In Stitches: A heartwarming and candid memoir of working in emergency medicine by Nick Edwards

Kindle Unlimited     Paperback
 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars

If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that the first paragraph of the vast majority of them is pretty much the same and this book review is no different.  I start all the reviews off by saying that each book I read and review starts off with the full clinic of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they are all still firmly stitched into place by the time I close the back cover.  I'm not shy about removing stars but I always give my reason(s) for doing so within the review - they don't just vanish into thin air for no reason.

I love reading medical memoirs as they always give me a new appreciation for all the hard, tough and rough work that goes on in daily life of every medical bod in every medical place... I just don't like gross things like blood and poo and vomit lol

I'm hoping this book will have either self-contained chapters or be easy to dip in and out of so that I don't have to re-read the previous chapters every time I need to use the bathroom... I wish I was joking but I'm not!

Let's get going shall we?

The "About this book" bit says that the typical reading time is 4 hours and 23 minutes, so in theory I'll get it finished before bedtime tonight, but at over 300 pages I very much doubt that'll happen.  I'm not gonna rush it, just read at my normal pace to see how far I get before I head to bed tonight and I'm hoping I'll finish it off tomorrow.

It'll be interested to see how my eyes cope with me wearing my new "near" glasses for the first time as I could barely see the text on my Kindle with my "distance" specs on!

So far so good with the new specs and so far I totally agree with this doctor about the silly signage and lack of agency nursing when needed!

I'm loving this book so far!  Self-contained chapters, written accurately and with my kind of humour.  It's already making me shake my head at the management policies that are introduced with seemingly zero time on the ward or in A&E - yes, some things have got better, but surely it cost the NHS more to keep that old man needlessly on the ward for 9 hours rather than using one of the three *available* ambulances and crew to take him back to his nursing home??

Up to page 31 and I'm loving every word of this book so far!  I doubt I'll get it finished before bedtime, but that's OK 'cos the chapters seem to be self-contained, so it doesn't matter if I go to bed part of the way through the book tonight.

Page 39 now and time for my first pit-stop of the book... if I can get straight back into it without having to remember everything I've already read, then I'll be able to confidently stop reading at bedtime, safe in the knowledge that I'll be able to start reading again tomorrow, which I always prefer to be able to do!

Page 42 and lunchtime... a second, slightly longer test - it passed the first one with flying colours.

There's a mention of an international furniture company so, in fairness to other books I've read and reviewed, the first star is, unfortunately, wobbly... I'm reeeeeeally hoping that the magic sentence will be at the back of the book so that it can be a solidly 5 star book like it's deserving of so far.

It's been well over 2 years since I last saw a dentist, so I've definitely been taken off their books now!  lol

Just over a third of the way through the book and I'm really enjoying it... there have been a few "could-be-too-gross" things but the author has handled it incredibly well, so I didn't lose my lunch everywhere.  

Unfortunately there have been a couple of brand names used so the wobbly star is heart-breakingly coming off at 43% and it's another one of my "shoulda been 5 stars" books... only the magic sentence at the back can replace the fallen star now unfortunately.

I'm officially a smidgen over half way through the book now (51% to be exact) and the last (very short) chapter was a description of diarrhoea so I'm gonna be taking my pills and attempting to read and recover from the graphic description before the side-effects kick in and I head to bed lol

Like I predicted this morning, I haven't managed to read the whole book in the time the dialogue box said at the very start of the book this morning, but at 51% I don't reckon I've done too badly.  I'm gonna attempt to read a few more chapters before I head to bed then hopefully finish it tomorrow.

I'm finishing reading for the day at 60% which ain't too bad at all.

I'm starting off the day feeling shocked that children still aren't getting the MMR jab because of the hogwash that the tabloid spouted back in the 80's.  I remember it well because it was around then that I was due to have my own MMR jabs and I was in a constant state of "will they/won't they" get me jabbed and "will I/won't I" get autism if they do.  I got jabbed and didn't get autism but there were a couple of young children who hadn't had it and caught measles in this book.  There is apparently *no link to autism* at all from the MMR jabs but they can literally save lives.

I'm also shocked by hospitals having to close entire wards because there just isn't enough funding to keep them open which makes the bed shortage even worse.  I really feel for the medical bods working in hospitals with patients who should be on wards until they are better, but there just not being enough room for them on the wards!

I agree that out of hours GP's should be brought back too - another way to stop non-emergency patients arriving at A&E or urgent care unnecessarily and taking up a bed that could be used by someone else.

I can see the doctors points and reasons for thinking about legalising cannabis and making medical cannabis legal is a good first step but there would need to be free support available *before* that happened so that the sudden influx of cannabis users didn't suddenly start going to several different places to get their now-legal highs.  I'm thinking that if it was properly controlled then it could be the drug equivalent of smoking cigarettes - safer and support available to quit if the smoker needs help, but because it's so freely available legally in a lot of shops, there is less stigma surrounding it and therefore not quite as "cool" and tempting as it would be if it were still illegal.

Up to 92% and I'm loving this book... assuming that there aren't 3 big woopsies in the last 8% of the book, it's definitely another "shoulda been 5 stars" book.

Just finished reading the book and it's definitely a "shoulda been 5 stars" book because the magic little sentence isn't there unfortunately.  If you enjoy reading medical memoirs and enjoy sarcasm and humour then definitely buy this book - worth every penny!

Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (Author), Anthea Bell (Translator)

Kindle Unlimited Audiobook

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars

I got this book after a recommendation from my wonderful sister-in-law and it's the first book either of us has ever, in almost three decades (at the time of writing), recommended to the other.  I can't remember what genre I asked for recommendations of, but I'm guessing, judging by the description, that it was maybe crime??  I hope it won't be too gruesome!

If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that I start them all off in the same way - by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full field of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be there by the time I close the back cover.  You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars if I feel it necessary, but that I always give my reason(s) for doing so within the review - they don't just vanish.  I'm hoping that this'll be a 5 star review after my SIL's recommendation, but I'm going to read with an open mind and not give the book and author any more chances than I do with a non-recommended book.

