Proud compiled by Juno Dawson – book review

I reserved this book from the library back in June, as I wanted to read something to link in with Pride month.

Here is the book blurb.

A stirring, bold and moving anthology of stories and poetry by top LGBTQ+ YA authors and new talent, giving their unique responses to the broad theme of pride. Each story has an illustration by an artist identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Compiled by Juno Dawson, author of THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN.

A celebration of LGBTQ+ talent, PROUD is a thought-provoking, funny, emotional read.

Contributors: Steve Antony, Dean Atta, Kate Alizadeh, Fox Benwell, Alex Bertie, Caroline Bird, Fatti Burke, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Frank Duffy, Simon James Green, Leo Greenfield, Saffa Khan, Karen Lawler, David Levithan, Priyanka Meenakshi, Alice Oseman, Michael Lee Richardson, David Roberts, Cynthia So, Kay Staples, Jessica Vallance, Kristen Van Dam and Kameron White.

This is a book of mainly short stories on the theme of Pride but also some poetry, featuring LGBTQ+ teenagers and some of the issues they face. It has been complied by Juno Dawson, who earlier this year won the YA Book Prize 2020 for the novel Meat Market. Juno is also a school role model for Stonewall charity. Each story or poem is accompanied by an illustration. All the authors and artists belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Some are established authors and some are new writers.

I’m not a huge poetry fan and the first piece in the anthology was a poem which I have to say I did struggle somewhat to interpret, even on re-reading a few times. However this was followed by a very funny Penguins story at which point I was sold on the book. The content is a mixture of moving, thought provoking, funny and even a modern day lesbian take on Pride and Prejudice. I personally loved almost all of the reads.

At the back of the book, there is a useful resource list of charities that support LGBTQ+ people in the UK. Proud is available on Amazon. A great diverse read.

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Guest post: Spotlight on Justice Gone plus giveaway

Guest post by Nick Lombardi.

WINNER OF FIVE AWARDS

2020 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD

NEW YORK CITY BIG BOOK AWARD 2019

2019 AMERICAN FICTION AWARD

NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCY AWARD – Best Legal Thriller of 2019

SILVER MEDAL WINNER 2019 READERS’ FAVORITES AWARDS

Chosen by Wiki.ezvid.com among their list of 10 Gripping and Intelligent Legal Thrillers

The courtroom scenes are wonderfully written…the characters are well described and the author paints a picture of each in the mind of the reader…Strong plot, strong characters and a strong writing style that I really enjoyed. This one is a definite “thumbs-up.” Strongly recommend! I look forward to reading additional works by N. Lombardi, Jr.
Kim M Aalaie, Author’s Den

One of my favorite suspense novels of the year. It will make you question the legal system.
The Eclectic Review

The courtroom action is excellent, trimmed to the most gripping parts of the trial, with plenty of emotional impact…a fairly realistic portrayal of the way small-town US society works…a fast-moving story with plenty of dramatic moments, and a big twist in the final pages.
Crime Review 

An act of police brutality hurls a small town into a turmoil of rage and fear, igniting a relentless witch hunt and ending in the trial of the decade.

“When a homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police, stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down.

A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran’s counselor, is caught up in the chase.

Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa’s patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers gets there first, leading to Darfield’s dramatic capture.

Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and ageing blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine. Can they untangle the web tightening around Darfield in time, when the press and the justice system are baying for revenge?”

You may see Yet Another Blogging Mummy’s review of this book here.

Book Links
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Goodreads
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Waterstones
Kobo

About the author

N. Lombardi Jr, the N for Nicholas, has spent over half his life in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, working as a groundwater geologist. Nick can speak five languages: Swahili, Thai, Lao, Chinese, and Khmer (Cambodian).

In 1997, while visiting Lao People’s Democratic Republic, he witnessed the remnants of a secret war that had been waged for nine years, among which were children wounded from leftover cluster bombs. Driven by what he saw, he worked on The Plain of Jars for the next eight years.
Nick maintains a website with content that spans most aspects of the novel: The Secret War, Laotian culture, Buddhism etc. http://plainofjars.net

His second novel, Journey Towards a Falling Sun, is set in the wild frontier of northern Kenya.

