Usborne: Money For Beginners By Eddie Reynolds, Matthew Oldham & Lara Bryan Review!

Usborne: Money For Beginners (2021) by Eddie Reynolds, Matthew Oldham & Lara Bryan is a really helpful book which is part of Usborne’s For Beginners series.

There is so much to learn in this book. You can learn about various different money-related topics such as stocks, shares, bitcoin, commercial banks, Islamic banks, central banks, retail banks, credit ratings, managing debt, giving to charity and a host of other things. The book gives a history of money too. The information is very well-presented and accessible. It was very interesting, really intriguing. Money can often be quite a complex topic but this book makes it all very simplified and accessible for all. The illustrations by Marco Bonatti were incredible and really helped with getting the information in the book across.

The book has seven interesting chapters dealing with different areas regarding money and financial matters in general. This is followed by an intriguing What’s Next? section and a helpful glossary to help readers with the many financial terms which are presented throughout the book. This book makes the topic of money much less daunting for all ages.

An excellent and extremely helpful read.

To purchase Usborne: Money For Beginners By Eddie Reynolds, Matthew Oldham & Lara Bryan go to:

For more about Eddie Reynolds and his work go to:

https://usborne.com/gb/authors/eddie-reynolds

For more about Matthew Oldham and his work go to:

https://usborne.com/gb/authors/matthew-oldham

For more about Lara Bryan and her work go to:

https://usborne.com/gb/authors/lara-bryan

For more about Marco Bonatti and his work go to:

https://www.marcobonatti.com

Heartstopper Volume 4 By Alice Oseman Review!

Heartstopper Volume 4 (2021) by Alice Oseman is a fantastic read from the author’s Heartstopper series.

The book follows Charlie and Nick who are now dating but haven’t yet told each other they love each other. There is also a lot of other things going on in both of their lives. Charlie has an eating disorder and Nick is worried about him. Nick also is preparing to come out to his Dad.

I found this a great read and the illustrations combined with the story worked really well. The attention to detail in the illustrations is really great. There are some very important themes in this food like eating disorders, mental health, coming out and the meaning of love. I think there are great characters in the book with the main two characters and their families and friends. The interactions flow very smoothly and the plot moves along very well. There is a lot of serious issues in the book as well as a lot of romance and humour too. I particularly love Nick’s Mother who reminds me a lot of my sister with how she advises him. It’s a beautiful story and I enjoyed reading it.

There is also a teachers mini-comic about the love story of two of the teachers in the school which I found very good too. There is also an interesting overview of the characters and a fun Instagram part with Charlie, Nick and their friend Tao. The book also contains a very helpful list of mental health resources.

An amazing read. A must read.

To purchase Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman go to:

For more about Alice Oseman and her work go to:

https://aliceoseman.com

Nought Forever (Noughts & Crosses) By Malorie Blackman Review!

Nought Forever (Noughts & Crosses) (2019) by Malorie Blackman is an excellent read. The book was written for World Book Day in 2019 and is a Noughts & Crosses story.

The book tells the story of Dan who is trying to get away from a gang who are trying to kill him. He ends up on Eva’s lawn after he is attacked. Eva is in a bad place after the death of her daughter. She decides to help him and brings him into her home. She helps to fix up the injured Dan and is faced with a dilemma about whether to protect him or not.

I think it is beautifully written. Very thought-provoking. There is so many themes here which all connect together of hate, prejudice, pain, revenge, regret, accountability, shame, guilt and grace. A very emotional read and there is so much packed into this short read. I liked both characters and I hoped for a resolution for them both. They both seemed to be searching for peace but didn’t seem to know how to get there. There was a lot of pain and hate in the way. That’s what it felt like to me. They were trying to overcome their past, their mistakes and their regrets and it was a long journey for both.

There are also some sneak peaks from the author’s book Crossfire from the Noughts & Crosses series as well as a sneak peak from Emily M. Danforth’s book The Miseducation Of Cameron Post. From the sneak peaks, both seemed really good reads.

An excellent read. A must read.

To read Nought Forever (Noughts & Crosses) by Malorie Blackman go to:

For more about Malorie Blackman and her work go to:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/159198/malorie-blackman

Rainbow Magic: Phoebe The Fashion Fairy (The Party Fairies) By Daisy Meadows Review!