Let's get going shall we?

At 347 pages, it's one of the longer ones and I'm really hoping that it won't make me lose any meals or drinks - there's a tick by 'cosy crime' so that should be pretty safe, right?

I've just opened it and it says that it'll take a smidgen under 7 hours to read so, in theory, I'll get it finished at around bedtime tonight... I've learnt that I can usually take that time estimate with a pinch of salt though lol

There have been a lot of character names in the first 16 pages of the book and I've already forgotten most of them, but hopefully most of them will be minor characters.  There have been a few potential lunch losses but the author has handled it well so far which is making me hope that this will be a non-nausea-causing book... I hope I'm not wrong!

I've enjoyed the first chapter and haven't spewed yet, thankfully, but 27 pages seems a bit long for the foreword and first chapter combined to me... maybe this is just how it starts and future chapters will be shorter??

I've just scrolled back in my Kindle and chapter 1 started on page 12, so 15 pages per chapter isn't so bad I guess.

I've skipped so far ahead this morning 'cos it's just not my kinda thing, and now that I've had my lunch, I don't fancy revisiting it again.  I'm sure it's a great book for many people, it's just not my cup of tea unfortunately, so I'm taking a star off for that but leaving the other 4 in place for the moment.  I'll try and find other mysteries before my final decision, but right now, I'm glad I've dipped my toe into the water, but it's not for me right now... maybe in a few years I'll change my mind, but right now in the very early Summer of 2026, it's not gonna be a regular genre for me unfortunately.

The first page of chapter 9 is making me feel like the author has only just discovered the word scone and wants to include it in every sentence... you also don't "dip" scones in jam and cream, you spread both gently over the two horizontal halves with a knife!  I really wanted to like this book, but I don't think the author is from the UK and hasn't done much research into how things actually happen over here!

I'm 2-3 pages into chapter 10 now and it's been, almost entirely, descriptions of the front of the building and especially the door.  I get that the author needs to build the mystery, but this is getting beyond a joke now!

I'm up to chapter 14 on page 188 now and I'm really not enjoying this book... I dunno if it's indicative of the genre or just this particular author's style, but it hasn't "grabbed" me yet and I'm spending most of the time flicking forward unfortunately.

At chapter 19 and less than 100 pages left to get through, I'm starting to see why the time at the start of the book was so short for such a long book - the other readers must have done a lot of skipping forward too.

Skipped all the way to chapter 22 now and I think, despite all the skipping today, I know who did it so I'm determined to read the last 42 pages without skipping forward at all.

Ah right.  The author is a German native so maybe the scone thing was part of her research into Ireland that she liked and wanted to include it in her debut novel?  It's disappointing that I had to skip through so much of it though.  She's obviously kept writing after this book though, which I'm glad about.

Overall, an OK book, just not for me unfortunately.

Crash Into Me by Robinne Lee

Kindle Audiobook Hardcover

⭐ out of 5

I was approved by the publisher to read this book before it was published and, as always, it'll be a brutally  honest review of all the highs and, hopefully very few, lows as I read and feel them.  It's one of the well-known, big publishers that I've read and reviewed for before, so they obviously know what to expect and have prepared the author for my brutal honesty!

If you've read any of my other more recent book reviews, you'll already know that I start each one off in the same way, by saying that each book I read and review starts off with the full five stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover. 

It's almost my bedtime, so I'll start reading tomorrow morning, but I can't wait to get started.

The publisher has taken notice of my previous comments either within reviews or past comments to them and has put in a first sentence saying that the ARC I've got is a proof copy, not a final one, so I won't mark the book down on things like missed pages or SPaG mistakes... if the magic sentence is included too, that could be a second star saved and I haven't even got past the first paragraph yet lol

My first impression of the book from the first two paragraphs is that it seems to be very old language and scene-setting for 2015 - more like the 1800s rather than the 2010's!  Maybe the author likes, reads and appreciates classic literature, but it's very out of place in a 2015 setting!  The author is setting the scene into 2015 but the word choices are very out of place for only a decade ago.  If it was a classic then I would understand it, but it's making the book very hard to understand already unfortunately.  I'm gonna give it another little while to see if the author changes the feel of the language used, but the star is already wobbly unfortunately.

I'm getting confused about the gender of the "I" in this first chapter... I thought they were female at first, then male and now back to female again - I get that the author is trying to set the scene, but they aren't doing a very good job of it so far, unfortunately. I'm gonna give the author one last chance before I remove the first star, but it's not looking like this is gonna be a five star book already, unfortunately.

That first sentence of the book has saved the star 'cos I'm not sure what "Guhd" is supposed to sound like!  The author seems to be attempting to spell the accent and it is seriously affecting my enjoyment of the book already unfortunately.

And now we've got another character, so that's four characters already in the first chapter and I'm already getting confused between them all, so off comes the first star.

And now there's another one at the end of the first chapter so I'm mightily confused about who is who and how they know or don't know each other now!  If the characters had all been spread out throughout the entire book, then it might have been a good read, but I'm already seriously confused about who is who and what their relationship and need to be in the book so early is, so the second star is already wobbly unfortunately.

Oh dear.  The second page has got the brand name of an internationally famous audio technology company so I'm really hoping that magical sentence is at the end of the book otherwise I won't be able to re-attach the second wobbly star!

The second chapter was relatively short but the years are all over the shop already which is confusing me even more and I don't believe that a reader should have to make notes while they're reading a fiction novel but it's already starting to feel like I have to, so the second star is even wobblier now unfortunately.

And there's another brand name of a media company in the third chapter, so the second star is coming off after less than three chapters unfortunately.  Will this already be another DNF?

Up to chapter four now and this book isn't as good as I was hoping for, unfortunately.  Not the worst by any means, but far from what I was hoping for too.

The end of chapter four came out of nowhere and was a totally shocking surprise!  I was tempted to knock another star off for boredom, but I've changed my mind now!

I'm gonna stop reading for the day now and I'll hopefully carry on tomorrow.