His latest novel, Justice Gone was inspired by the fatal beating of a homeless man by police.
Nick now lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Visit his goodreads page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6982373.N_Lombardi_Jr_

And we have a rafflecopter competition to giveaway a paperback copy of Justice Gone to one lucky winner. Open worldwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

The Subway Girl by Lisa Becker – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have previously enjoyed several books by Lisa Becker, so I was certainly looking forward to reading her latest book The Subway Girl. To find out more about the author you may visit her website.

Here is the book blurb.

The Subway Girl combines witty humor, sizzling chemistry, likeable characters, funny banter and heart swooning moments into a story of unexpected love and fate.

A hopeless romantic
A cynical web show producer
An unscrupulous camera operator
A sleazy businessman
An aspiring actress
A womanizing best friend
A scheming ex-girlfriend
A commitment-phobic roommate
An unlucky-in-love buddy
These lives intersect when an average guy is awed by a mystery woman on a crowded New York subway and vows to meet her.

The story starts with Ryan spotting a gorgeous woman on the subway that he wants to meet, but by the time he exits the train, she is gone. So he creates a website to try to find her, which Angie, producer at the Celebrity Monger web show sees and thinks would be a good publicity stunt to help her career. She convinces a reluctant Ryan to run with the story to help him find the mystery Subway Girl.

He is in disbelief when they quickly receive over 150 video responses plus loads of online comments. Meanwhile cameraman Harlan films Ryan’s reactions to each response, but none are the subway girl. Angie uploads some of the videos and it really goes viral with more and more responses, which take up plenty of their time to watch.

But will the subway girl come forward? And who else has a stake in this? Will Ryan be lucky in love? Does this give Angie’s career the boost she hopes for?

The Subway Girl is available on Amazon, currently priced at £3.91 in Kindle format. A fun romantic comedy.

And you may like to see my reviews of other titles by Lisa that I also loved.
Links
Clutch
Starfish
Dear Future Self

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About the author

Lisa Becker is a romance writer who spends her time like she spends her money – on books and margaritas. As Lisa’s grandmother used to say, “For every chair, there’s a tush.” Lisa is now happily married to a wonderful man she met online and lives in Manhattan Beach, California with him and their two daughters. So, if it happened for her, there’s hope for anyone! You can share your love stories with her at www.lisawbecker.com.

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And you can find Lisa Becker on social media as follows:-
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – book review

For my next personal choice of read, rather than a requested book review, I had decided that I wanted to select a title from the Black Lives Matter reading list. I had previously seen that Angie Thomas was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal with her latest novel On The Come Up, but I opted to start with her first title, The Hate U Give. This is a multi award-winning book, having won both Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2018, plus the 2017 YA Books Are My Bag Readers Award.

Here is the book blurb.

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

16 year old Starr Carter lives in the Garden Heights ghetto where gang fights and drug dealers abound, but attends a predominantly white private school, a 45 minute drive away. The two are worlds apart and Starr tries to keep them separate, portraying another personality, speaking differently at school and after one failed attempt, not inviting school friends home.

The story starts with Starr at a party in the ghetto where she bumps into her longterm childhood friend Khalil whom she hasn’t seen in ages, when suddenly gunfire sounds. They escape in Khalil’s car, only to get pulled over by a white police officer for a broken tail-light. The officer makes Khalil get out of the car, but when Khalil opens the car-door to check Starr is okay, the officer shoots and kills him, before pointing the gun at Starr, the only witness.

Nightmares follow. Starr is too frightened to speak out. Tension builds in the neighbourhood. Can she still juggle both worlds? Will she testify?

The Hate U Give is available on Amazon. I highly recommend this YA book, which is targeted at age 14+. A powerful read, inspired by Black Lives Matter. It portrays racism, victimisation, white privilege, prejudice, ignorance, gang warfare, riots, drug lords brilliantly. All the characters are well developed and the dynamics between them all are excellent.

I frequently had to look up slang, but that didn’t bother me, as its usage fitted the culture perfectly.

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Viscount of Vice by Tammy Andresen – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Viscount of Vice by Tammy Andresen to review.

Here is the book blurb.

Vice is his first, middle, and last name… can this angel save him?