Phoebe The Fashion Fairy (2005) by Daisy Meadows is an enjoyable read. The book is the sixth book in the authors’ series The Party Fairies.

The book tells the story of Kirsty and Rachel who are going to their friend Charlotte’s birthday party. But Charlotte’s dress for the party has been destroyed with green paint by a goblin. Charlotte’s Mother takes the dress to the dry cleaners leaving Kirsty and Rachel to get the cakes together for the party. And while they do this, they have another secret mission to find the goblin. They soon encounter Phoebe The Fashion Fairy whose magic bag has been stolen. Therefore she can’t create party dresses for them. Can the three of them save the day?

I found the book very entertaining. The whole fashion theme was just fabulous. The characters were very likeable and the plot moved along smoothly with great suspense. I thought it was joyful and fun and I love the attention to detail throughout. The illustrations by Georgie Ripper are superb too and really add to the enjoyment of the story.

A great read.

To purchase Rainbow Magic: Phoebe The Fashion Fairy (The Party Fairies) by Daisy Meadows go to:

For more about Daisy Meadows and their work go to:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Daisy-Meadows/191732327

Narinder Dhami

https://www.instagram.com/narinderdhami

Sue Bentley

https://suebentley.co.uk

Linda Chapman

http://www.lindachapmanauthor.co.uk/

Lucy Diamond

https://lucydiamond.co.uk

Karen Ball

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/74999/karen-ball

Marilyn Kaye

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Kaye

For more about Georgie Ripper and her work go to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgie_Ripper

The Mind Gym: Give Me Time Review!

The Mind Gym: Give Me Time (2006) is a really helpful book.

This book is a practical guide packed with tips on how to utilise your time in the best way you can and in the best way that suits you.

There are numerous activities in the book which will help you get to the root of your time troubles such as if you are a time hawk or a time dove. And whether you are a striving or resigned one at that. You can also test yourself to see if you are a rushaholic, where do you see yourself in 12 months and your rigid and softened beliefs. You have chapters about goal setting, mañana, saying no, meetings and what and who are eating into your time and what to do about the situations.

There is lots of excellent advice and it’s a book you can read through or dip in and out of. Very interesting and written in a very down-to-earth way.

An amazing read.

To purchase The Mind Gym: Give Me Time go to:

For more about The Mind Gym and their work go to:

https://themindgym.com

Mr Fox By Helen Oyeyemi Review!

Mr Fox (2011) by Helen Oyeyemi is a fantastic read. It is a re-telling of the Bluebeard story.

The book tells the story of Mr Fox, Daphne Fox and Mary Foxe. Mr Fox is a writer who is lost in his imagination and has been for a while. He has created a love interest in Mary Foxe and he finds himself confused about whether he loves Mary or his wife Daphne more. Daphne is at a loss as to how to bring him back from this escape from reality in a bid to save their marriage.

I found the book very well-written. I got very engrossed in it very quickly. There was a mixture of a contemporary style of writing with a classic style of writing which I think worked very well for the book. It felt almost claustrophobic in parts. I found the characters very interesting and I felt very connected to Daphne’s struggle to save her marriage. She was my favourite character. The book had a lot about social issues in it. How women are treated in society by men. How women are blamed for the violence men unleash on them. How Mr Fox is always killing women in his stories and how he seems to love these two women in a strange way but not respect them.

The dialogue in the book flows very well. The characters are very well-rounded. Nothing seemed contrived and the story flowed very well. I found the story within a story within a story style really ambitious but I think it was very polished. I admired how the author brought it all together because it seemed like a lot! 🙂 I could imagine the amount of research, time and work which went into this plot so I found that very admirable.

An amazing read.

To purchase Mr Fox by Helen Oyeyemi go to:

For more about Helen Oyeyemi and her work go to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Oyeyemi

The Thirteen Problems By Agatha Christie Review!

The Thirteen Problems (1932) is a short story collection by Agatha Christie. These stories are the earliest Miss Marple stories and there are thirteen stories as the title suggests.