Chapters 5 and 6 were, unfortunately, boring, so I'm skipping forward for a while in the hope of getting some less boring bits.  The third star is significantly wobbly already unfortunately.

OK, I've skipped ahead to chapter 9 and the chapters are too long again, unfortunately, so the third star is on the verge of dropping off unfortunately.

And now we've got celebrity names and internationally famous awards talked about, I'm assuming without permission, so the third star is plopping off unfortunately.  Only one star left before it becomes another DNF for me unfortunately.

I rapidly lost count of the number of pages in chapter 13 but it was waaaay too many and could have potentially made for a very late night if I hadn't skipped forward so many pages again.  I've officially given up on this book now so I'm taking the last star off and awarding it a disappointing DNF - I was really looking forward to reading it, but it's been a huge let down the more I've read.  If the author had carried on in the same way as they did at the start of the book, then I might've been willing to finish reading it without taking so many stars off and certainly no skipping forward as much as I have done today.  Overall, a huge disappointment.

Amazon Alexa: Amazon Alexa: Quick Reference Guide by Steve Wright

Kindle Unlimited

⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Every book I've read and reviewed recently has started off with me saying that each book starts off with the full 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they'll all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.

I bought my first ever Alexa a few months ago and I've been very limited in what I've asked her to do so far, so I'm hoping that this book will give me a few ideas of things I can ask her to do.  I've already set her up, so I'm really hoping this isn't a book telling me how to do that!

Let's get going shall we?

I'm up to page 3 and in those pages, the author has gone from saying that Alexa is "more than just a speaker" on the first page to saying that she *is* just a speaker on page 3... the first star is already coming off for being so confused already and waffling on selling me and other readers the device that we've already got and advertising his mailing list on the first page too!

Apparently Alexa can "Open the Door, Switch on the Light or Play Music" but the author doesn't tell you that those things have to be connected smart devices!  I can't just ask my Echo Dot to open the door or adjust my central heating because neither of those are connected smart devices for me!  The second star is coming off only a page after I removed the first star... this isn't looking good!

At last!  Page 5 has given 5 I can ask my Alexa device, underneath the image that is too small for me to comfortably read - it's only taken 5 pages lol

I've got a lot more requests that I can give my Echo now, thankfully, so the stars are stable atm.

I'm now up to page 31 and I've found loads of things that I can ask Alexa to do, which I was hoping for and is exactly what I wanted.

Just finished reading it and it was more like 8 hours than 1 hour but I've got loads of things to say to Alexa now, which will hopefully keep me going for a while lol

Princess Kate's Brother: James Middleton by 1-Hour Royals

Kindle Unlimited
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know how I start them all off.  Every book starts with the full palace of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars if I feel it necessary but I always give my reason(s) for taking them off within the review - they don't just disappear.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we?

I've just finished reading the first two chapters of the book and it's breaking my heart that James wasn't given the opportunities to shine or the support to succeed in his education.  I can't help thinking that if he'd been assessed, diagnosed and supported while he was still at school, he could have achieved success in his own right.

It's reading like poor James couldn't escape and relax and be a "normal" youth, even before Catherine became a potential royal!  It makes me wonder how the reporters would feel if it was done to them too!

Just finished and it reads like James found the right person for him and that he's comfortable with who he is now that he's a husband and dad... WTG James!

Further Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels

Kindle Unlimited     Audiobook     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

All of my more recent book reviews have started in the same way - by saying that each book I read and review starts off with the full surgery of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stitched firmly into place by the time I close the back cover.  I'm not shy about removing stars but I always give my reason(s) for doing so within the review, they don't just vanish into thin air.

I've really enjoyed each of the other books I've read in the "Confessions of" series and I'm really hoping that this book is up there with the rest of the series too.

Let's get going shall we?

Well, no spoilers, but after the first chapter I'm relieved that I didn't start reading just before or just after eating lol

Oh deary me... there's been a very brief mention of a trademarked chocolate bar, so the first star is already wobbly so early on in the book.  It's clinging on for dear life right now, but it's currently like jelly.

I'm up to page 17 already and I'm loving this book so far.  As long as there are no more trademarked or copyrighted mentions, this is already shaping up to be a 5 star book!

There's been a mention of a famous children's film and I'm not sure how copyright and trademarks work on those, so the star is still clinging on, but only just now.

Up to page 41 now so I'm steaming through this book this morning and loving every word again!

Nooo!!  At page 53, the first (and hopefully only) star is coming off for the use of a distance learning university, potentially without permission.  I always hate it when I have to remove a star for copyright or trademark infringement in an otherwise very much 5 star book but I've gotta be fair to all the other books I've read and take the book down to four stars.  The good thing is though, that it's the only star I'll remove for this reason, so the author can quite easily use trademarks and copyrights to his heart's content now!  lol

Those poor nurses and cheeky Mr Lorenzo lol

Page 65 and a good place to stop to go and make my lunch I reckon.

I don't envy the doctor on the appointment that ended on page 104!  lol

I'm immensely glad that I didn't live in a time where they treated an STI with mercury!!

I'm stopping reading for the day at page 135 and hoping to start again tomorrow... it's another one of those "shoulda been 5 stars books" 'cos the words are incredibly absorbing, but the dratted use of those copyrighted and trademarked things meant that the star had to come off this morning otherwise it just wouldn't have been fair on other books that I've read and reviewed.

I'm regretting opening the packet of sweets at the start of the first chapter of the day lol

Poor Danni.  I can see it from both points of view, but that chapter really sounded like she'd hit rock bottom and having her kids back would encourage her to keep on climbing back out of the pit.  I can also see it from the doctors point of view though and he has to look after Danni but also think about what is best for her children's future too.

Page 175 now, so just under 100 pages left to read this afternoon and I'm enjoying every word again!

At page 229 now and it seems to be the end of the book, other than the humourous "notes" bit that was so much appreciated in the first book and the page count on my Kindle says that there are 43 pages left to read.  I think I'm remembering rightly that other books in this series have been adverts for other books in the "Confessions of..." series so we'll have to see if it's the same in this book too.

