The Night I Met Father Christmas - A Magical Christmassy Treat!

The Night I Met Father Christmas, by Ben Miller, is a great read for anyone wanting a sprinkling of Christmas magic. Jackson is a boy who knows all about Christmas ... the elves, the flying reindeer, the workshop in the North Pole ... but there's one thing that puzzles him ... how did Father Christmas BECOME Father Christmas? All that is about to change when, on one Christmas Eve, Jackson gets to meet Father Christmas who has, of course, come down his chimney and twisted his ankle. Jackson is keen to help and, in the process, quiz Santa about his origin story. And so we enter a fairy tale retelling of "A Christmas Carol" featuring Torvil, a mean-spirited elf, who is visited by three Christmassy spirits (yes, a snuffly reindeer is one of them!) who show him his past, present and future ... inspiring Torvill to change his ways and embody the spirit of Christmas. This is such a fun story, with plenty of heart and humour and great characters who, although magical, are totally believable. If you haven't read A Christmas Carol, it doesn't matter, this story completely stands on its own merits. It's aimed at a younger audience, but is still immensely readable for children of ANY AGE! Highly recommended to give you a lift during the long, dark nights of winter, especially if you get the chance to listen to the audio edition (which I did) narrated by Ben Miller himself. It's an absolute treat of a book, and one which I didn't want to end, which is always a good sign! It might well become a new Christmas tradition for me to read this every year! Ho ho ho!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 304 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.99.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

The Confession - The Trouble With Relationships ...

The Confession, by Jessie Burton starts in 1980 when Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden on Hampstead Heath. She falls under the spell of Connie, who is a successful writer and, when Connie's novel is picked up and destined to be turned into a Hollywood film, Elise accompanies her to LA for the duration. Initially dazzled by the surreal life in Hollywood, Elise is soon spending more and more time on her own and soon tires of playing second fiddle to everything and everyone, becoming increasingly unhappy and resentful. When she spots Connie canoodling with the leading lady from her film, Elise makes a rash decision that changes everything. In parallel to this story is one set 30 years later, where Rose, Elise's daughter, is also adrift in an unhappy relationship and unfulfilling job. She is pretty rudderless and has always wondered about her mother, who she'd never known. When her father mentions that maybe Constance Holden might know what happened to her mother, Rose sets out to find the author and, through a case of mistaken identity, actually goes to work for her as an assistant, using a pseudonym. The two get on very well and Rose really likes her life with Constance, and ends up living with her. But when Constance finds out who she really is, Rose thinks she might have blown her chance of unravelling the mystery of why her mother abandoned her. This was an interesting read, and I really enjoyed the relationship between Rose and the older Connie. However, I found it hard to warm to the Elise and Connie relationship which felt quite toxic. I also found it difficult to relate to either of them and wanted to give them both a "good shake" to get them to actually talk to each other ... but how often do we regret not doing so in our own lives? After all, we all make mistakes. I was also disappointed that everything wasn't wrapped up in a bow by the end of the novel, and I felt like we were left hanging. I suppose that's also true to life - we don't always find the answer to the question we are asking. An interesting study of relationships - both real and hoped for - that is well written and that will keep you turning the page.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 480 print pages.