The Viscount of Vice likes two types of women, the ones that fall easily into his bed and the ones that leave just as quickly. So why can’t he stop thinking about the sweet Miss Ada Chase? Her auburn hair and green eyes haunt his dreams, though they shouldn’t. She’s perfectly wrong for him…

The Viscount of Viceroy looks like he’s Heaven sent but underneath that perfect veneer lies a scoundrel, Ada is certain of it. And ladies like her should stay far away from rogues like him. So why is she tempted by his perfect charm?

This is the fourth title in the Regency Romance Lords of Scandal series, but works well as a stand-alone read, until you reach the cliffhanger ending. Each book focusses on one of the five Chase sisters / cousins along with one of the lords who all own a share in a secret gaming den that the ladies had discovered. Initially each lord was keeping an eye on a Chase lady to ensure she was trustworthy, but as the stories progress, the watch is now to ensure the ladies are safe from the Countess of Abernath.

Vice has been allocated to look after Miss Ada Chase over the past 6 weeks, so the story starts with them sitting next to each other at the wedding of Ada’s sister Diana. But as they talk, bizarrely he falls off his chair and as Ada tries to help him, she ends up falling on top of him. They both sense an attraction.

But then Walter arrives back on the scene, whom Ada had previously thought was going to propose. Things are starting to get tangled. And then the next day, one of the Countess of Abernath’s lackeys strikes.

So plenty going on in this story, but it does end on rather a cliffhanger, so I absolutely had to read the next book in the series too.

Viscount of Vice is available on Amazon, currently priced at £3.11 in Kindle format. Once again, another nice light short romantic story from Tammy.

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About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

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I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan – book review

Continuing with my new plan of reading some books of my own choice, in-between those I have been requested to review, I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan is my latest personal selection. I came across this title when I was looking at the shortlist for the 2020 Branford Boase Award. This is awarded annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children. And I discovered that this was the winner last year.

Here is the book blurb.

Fifteen-year-old Muzna Saleem is used to being invisible. So no one is more surprised than her when Arif Malik, the hottest boy in school, takes a sudden interest.

But Arif is hiding a terrible secret and, as they begin to follow a dark path, Muzna faces an impossible choice: keep quiet and betray her beliefs, or speak out and betray her heart.

Muhammad Khan’s stunning, multi-award winning YA writing gets right to the centre of what it means to be an urban teenager today.

Muhammad Khan wrote the first draft of this novel as an outlet for his feelings when 3 British schoolgirls flew out to Syria in 2015 to join the ‘Islamic State’.

To set the scene, the story starts by introducing us to 13 year old Munza and her best friend Salma. Munza is a British Muslim, daughter of strict but anti-religious Pakistani parents, who forbid her to wear make-up or speak to boys. They want her to be a doctor whilst Munza wishes to become an author. Fast forward a couple of years and the family move to South London. Without Salma around to stand up for her, Munza is determined to make friends at her new school and avoid being bullied.

Things start well with a new best friend and a boyfriend, but then what path is Munza following, as she bunks off school to attend Islamic meetings? Friends and teachers question her as they see changes. Munza is conflicted between what she hears and what she then researches online to compare it with. Meanwhile the story continues to gets darker.

I may have had to look most of them up, but I also loved how the book incorporated teen slang terms. And I was impressed by the detail paid to each scene and even minor characters.

I Am Thunder is available on Amazon. I highly recommend this amazing powerful read. Although fiction, it certainly does help to understand radicalisation, extremists and the role of Prevent / Channel.

About the Author
Born in Balham, Muhammad Khan studied engineering, but then trained as a teacher. After publication of I Am Thunder in 2018, he studied for an MA in Creative Writing at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. He is now teaching maths at a secondary school in Sutton. His second novel, Kick the Moon, was published in January 2019.

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The Legend of Gasparilla and his Treasure by Carolyn Arnold – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book The Legend of Gasparilla and his Treasure by bestselling author Carolyn Arnold to review. I’ve read quite a few of Carolyn’s books, but this would be only my second one featuring Matthew Connor, probably my favourite of her lead characters, so I was very much looking forward to reading it. To find out more about the author you may visit her website.

Here is the book blurb.

The beam of his flashlight bounces off the walls but does little to brighten the hidden room he just found. In the corner is a centuries-old desk. His heart hammering, he walks over to it and opens the top drawer. What he finds inside will change his future-and the world’s-forever.