I was wrong, I'm sorry, there were just a couple of pages of humourous notes and now there are more tales from the doctor... I thought 40 pages of notes were maybe a bit long! lol 

Now *that's* the ending I was expecting to the book lol

Another very very good book and another "shoulda been 5 stars" one too.

Magic Uncorked by Annabel Chase

Kindle Unlimited Audiobook Paperback
⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

If you've read any of my other recent book reviews from the last few years, you'll already know how I always start all of my book reviews: by saying that each book I read and review starts off with the full membership of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars if I deem it necessary, but I always give my reason(s) within the review - they don't just disappear.

I loved the description of this book and I'm really hoping it'll give me a warm, fuzzy hug as I devour each page, so let's get going shall we?

Just finished the first chapter and really enjoyed it... could this be a 5 star book in the making already??

Oh dear.  A well-known video website has just been mentioned, so in fairness to other books that I've read and reviewed, the first star is unfortunately starting to wobble slightly.

And now there's a famous alcohol mentioned too, so one more mention of a Trademarked or even copyrighted item and the first star plops off unfortunately.

The end of chapter 2 came out of nowhere!  No spoilers, but is this maybe the kinda time to reach for the tissues already??

I was wrong, I'm sorry, the four female main characters has turned the potential for tears into respectful humour.  There have been mentions of the same trademarked items, but the star is already wobbly because of them, so it's not coming off for the repeated use.

At page 69, the first star is coming off for the use of a trademarked shopping channel on the television, so this is now, unfortunately, a 4 star book.

I'm up to chapter 9 on page 100 and the last chapter was a great one!  I'm not so sure that illegal drugs (at least they're illegal in the UK, I haven't got the faint foggiest clue about the rest of the world) should be included and the author has used some stereotypical language about what she *thinks* witches are like, rather than doing some basic research into real witches and Wiccans, but I guess the author is using the childhood image of a witch rather than a realistic Wiccan.

Chapter 12 is up next and this is a truly great book - the author is really in their stride now and I'm loving every word!

What a way to finish the book... I've barely looked away from the pages since lunchtime and my belly and throat are wondering what's going on lol  It's just about readable in one day... as long as you do pretty much nothing else lol

The Intercessors by D. L. Norris

Kindle Hardback Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Each book that I read and review starts off with the full 5 stars and I'm forever hopeful that they will all still be firmly routed in place by the time I close the back cover.

Going by the cover alone, it looks like this book is gonna be a pretty spiritual book maybe?  The description got me hooked and I hope it's a positive book to read!

Let's get going shall we?

It's been a bit of a slow start, but maybe that's intentional?  Maybe the author doesn't want the reader to rush through without thinking about every word that they read?  It's been a really good read so far and I'm really enjoying it... have I already, potentially, got a 5 star book on my hands??

I'm 13% of the way through and have yet to find a single negative thing to say, which is always a relief!

Up to 33% now and I'm still loving every word!  I've just finished reading the chapter at 34% and I have to admit that I'm feeling a touch emotional that things worked out so well for them but it also made me wish that I could have been offered that same lifeline or even just recognition while my late husband was alive!

At 51% I'm stopping for lunch... this book, IMNSHO is worth every penny!

Back now and I'm glad I waited until after lunch to read the next chapter 'cos I'm in floods of tears now!

Oh dear.  The author has used the name of a famous criminal and I'm not sure if that's legal or not, but it can't be safe, surely??

What a great end to a terrific book!  Just the right mix of heartbreak and positivity.  The last chapter was perfect to end the book on too.

Definitely worthy of the full 5 stars.

Like A Brother by Nathanael Lessore

Kindle     Audiobook     Paperback

⭐ out of 5

It's been a while since I read and reviewed my last children's book but this first paragraph will still be the same as the last one, which says that each book I read and review starts off with the full 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  The most common reason for an otherwise 5 star book becoming a 4 star book is through the use of copyrighted and/or trademarked brands potentially without permission.  There has been one book so far that has had the star rapidly replaced thanks to a magic little sentence right at the back saying that the author had gained permission to use the brand name - it's only happened once so far in the hundreds of books that I've read and reviewed so far, but I'm always hopeful that it'll happen again and I'd love to read that magic little sentence again.

I was pre-approved by the publisher to read and review an ARC of this book a month before it was published.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we?

The buying information says that this book is for "11 years and up" and is 336 pages long which is too long for a middle-grade book unless it's a sci-fi or fantasy book, so the first star is already wobbly before I've even opened the book.  It also says that it's a "teen comedy" but 11 year olds aren't teenagers and I already don't know if this is a middle-grade or teen book!

I'm at the end of the second chapter and there have already been a couple of word choices that an 11 year old wouldn't understand and a mis-placed capitalisation that should have been picked up waaaay before the publisher put it into pre-publication circulation so the first star is already coming off at the end of the first page.

And now, on page 3, we've got two English football teams named, so the second star is already coming off... will I make it to the end of the first chapter without removing the third star??

I think the author is as confused about the ages of his characters as I am because they've just become teenagers, but the author hasn't said how long ago that was... was it this year?  Last year?  Longer than that?  According to my Kindle, I'm 2% of the way through the book and the utter confusion is making me take the third star off... there's 98% to go and only one star left before it officially becomes a DNF for me.

Less than a paragraph later and the author has used two celebrity names/brands which I can't see them giving permission for, so at only 2% and less than a chapter I'm removing the final star and declaring it another DNF unfortunately.

One & Only by Maurene Goo

 Kindle    Audiobook     Hardcover     Paperback

⭐ out of 5

Each book I've read in the last few years I've always started the review off in the same way:  each book I read and review starts off with the full heart of 5 stars and I'm forever hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place by the time I finish the book.  I'm not shy about removing stars if I feel it necessary though, but I always give my reasons within the review - stars don't just vanish.

The author is American, so I'll try and remember not to comment on the missing u's and reading dollars instead of pounds... I just hope she hasn't used any American brands that I've never heard of and any she *has* used are with permission!

