Monday 27 August 2012

Village Matters by Rebecca Shaw

This was another great story from the Turnham Malpas series. There was, as usual, some serious and some more lighthearted storylines, all great to read. I love how these books really capture village life and the different types of individuals within it. I was slightly dissappointed by Muriel in this book. She has been my favourite character so far, but she seems to have become slightly controlled by Ralph, although she does not realise this. Pericles, the dog, dying was like an end of an era for her, which I thought was very sad. It is lovely that she has found love, but a shame she has lost her independence. Overall, it was a very good read. I give this book 9/10.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews

I've read quite a few Carole Matthews books, but this one was a bit of a disappointment in comparison to some of her best ones. Whilst I loved the idea behind the story, and enjoyed parts of the book, overall something didn't work for me. I think the main problem was that I didn't like the main character, Nell. At times she was a bit irritating, and a lot of the time a bit stupid. The easiness with which she kissed another man, and then accepted that her husband had maybe kissed another woman didn't seem very realistic. Some of the storylines didn't seem all that realistic, either, and tended to get out of hand very quickly. In addition, the handbags described didn't sound very nice at all! But some parts were enjoyable to read, and other bits did make me laugh out loud, so it wasn't all bad: just not as good as others I have read. Therefore I give this book 5/10.

Friday 17 August 2012

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

I absolutely loved this book! From the first paragraph I fell in love with the main character, Lydia. I felt so close to her and wish I had a friend like her in real life! I also loved Carol from the start, too, and was empathetic with her plight to have a child. At first I was unsure about the characters of Alix and Jacqueline, but as they developed and grew as characters, and as the knitting class all became friends, I began to love them, too. I felt as if I was the extra member of the knitting class and it even made me want to learn to knit! I liked how each character took it in turns to have a chapter so I could see all sides of the stories. The plot was interesting and heartwarming, a perfectly indulgent read! I give this book 10/10!

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Talk of the Village by Rebecca Shaw

The second installment of the Turnham Malpas series was gripping. I read it very quickly and couldn't put it down! I really like Rebecca Shaw's style of writing in that it is third person, but written from the perspective from different characters throughout, showing their thoughts and personalities through the narrative. Muriel still has to be my favourite character - she is just so sweet and kind. A few interesting plot twists such as those involving the Baxters and Venetia and so on, kept me wanting to read on. What I like about these stories is the fact that the plots aren't always predictable, but things always end well for the good characters (which is why I like chick lit so much!). I'm now looking forward to reading the third installment to see what happens in Turnham Malpas next! I give this book 10/10.

Friday 10 August 2012

A Walk in the Park by Jill Mansell

This was an enjoyable read, another nice book by Jill Mansell. The characters were well written, I loved both of the main characters - Evie and Lara. I loved those characters I was meant to love (such as Nettie, Don, Flynn, etc) and hated those I was meant to (ie Joel). The only storyline I didn't really enjoy was the one involving the famous rapper, EnjaySeven. I understand the need for his character to be in the novel, especially relating to Harry's personal journey, but I didn't see the need for him to be famous and such a jerk! But other than that, it was an enjoyable read, but nothing really stood out to me as being particularly special or 'unputdownable'. I give this book 7/10.