Price I paid: £1.00.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

The Spy Who Loved Me - Interesting Change of Pace

The Spy Who Loved Me, by Ian Fleming is a very different kind of Bond book. The narrator is Vivienne Michel, a French Canadian woman who was raised in the UK and embarked upon two love affairs (one when she was very young and the other at her workplace) which both ended badly. To get away from things, she goes travelling and heads to the USA, where she embarks on a road trip on her Vespa. As her budget is very tight, she is persuaded to boost her funds by caretaking at the Dreamy Pines Motor Court motel for the night. Left all alone, two hoodlums appear and proceed to rough her up and threaten her with even nastier things - why, she doesn't know. But then, who should appear knocking on the door ... Mr James Bond, who has had a flat tyre and is seeking refuge for the night. He immediately picks up that something is afoot and goes into "protection" mode. Things come to a head in the middle of the night when the hoodlums attack Viv and set the motel on fire. Bond rescues her and, when she is safe, goes to sort the two thugs out. But Bond seems to be a little off his game and nearly comes a cropper, and it's only when Viv steps in that the tables are turned. We think all is okay and, of course, at that point, Viv and Bond end up in the shower together where ... well, you can imagine the rest. But just when you think all is sunshine and roses, there's a sting in the tail ... I think I enjoyed this book more than the previous Bond tomes as it isn't really a spy novel at all - the driver for the criminals is insurance fraud! Bond doesn't make an appearance until over halfway through the book and he really isn't on his A game. Viv is an interesting character and plucky too, but, of course, she does fall for Bond, which kind of annoyed me ... surely he's not THAT irresistible!!!! Anyhow, it's full of Fleming's usual detail - clothes, food, scenery ... which is always enjoyable. This is still very much a book of its time where the author's attitude to women is pretty clear and is one that would make most modern audiences wince. It kind of feels like a writing exercise where the author has tried to put himself in the shoes of a female character - and as such, it's not entirely successful, but there are some good moments. An interesting change of pace to the other Bond books and, one last thing, if you are expecting this to be "just like the movie" then look away now - it bears very little resemblance to it at all. The version I read was narrated by Rosamund Pike, who did an admirable job.

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 128 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.99.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, print.

The Dictionary of Lost Words - Melancholic But Hopeful Too

The Dictionary of Lost Words, by Pip Williams is the tale of Esme, a child growing up without a mother but whose closeness to her father is very touching. She spends her childhood at her father's feet while he works on gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Over time, she rescues "lost words" that are dropped or not being included and keeps them safe in a box. In her teens, and with the aid of a great array of extraordinary females including Lizzie, a servant who is a substitute mother, Ditte her aunt and Tilde, an actress, she realises that the majority of these words are "female" words and are often deemed vulgar. It becomes apparent that this huge and esteemed project of capturing the English language is being edited and skewed by the compilers - middle class, highly educated white men. So Esme seeks out the words that are in common use in the market or pubs and she adds them to her collection. Over the course of time, she has a child out of wedlock, who is adopted, which she never really gets over. However, love does come calling later on in life in the form of Gareth who works at the printers. He takes the words she has collected and creates The Dictionary of Lost Words, especially for her before he heads off to fight in the First World War. This is a book full of melancholy and loss - for words, for innocence and for lives cut down too soon. However, it is also full of hope and determination and the guiding principle that many things deserve to be remembered and celebrated. It is also a tribute to the brave, formidable and indeed the quiet women who were fighting for the right to vote in Great Britain at that time in their own way. A really enjoyable read on many levels and definitely one that I would recommend.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 412 print pages.

Price I paid: £2.98.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio, ebook.

Lethal White - In Safe Hands!

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith is the fourth book in the Cormorant Strike series. In this outing, it's 2012, London is gripped with Olympic fever and Strike is having to deal with a certain notoriety following the case he and Robin solved in the previous book. Then, Billy, a troubled young man asks for Strike's help to investigate a terrible crime he thinks he witnessed as a child - but before any real details can be gleaned, he bolts from the office. Not long after, Strike is contacted by a government minister who is receiving disturbing threats, and Robin Elliot - his former assistant and now partner in the business - goes undercover in Westminster. What appear to be two different cases seem to have a common link in the form of Billy's brother. But was there a crime all those years ago, or just the mixed up memories of a disturbed mind ... and what has that got to do with the minister? Strike and Robin are a great pairing, but their relationship is strained at the beginning of the book - with Robin now married to Matthew and Strike seeing someone. However, as the various cases in the book develop, so do their private lives and both end up in a different place to where we started. This is such a well written book, with twists and turns and characters full of vim and vinegar, whose dialogue is sharp and realistic. We also see class and privilege being explored and exposed for the unsavoury situations they create in society. The relationship between Strike and Robin is very well observed and the reader cannot help but root for them - both in their work and personal life. There is bravery in the face of pain and danger and the ending is immensely satisfying. Even though it is a long book, I almost didn't want it to finish and I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens next!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 784 print pages.

Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Proven Guilty - Never fear, Harry's here!