It's one of my longer books at just over 300 pages, so I hope the author has written it so that I don't forget what I've already read when I stop for meals and to go to bed etc, 'cos I'm guessing it'll be a 2-day book maybe?

The first star is coming off already and I haven't even read the first word of the book yet!  On my Kindle, the cover of the book is in quarters over the first four pages and there's no way for me to skip past it.  The first page of the story is just as bad because it's got the letter D on the first two lines under the number 11 then the first word is missing it's first letter.  Unless it rapidly improves it'll be a DNF before I even get to the second chapter!!

The second sentence on the first page, the word "lilac" has been repeated after the full stop without a space.  The font is emboldened throughout the first page too, so that's the second star coming off and I'm already getting a headache after reading 2 sentences!!

Oh dear, I'm on the third page and the author has used an American brand that I've heard of, so the next star is wobbly already.  I wanna give this book and author a fair chance though, so unless it's repeated several times, the star is clinging on by its fingernails right now.

And now a fashion designer that I've heard of (and I've heard of barely any fashion designers, so that's saying something!)... I'm giving the author one more chance before the star comes off.

And there it goes after the use of a name of a multi-national, probabbly world-widely famous spreadsheet programme.  I've given the author and book 3 chances which I think is very fair of me, but there have been 3 star losses within the first chapter, so there's only one left to go before it becomes another DNF unfortunately.

Oh boy.  There are all kinds of mistakes, especially the bold font throughout and the extra letters and repeated words fairly frequently.  It could just be my Kindle (although other books are fine on it) but my eyes are aching and getting strained which my optician has recently said to avoid, so the final star is coming off and it's another DNF before the end of the first chapter and at only 2% of the book unfortunately.

Amazon Echo Dot 5th Generation User Guide by Shawn Blaine

Kindle Unlimited     Paperback     Hardback

⭐⭐ out of 5

I've got a new Echo Dot 5th generation and only know how to do 3 things on it (play music, tell a joke and set a reminder) so I was hoping that this book would give me more things to say to my new Alexa so that I could use it for more things.

I've just read the book and it hasn't told me anything I haven't already done and certainly no more things to say to her.  It's also assuming that you have the Alexa with the screen instead of the one that I've got that hasn't got the screen at all.

It's a good book to read if you haven't already set up your Alexa, but if, like me, you have and you were just looking for other things you could get her to do, then it really isn't worth the money IMNSHO

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Kindle     Audiobook     Hardback     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Each book I read and review starts off with the full 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  I'm not shy about removing stars but I always give my reasons for doing so within the review.

I've never read a classic book in my life but this was recommended by a friend and I've got a few more classics to try reading as well, but this is my first ever classic so I'll go into it with an open mind and try and remember that it was written a looong time ago.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we?

Well, I've read 6 pages so far and I'm starting to see how much books have changed over the decades.  Most of the paragraphs are way longer than they are now, but maybe that was the thing to do at the time this book was written?

I'm enjoying this book more than I thought I would, but the extra-long chapters and the rare speech is a bit off-putting.  I'm up to chapter 7 so far.

Up to chapter 9 now and it's time for a warming drink methinks.  There's a bit more speech now, but still barely any compared to today's books.

Up to Part Two now and I'm gonna stop for a breather after reading pretty much constantly all morning.  It's a good book, but some of the language that's used is horrific!  I guess it must have been common in the time that it was written though so the star is safe, but only because it's a classic instead of modern.

I've just finished reading my first ever classic book and while I didn't like some of the language, it was a different era back when it was written and published.  I doubt I'll read it again, but I'm glad I've got my first one under my belt now.

Before the Leaves Fall by Clare O'Dea

Kindle     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

If you've read any of my other more recent book reviews, you'll already have seen that I start the first paragraph of in the same way, by saying that every book I read and review, starts off with the full support of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars and that trademark and copyright are the usual reason for removing a star from an otherwise 5 star book.  I've rapidly replaced a star twice when there's been a magic little sentence either right at the start or right at the end of the book and I'm more than happy to do it again if that sentence is there.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing, shall we?

It's a relatively short book at only 169 pages and it sounds like it could be a bit of a sad book too, but I'm hoping it'll give me an insight into what people are going through when they make the choice to have an assisted death.

The first chapter has introduced me to Ruedi and I'm already enjoying it after only one chapter... one question though, do they use francs in Switzerland instead of Euros?  I though it was only the French who used francs before the Euro was introduced!

I'm up to chapter 3 at page 16 and I'm really enjoying it so far.  It'll break my heart before the end though, 'cos I'm already starting to feel heartbroken for some of the characters!

Time for lunch before I start sobbing my heart out uncontrollably now I think.

Back now and I'm intending to read one more chapter before I stop for my physio then I'll spend the rest of the afternoon reading until I head to bed.

Up to chapter 4 and the next chapters seem to sound like an emotional rollercoaster, so I'm gonna stop there and let my lunch go down a bit before I start sobbing.  This is a truly incredible book so far and I've only read 19 pages!

I'm starting to get to know two of the characters through chapter 4 but I'm gonna stop commenting on every chapter otherwise this book will never get read and this review will never end!  Only the bigger points I want to make starting from now.

Up to chapter 21 now and the huge paragraphs of italics is very hard to read and kinda takes some of the pleasure out of what I'm trying to read... still five stars, but only just now.

There have been potential brand name mentions that I'm not sure of, so that and the blocks of italics mean that the first star is heart-breakingly coming off at chapter 21.

Just finished reading and I'm in floods of tears, but it was a perfect ending to a pretty-much perfect book.  One of those "shoulda been 5 stars" books again.

The Three Most Important Lessons You've Never Been Taught by Martin Lewis

Kindle     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

All of my more recent book reviews have started in the same way - by saying that every book I read and review starts off with the full classroom of stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be in place by the time I close the book.  They also say that I'm not afraid to remove stars if I feel it necessary, but I always give my reasons within the review, they don't just disappear.  Saying that though, I've replaced a star twice so far because of a magical little sentence at the back that has removed the reason I took it off in the first place.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing now, shall we?

