I’m gently glowing today because I’ve had a really lovely new review for December Roses courtesy of Scottish writer Carol McKay. Carol is part way through a whole series of book reviews on her blog for the first three months of the year, and I’m delighted that she took the time both to read my … More Review and interview for December Roses
It’s a very long time since I read the children’s classic (by Frances Hodgson Burnett) that this adaptation is based on. Slightly more recently, but not much, I watched the famous 1970s BBC version. But I’d still forgotten most of the finer detail, beyond a vague recollection of little Mary Lennox, orphaned in India and … More The Secret Garden review
My good friend Jay Mountney wrote A FASCINATING BLOG POST the other day about fantasy fiction, which is well worth reading, and which set me thinking on a number of different levels. For starters, she complains that fantasy is such a broad range of subjects and styles that it shouldn’t really be lumped into a … More Fantasy fiction: sub-Tolkien quest-fic?
One of the best history programmes in years has just shown up on mainstream TV after being tucked away on the 5Select channel over the summer. I only caught Walking Britain’s Roman Roads (presented by historian Dan Jones) by accident thanks to a brief mention in Radio Times magazine, but I’m glad I did because … More Did the Romans smell of fish?
I’ll start by saying that I really enjoyed the recent BBC dramatisation of Eleanor Catton’s novel The Luminaries. It took me far too long to watch, mostly because of lockdown and not having the house to myself, but when I did get the opportunity I enjoyed this strange, compelling mix of mysticism and skull-duggery set … More Shedding light on The Luminaries
I had a really nice surprise this morning when I got an email from BookBub, the online hub for all things e-book. It told me that not only had someone recommended Echoes of Blood, but had left a stonking review of the book into the bargain. The review includes phrases like Fiona Glass creates an … More Lovely new review for Echoes of Blood
Someone recommended this book to me on a Facebook group, and I’m really glad they did. At first glance it’s a murder mystery combined with romance, but on closer inspection there are creepier elements too. The book centres on a dilapidated old house in small-town America, and an ill-advised séance a group of teenagers hold … More The Well review
This book was a real surprise. A romance set in the world of TV talent shows, it tells the story of Pasha and Eddie, two singers from utterly different backgrounds who both have a burning need to win the Brit Pop contest. Once they find out the show is rigged, they work together to milk … More True Brit review
The movie I Still See You seems to have had some awful reviews online. We thought we’d give it a go anyway, and we’re really glad we did. It wasn’t perfect (leap years*) but it was an original take on the traditional ghost story, with people who died when a secret government laboratory blew up … More Ghost story with a difference
This is the first gay romance book I’ve read for quite some time (probably since Patrick Gale’s A Place Called Winter). As soon as I saw the blurb for this I thought it sounded like my sort of thing – and I was right. It’s a quirky mix of magic, monsters and mystery with a … More Lost in Time review
