the murderer? First I thought it this character, then that. Lots of tension. Right at the end, there was an unexpected twist I didn't see coming.

If this was made into a television drama or film, there'd be lots of dramatic music, build-up and psychological tension. A real nail-biting plot.

Michele Campbell has become one of my favourite authors, alongside John Grisham and Lee Child. I'm delighted to award this book 5*.

04 December 2019

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I'm a fan of the DVD so was excited to read the book. It's a fun account of a number of retired people who decide against going to a 'home' in the UK but choose to go to a hotel in India instead.

There's a real mix of characters, all with different stories, including a retired BBC career woman, a middle class couple who are very well-travelled, a randy elderly man, and a working class pensioner from the East End who has been mugged.

The one thing they all have in common is the loneliness of old age. Some hide it better than others, but it's ever present.

Thrown together at the Marigold Hotel, they form a tight knit community where they are free to be themselves.

Hinduism is mentioned from time-to-time but not in a way that is uncomfortable or intrusive to the story line.

I'm glad I saw the film before reading the book (I pretty-much always prefer book over film).

It was an enjoyable read and I'm happy to award it 4*.