Apparently this book will take a smidgen over an hour to read, so hopefully I'll be able to get it finished and this review written before today's deliveries arrive.

I totally agree with what he is saying about fashion... all my clothes are bought when I *need* them and they've literally got holes in them.  The closest I've got to following fashion was to get some non-NHS glasses for the first time in my life because I needed them (my prescription had changed) and I could afford it.  It'll be the same on Thursday with my reading glasses - I need them because my prescription has changed significantly and I can afford it right now.  I'll also use both sets of glasses daily so that I can see and hopefully avoid the eye strain the optician explained about with the reading glasses.  They won't be at the height of fashion but they will be more colourful and upbeat and outgoing that I can wear with any of my current clothes so it'll be worth the extra money to me.

Just finished the first lesson and it's made me think.  I used to be a lot worse with impulse buys and got into huuuge financial debt because of it.  I learnt the hard way that cheaper doesn't necessarily mean worse, it can mean that you're getting exactly the same thing but without the brand name.  I recently discovered that buying a famous brand of "Veggie Fingers" were exactly the same as the supermarket own brand "vegetable fingers" just with a heftier price tag and the only reason I got them is because they were a substitute on my groceries delivery and I needed them for that week's meals!

There have been the usual Trademark issues, so the first star is coming off an otherwise 5 star book again.

It's been a useful book and I understand what compound interest is now and how I got into the financial crisis that I did and why it was so hard to break free from it.

Just finished reading the book and it took *a lot* longer than an hour, but it's been so worthwhile.  I'd say to get the paperback version though, as certain parts were unreadable because they were so small on my Kindle.

All in all, a very worthwhile book.

Fragments of a Decent Man by Christopher Parent

Kindle Unlimited     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Each book I read and review stars off with the full five stars but I'm never afraid to remove them and always give my reason(s) within the review.  The usual reason for me heartbreakingly removing a star from an otherwise five star book is because of copyright or trademark infringement.  There is a magic little sentence that has appeared in two books so far where the lost star is replaced thanks to a magic little sentence either at the start or end of the book and I'd love to see that happen each time I feel I have to remove a star.

At the time of starting to read this book, 11 readers have rated it an average of 4.8 stars so I'm trying to remain hopeful that this'll be a great book, deserving of the full load.

Let's get reading and reviewing shall we?

Apparently, at my reading speed, this book will be finished in 4 hours and 6 minutes, so it could potentially be a late night tonight if I can't stop reading or an early start tomorrow morning.

The first chapter was a bit boring, so I hope that doesn't set the tone for the rest of the book 'cos I've already skipped ahead.  If chapter 2 is no better then the first star is coming off through boredom... I hope this won't be my second DNF in 2 days!

Oh boy.  I didn't even finish reading the first page of chapter two before I skipped to the end of the chapter from the absolute boring dullness of it.  The first star is coming off at page 36 unfortunately.

I hope the third chapter is more interesting but I've already skipped most of the first two chapters, so it's not looking good unfortunately.

Chapter three is about sport which is an incredibly boring subject for me, so I'm skipping ahead for the third time in as many chapters.

Chapter four seems to be about running, which is sport, so I'm officially giving up and declaring this my second DNF in as many days unfortunately.   I'm sure that, for the right audience, this would be a good book, I'm just not enjoying it at all unfortunately.

Maybe that's why this book got such a high rating?  The previous eleven readers quickly gave up reading it too but didn't want to disappoint the author if it got better in later chapters?

It's a 4 star book that I DNF.

Becoming Still: A Tale of Wild Places and Inner Reckoning by SEJ SARAIYA

Kindle Unlimited     Paperback

⭐⭐ out of 5

Have you read any of my other book reviews from the last few years?  If so, you'll know that I always start them off with the full packing of 5 stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  You'll also know that I don't just knock off stars for no reason, I always give my reason(s) within the review.  The most common reason I make a book 4 stars when it should be a 5 is because of copyright or trademark infringement within the book.  I've replaced a lost star twice so far after a magic little sentence right at the back of the book and I'm more than happy to do it again in future if that sentence is there.

I've got high hopes for this book because at the time of reading it has 1 review which has given it the full 5 stars.  I haven't read the review 'cos I prefer to read each book with an open mind, rather than being influenced by others' opinions before I've even opened my Kindle.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing, shall we?

Ooh!  The book starts off with an "Author's Note" and what she has written makes me think that there are some controversial/discriminatory pieces within her book.  She has chosen to present the work as it was originally written in 2012 so it'll be interesting to see what she has to say!

Just before the start of the first chapter, there's what looks like a long photo and tiny writing which are both unseeable on my Kindle so I hope that's the only image in this book like that so that I don't have to remove the first star already.

Oh dear, there's the brand name of a car in chapter two, so we've got two wobbly stars already!

I'm glad that this is a relatively short book 'cos so far I've been bored out of my brain!  I'm up to page 9 of 77 and I've yet to read anything that takes my interest... if this is the authors dull work from 2012 then I *seriously* hope she's improved now!!

Up to chapter 4 and it's such a dull, boring book that the first star is officially plopping off with the other two still wobbly.  I'm glad I didn't read the review that's already up first otherwise I would have been even more disappointed that he or she had thought so highly of the book!

I'm giving this book until the end of chapter 4 before I officially give up on it and declare it another DNF.

OK, I've just finished the fourth chapter and it didn't improve so I'm declaring it another DNF unfortunately and I'm taking the two wobbly stars off too because they don't deserve to stay on.

The First Call Was Mine by Kay Blake

Kindle Unlimited     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

After reading my first memoir I've been hooked on the genre and wanting to read more.  This book piqued my interest from the description and I can't wait to get started reading it!

Each book I read and review starts off with the full library load of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be stuck firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  I'm not shy about removing stars if I feel it necessary, but I always give my reason(s) within the review.  The usual reason is for copyright/Trademark infringement which is a real annoyance of mine.  I've replaced a removed star a couple of times thanks to a magic little sentence right at the end of the book and I'm more than willing to do it again... it just hasn't happened more than those couple of times.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we?