The book is a tale of two halves. The first half takes place at Miss Marple’s house where she is there with her nephew Raymond West and four other people Joyce Lemprière, Dr. Pender, Mr. Petherick and Sir Henry Clithering. Naturally as we are at Miss Marple’s house, talk soon turns to crime and The Tuesday Night Club is born. Each participant tells a true life crime story to see if the others present can work out the conclusion. The second half takes place after Sir Henry asks Miss Marple to a dinner party. Throughout the two meetings, we are treated to stories such as The Idol House of Astarte, The Thumb Mark of St. Peter, The Companion and The Affair at the Bungalow. The Blue Geranium is also part of the collection and is a stand-out though all the stories are really interesting. I really liked the character of Jane Helier who told The Affair at the Bungalow story and I found the outcome of it really interesting and well put together. Miss Marple is of course fabulous as always and I love the whole sisterhood theme between Jane, Miss Marple and Mrs Bantry. Death by Drowning ends the collection very well with Miss Marple once again proving her crime expertise. I love how unassuming Miss Marple is and yet how quietly confident she is in her abilities. She needs no one’s approval and really that’s quite inspirational and she is such an entertaining and unique character. The writing style by Agatha Christie is as always coversational, down-to-earth and amazing.

An incredible read.

To buy The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie go to:

For more about Agatha Christie and her work go to:

https://www.agathachristie.com

A Week In Winter By Maeve Binchy Review!

A Week In Winter (2012) by Maeve Binchy was the late author’s final novel.

The novel is set in a fictional town in the west of Ireland called Stoneybridge. It is set in a guest house called Stone House. The book tells the story of the people associated with Stone House. All the stories are interwoven. Maeve’s writing style is very absorbing and conversational. She writes in a matter-of-fact way but also like you are talking to a friend. The book starts with the story of Chicky Starr who owns the guest house but it is prior to her owning Stone House. When she is younger she goes to New York after falling for an American man called Walter in Ireland. Her parents are against her doing so but she goes with her heart. It doesn’t work out sadly but her pride stops her from admitting this. Instead she lies that Walter was killed in a crash. As the chapters continue we meet the employees Rigger and Orla and many interesting guests such as Winnie who is on holiday with her boyfriend’s Mother Lillian and they don’t get on, John who is an actor known as Corry and wants time away from the limelight, Freda who is getting over her love for a married man, Anders who is caught between duty and desire and Miss Howe who is stuck in her past.

The book is intriguing. It is about searching for yourself in the world. Each of the characters go to Stoney House to recover and find their place in the world. Stoney House has this vibe from the start with Chicky’s story. She is very understanding and kind to her employees and guests and their feelings. Very warm. The atmosphere is therefore warm and welcoming at Stoney House and it feels like it is for more than to get the business of the guests. It feels very sincere and beautiful. She gets what trying to turn your life around is all about. The story deals with many types of relationships such as people falling in love early or later in life and age gap relationships. Maeve writes about the vulnerability and fear people can have when facing a relationship like with Freda, Winnie and two other characters who are a couple called Irene and Nasey. Making your own decisions and being able to make them is a huge theme. So many of the characters are caught between what is expected by others and what you want yourself. There is fear that they will let down or anger someone in their life or that they will make a mistake and instead take the easy way of conforming. It is about finding balance between taking advice from loved ones and living your life the way you wish to. Suppression is a huge theme of this book and trying to overcome it.

A lot of these characters are imperfect. But it is this imperfection which makes them relatable. They are all at Stoney House for varying reasons such as finding themselves, atoning or recovering from the stresses and pressures of life. Chicky doesn’t judge as she has been there herself. They came to the guest house to figure out where they are going much like Chicky when she came back to Ireland. Stoney House is a sanctuary for those who have lost their ways and who are trying to move on from the past. Deception and secrecy is another theme with characters such as Chicky, Freda and Anders. Faith and destiny is also huge in the book. Chicky’s path was set from early on. She went to New York for love and excitement but later found herself in the employment of Mrs. Cassidy who taught her all she needed to know to run Stoney House. Her visits home made her more prone to go back so it all worked as it was meant to and she was meant to contribute positively to the lives of the people she encountered at Stoney House. My favourite character was Miss Queenie. She is so warm and supportive of everyone. I loved her so much. Miss Nell Howe is a very intriguing character. Not particularly likeable but intriguing. Carmel and Orla are absolutely badass boss girls. Love them. There are also many other supporting characters like Dr. Dai Morgan and John Paul who help move the plot along.

A fantastic read.

To buy A Week In Winter by Maeve Binchy go to:

For more about Maeve Binchy and her work go to:

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