Proven Guilty, by Jim Butcher, is the 8th book in the Dresden Files series. Harry Dresden, the Chicago-based Wizard/Private Eye is once more called upon to save the day ... and possibly, the universe! Although Harry has few friends on the White Council of Wizards, due to the bloody and continuing war with the vampires thinning out their numbers, he is made a warden and is called upon to investigate rumours of black magic in the city. He comes across a Horror Film convention, and it is there that beings from the Never Never are utilising fear to enable them to cross into the human world and wreak mayhem. Mixed up in all of this is Molly, the daughter of his friend Michael, the wielder of one of the holy swords ... it turns out that she has magic and has used it on two people, with unintentional bad consequences - which makes her a target for prosecution and probable execution by the Council of Wizards. Can Harry save the city and Molly too? But to do so means crossing into the Faerie Kingdom of Mab, the Queen of the Winter Court who is decidedly unhinged. This book has so much going on, but it brings together many characters that we have become familiar with. There's Murphy, the cop who Harry regularly works with and with whom he has a flirtatiously deep connection that's always been there in the background but never quite come to fruition. In addition, there's his faithful dog, Mouse; Bob, his talking skull; and Thomas, his vampiric brother, who all pull together to keep Harry from killing himself. Surprisingly, previous bit part player, Charity, the mother of Molly, comes into this book much more. She and Harry really don't get on, but with Molly's life on the line, all enmity is put to one side. The characters may be familiar, but they are growing all the time with new information or sides we've not seen before. The black humour is very much to the fore, which cuts through the danger and scary creatures. It's a roller coaster ride of action and sarcasm, but there are also quiet and tender moments that give this book a huge hunk of heart. As always, the audiobook is excellently narrated by James Marsters - I can't think of Harry Dresden without his voice in my head now! If you like a bit of magic, monsters and detective work, this could be the series for you. But, I would recommend that you start from the first book, as you would lose out on the complexities of the relationships and situations Harry gets himself into ... there are a lot of threads that run through the series that pop up and are expanded upon with time. One of my favourite series and I'm already looking forward to the next thrilling instalment.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 496 print pages.

Price I paid: £7.99.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

The Romantic - a lifetime of missed chances

The Romantic, by William Boyd follows the extraordinary life of Cashell Greville Ross. Born in 1799, he spends his childhood in County Cork where he lives with his aunt ... who, it turns out, is actually his mother. Cashell moves to London with his family and life becomes a little more complicated when his "aunt" seems to have suddenly acquired a husband and gives birth to two sons. Cashell thinks these are his cousins, but he later finds out that they are his brothers. All very confusing for a young man, and, despite a promising academic career, he decides to get away from it all by joining the army. And what do you know, he ends up at the battle of Waterloo where he is injured and sent back home. This experience gives him a certain standing with folk, but he is restless and doesn't really know who he is or where he wants to be. His journeys take him to Italy, where he meets the love of his life who, of course, is married. He leaves her and continues his travels, bumping into Byron and Shelley. He writes about his exploits, which proves successful on the face of it, but is swindled out of his money by the publisher. He joins the East India Company, goes exploring in Africa and eventually he ends up in America. Here he kind of settles down on a farm, gets married and has children, but it doesn't stick ... he has never truly gotten over his first true love ... and he ends up alienating his wife's family who then ruin him, and he is forced to move back to Britain once more ... but, of course, he doesn't stay there and his adventures continue and a further chance of happiness beckons. Over his lifetime he is a soldier, a farmer, a writer and a lover - he definitely lived the life of more than one man! There is so much to like about this book, well written and full of snippets of historical details from around the world. Cashell is a likeable fellow, and people are drawn to him easily, particularly women... but I couldn't quite tell why, as he seemed a little cavalier with the feelings of most people that he met. He seemed to be all in at the start, but then somehow never quite saw anything through. I felt it was definitely told from the male gaze and I really wanted some of the female characters to have a bit more gumption! That said, it was an enjoyable read and it was fun to travel with Cashell for many a mile. There is humour, war, deception, revenge, regret and love ... and a bucket load of  history ... so a little something for everyone!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 464 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.99.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.