Oooh! The introduction pre-chapter 1 sounds like this is gonna be a raw memoir that really hits home in a few places so there are prolly gonna be anger and tears in this review, so maybe make sure that small eyes aren't anywhere near when you read this review and potentially book (if you decide to get it) as there might be a few raw emotions and maybe swearing from me, so be ready for that before you read any further.

I'm on page 2 and it's obviously written by an American due to the emergency phone number used, so I'll try not to get too frustrated by the spellings and different words for the same thing... it's good that I've found out sooner rather than later so that I know not to remove stars for things that are beyond the author's control like the emergency phone number.  It'll be interesting to see what else is different between our countries too.

There have been a couple of brief mentions of a popular doll and a famous entertainment company but that's all it's been so far, so the star is still safe, but the glue is starting to weaken a bit.

The first chapter was so powerful... and long at 17 pages.  That's OK though, I know now and I'm totally hooked.

The second chapter was all over the place, but was 16 pages long and there's just over half an hour until lunchtime starts so I'm gonna try and get chapter 3 read and reviewed before then, but we'll have to wait and see.

Chapter 3 has got me quivering with hope, then fear.  I'm up to page 47 and I'm gonna stop there for an early lunch before I break down in tears and feel too emotional to eat.

I've had a busy few days since I last picked up this book so it'll be interesting to see how easy or otherwise it is to get back into it!

I've just finished chapter 4 and I'm already wondering if this'll be a DNF for heartbreakingly emotional reasons rather than the poor quality of the writing... each word has been carefully chosen to chip away at my heart and it's already breaking me after only 4 chapters.  There are 210 pages left to go and I can already feel the knot in my throat as I try to swallow the tears that I'm desperate not to shed!

Chapter 5 broke my heart again, but thankfully no tears yet... this is a truly incredible book, oozing with pain.

This review is already getting waaaay too long and I've barely started the book, so I'll only comment on noteworthy things now, but I'm expecting there to be multiple floods of tears when I can't swallow the emotional knot in my throat any more!

Chapter 15 was loooooong, but IMHO so worthwhile and necessary.

There have been multiple mentions of Trademarked businesses so, like with other books who have done the same, I'm having to take the first star off, even though I really don't want to.

As predicted, I'm in floods of tears.  The author has been through so much crud and reading her words has made me realise just how easy my life has been.

Thank you for opening my eyes, Kay.

Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean? by Fran Hill

Kindle     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars

If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that I start them all off with the same first paragraph that says that each book I read and review starts off with the full classroom of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they'll all be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.  You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars if I feel it necessary, but I always give my reasons within the review - they don't just vanish.

I've read a few memoirs recently and written a couple of my own but I still feel like a newbie in this area.

I also love children and am qualified to work with them so it'll be interesting to see what this teacher has to say about her time in the classroom!

Time to get my Kindle out of the drawer and the first page opened now I reckon.

OK, so I'm loving the first 10 pages of this book so far and it's a secondary school teacher, so I've got no idea what goes on behind the scenes as my qualification is up to 8 year olds only and the author has used the name of a creamy alcohol drink so the first star is wobbly in fairness to the other books I've read in the past, but I'm really hoping it'll cling on over the next 250 pages... so far so good though!

Up to page 31 now and I'm still loving this book... there have been multiple mentions of the alcohol but the star is already wobbly for that reason, so I've decided not to remove it... yet.  Almost lunchtime but not hungry yet, so will keep reading for a while and see how my appetite feels after another few pages.

Unfortunately there have been mentions of other trademarked items so at page 36 the first star is unfortunately coming off and I'm seriously hoping that'll be the only one 'cos this is a truly fantastic, realistic, sarcastic, comforting read and I'm gonna go and make my lunch now.

Back now to keep reading until bedtime... let's see if it continues to be a great book this afternoon.

Up to page 69 now and stopping reading for the day.  There has been a sprinkling of potentially Trademarked things, but the star has already come off so the four stars are safe for the moment.  I'm really enjoying this book so far.

Sounds like this school's last day before Christmas was about as fun as it could be for the students... I always gave each of my teachers a Christmas gift with strict instructions not to open it until after they'd had their Christmas lunch though... it was only ever a big, family sized bar of chocolate, but it was the thought that counted though, right?  lol

Up to page 108 and I'd like to try and get to half way before I have my lunch, but we'll have to wait and see.

Woohoo!  8 pages over half way and it's only 11.48am so I'm thinking that it'll be a reasonably timed lunch today.  There have been a couple of children that remind me of myself at their age, and one of the reasons is a rarity... or at least it was when I was that child's age!  lol

At page 157 I've got a new respect and admiration for and I'm in so in awe of teachers... I honestly thought they used the same lesson plan every year and didn't take their student's work home with them!  It sounds like they work their fingers to the bone on little sleep and spend around 15-20 hours a day working, including weekends and over the school holidays too!

There have been several chapter headings right at the bottom of my Kindle and the chapter starting on the next page.  I've forgiven it too many times though, so unfortunately I'm taking a second star off.

Less than 100 pages left to read now and this book has been really enjoyable other than the things that should have been picked up before publication.

There are now 71 pages left to read and I'm hoping to make it to 50 before I head to bed tonight.  The author seems to have slowed down the pace of her writing so she's tying up lose ends now.

Exactly 50 pages left to read and review tomorrow and the author is definitely slowing the pace down and tying up the lose ends of her book!

Are the last 50 pages gonna make me cry or will it be a happy ending?  Or both?

Just finished the last page (other than the acknowledgements) and the author handled it perfectly.

I maintain the opinion that it should have been a five star book, if not for the dratted trademark usage and the editing mistakes that should have been caught before publication.

Duckling by Eve Ainsworth

Kindle     Paperback
⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Each book I read and review starts off with the full body of 5 stars and I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly stuck in place by the time I close the back cover.  I'm never shy about removing stars if I feel it necessary, but I always give my reasons within the review - they don't just plop off.

Apparently this book is "A gripping, emotional, life-affirming story you'll want to recommend to a friend" and it's a 4.3 star story from 224 reviews, so it's got a lot to live up to!

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we?

The first chapter was good... I'll never remember the four characters that I've already been introduced to though lol

Chapter 2 was good... I'm ever so slowly starting to get to know the main character, her new neighbours and I've kinda been introduced to her boss and dad too.  I'm thinking that there might be an opportunity for friendship and fun with her neighbours, maybe a bit of romantic interest and possibly grief with her dad too, but I hope I'm wrong about that last one.

Chapter 3 has got me slightly worried, but this review is already starting to get a bit long, so, like my other reviews, I'll only comment on the big things now.

There have been a few mentions of a famous international burger bar and now their logo, so in fairness to other books I've read, the first star is coming off on page 73 and I'm really hoping that's the only one.

I'm about a third of the way through the book already, so now, at chapter 7, seems like a good point to go and make my lunch.

The end of chapter 7 was better than I was dreading, but I'm starting to get worried/angry/frustrated at Cassie now!

I'm almost half way now and am I about to find out more about Lucy's dad??

Gonna read one more chapter and hopefully that'll take me to tea-time, then I can spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with my nose in this great book.

Oooh!  I wonder what Lucy's secret is?  Will I find out before bedtime tonight or will it tantalise me until tomorrow??

Back until lunchtime and I hope I find out what Lucy's secret is soon!

Chapter 12 and I still don't know Lucy's secret, but maybe we are closer to finding Cassie??

Up to page 229 and time for lunch methinks.  There's about 160 pages to go and I've got so many questions for the author to answer and I hope it's a happy ending too... and I'm thinking it'll be a tear-jerker judging by the subtitle too, what with it promising to be "A gripping, emotional, life-affirming story".

With about 120 pages to go, the stakes have suddenly ramped up even higher!  How on earth is the author going to tie the lose ends up without rushing through it all?!

Page 272 and things are finally falling into place... my heart is thumping and I'm really hope this won't be a sad ending to a great book.

It's been a busy couple of days since I last picked up this book so it'll be a challenge to see if my memory churns into action when I pick it up again.  I'm really hoping there isn't anything sob-worthy before lunch so that I don't feel too emotional to eat!

The spelling of Lucy's name in that text has got me on edge... will this be bad news?  Has something happened to Cassie?  There's still half an hour before lunch so I'm gonna read one more chapter then make it methinks.

Chapter 21 is making me think we're going international now, but we can't be with less than 70 pages to go, surely?!

Oh.

My.

Goddess.

I've just finished the book and the tears are streaming down my face in stonking huge great waves.

Definitely worth waiting for.

The Overthinking Cure by Dr Jessamy Hibberd

Kindle     Audiobook     Paperback

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

If you've read any of my other more recent book reviews, you'll know that I start them off with this same first paragraph that says that each book starts off with the full 5 stars and that I'm also hopeful that they are all still in place by the time I close the back cover.  You'll also know that I'm not shy about removing stars but I always give my reason(s) for doing so within the review - they don't just disappear.

I was approved to read an DRC of this book by the publisher and Net Galley but there was no option to download it onto my Kindle for some reason, even though there's a Kindle book available.  I'm reading it through the Net Galley app and hope that I don't forget that I'm reading and reviewing it because it's not on my Kindle.  I won't be commenting on the look of the book or any page errors as I don't know what it looks like on my Kindle.

Let's get going with the reading and reviewing shall we?

I'm only on the first page after the dedication and copyright etc pages and I'm already getting a headache because the text is so small and I can't find a way to increase it so at 3% the first star is already wobbly!  Actually, scratch that, I've read a sentence so far and it's pretty much totally unreadable because of the font and size that has been chosen for this book, so after one single sentence, the first star is coming off already.

I haven't even managed to read the first paragraph and it's totally unreadable for me unfortunately, so this is not only a DNF it's a barely started too!  I'm taking off the three remaining stars because I can't safely read it at all!

I've scrolled further forward just in case but there are images and graphs and the font hasn't changed size so there's no way I can read this book unfortunately.  I really hope they fix the font before it's published otherwise there may not be many happy readers unfortunately!

***

I contacted the publisher about not being able to read the book because of the font size, which they quickly corrected, I re-downloaded the book but there were numbers at the start and/or end of each line, so I contacted the publisher again and they were able to sort that out too, so I'm starting a fresh page with this book and ramping the stars all the way back up to five.

Let's try reading and reviewing again.

This book is soooo me already!

There have been several mistakes in the format of the book so far that kinda spoils it a bit, most noticeably when there are 11 words without a single space between any of them.  I hope that they are ironed out before final publication!  The first star is wobbly, but it's clinging on by it's fingernails right now.

There are 4 pages with just boxes of various shapes and sizes that I'm guessing are supposed to be images, but they just don't make any sense to me reading the Kindle version so the first star is plopping off unfortunately.

My overthinking is usually definitely The Dweller - especially when I'm alone!!  Saying that though, I'm also The Catastrophizer lol  And The Overwhelmed, although thankfully not as much as I used to be now.

Up to chapter 8 and I'm gonna treat myself compassionately and go and make myself a me-friendly creamy hot-chocolate.

With the ten tips for sleep, I already do numbers 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 but I'm hopeless at the last 3 lol

I'm stiff and sore, but I've really enjoyed the last almost 8 hours of constant reading, but my bladder is telling me that it's time for a break now, after my earlier hot chocolate lol

I've got a room-temperature bottle of ice tea to keep me going until lunchtime now... I'm loving this book so far, other than the words with no spaces between them which is a bit frustrating, but I'm reading an ARC so I'm really hoping that they will all be found and adjusted before it gets released then I'll look like an idiot in this review lol

I've been so caught up in this book that I've forgotten to update this review and drink my bottle of ice tea (the reason that I chose the cold version over the hot lol)!  It's taken almost exactly 9 hours but I've absolutely devoured it!  There were more strings of words together and misplaced titles/chapters/sections that I'm hoping will be sorted by the time this book is published for real, but it's been sooo worth it!