For centuries, the existence of Spanish pirate José Gaspar has been relegated to legend, but archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor and his two best friends may have just found reason to believe the buccaneer truly existed. They’re in Washington, DC, to mark the opening of an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History when a mysterious stranger turns up claiming he may hold the key to the mythical pirate’s treasure and invites them to join in his quest to find it.

Rumored to have sailed and plundered the Gulf of Mexico and the Spanish Main during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Gaspar would have amassed a vast fortune. But with only the stranger’s word and a token of proof, Matthew is intrigued but not sold-until it becomes personal. There’s an interested third party, and they’re willing to kill for the pirate’s bounty.

What ensues is a globe-trotting adventure that will take Matthew and his friends across the world and back again. Danger lurks around every corner as does betrayal, suspicion, and murder. Can anyone be trusted, and will they survive long enough to find out?

This is the third title in the Matthew Connor action-adventure series and is fine as a stand-alone read.

The story has a slow start but you know there is more to come from both the blurb and prologue. Professor Mel Wolf tantalises Matthew and his friends with a tale of murder and pirates treasure. Hours later they find themselves being chased under gunfire. Matthew is now sold on the idea of finding the treasure, but first he phones Daniel to check out Mel’s credentials, although he doesn’t reveal details of the quest. They then all remove SIMs from their phones to avoid tracking before Matthew charters a plane.

Meanwhile not only is Daniel investigating, but so are the police. A stray bullet has gone through a wall and killed someone. Who can piece what together?

And once Matthew’s group reach Spain, who can they trust? More deaths follow along with plenty of twists and turns.

The Legend of Gasparilla and his Treasure is available on Amazon, currently priced at £11.99 in paperback or £4.03 in Kindle format. A gripping story from a brilliant author who has multiple series on the go. This would certainly make a good film.

Here are the links to my reviews of other books by Carolyn Arnold.
Remnants
Power Struggle
The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh
On the Count of Three
Shades of Justice
Exercise is Murder
Past Deeds

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Earl of Exile by Tammy Andresen – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Earl of Exile by Tammy Andresen to review.

Here is the book blurb.

Exiled from his family… can she give his heart a new home?

The Earl of Exmouth knows what type of woman he wants. A nice Scottish lass that will heal the wounds in his family. In fact, his aunt has already chosen his Scot bride. The problem? A dark haired, sharp tongued, devil of an English debutante won’t leave him be. What’s a man to do but kiss her quiet? Turns out, that’s only the beginning of his troubles.

Lady Diana Chase has no intention of marrying any man, especially not the large Scot with a deep brogue and penchant for meddling in her business. And when he steps too far and puts his lips on hers…well that’s perfectly dreadful. Or perfectly wonderful…she hasn’t decided yet. Perhaps Diana will need another kiss to decide…

This is the third title in the Regency Romance Lords of Scandal series, but works well as a stand-alone read. Each book focusses on one of the five Chase sisters / cousins along with one of the lords who all own a share in a secret gaming den that the ladies had discovered. Initially each lord was keeping an eye on a Chase lady to ensure she was trustworthy, but as the stories progress, the watch is now to ensure the ladies are safe from the Countess of Abernath.

So Callum, the Scottish Earl of Exmouth has been watching over Lady Diana Chase but he is also very attracted to her, so he steals a kiss. What does Diana think about that?

But what about Fiona, Callum’s fiancée, whom he has never met, chosen by his aunt after this cousin Ewan died? Things are getting tangled.

Meanwhile we discover that Lady Abernath is likely to strike again having been thwarted by Diana’s sister Emily eloping with Jack. Who will be targeted this time?

Earl of Exile is available on Amazon, currently priced at £2.58 in Kindle format. Once again, another nice light short romantic story from Tammy.

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About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

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Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian – book review

I get lots of book review requests from authors and publishers, so I always seem to have a huge list of books waiting to be read. I’ve now decided to make sure I have time to fit in books of my own choice. This is the first of these and I selected it on the basis to see if I thought it might appeal to either of my sons – one avid reader and one reluctant reader.

Here is the book blurb.

The story of young Willie Beech, evacuated to the country as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War.

A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the care of old Tom Oakley – but his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother back in London.

As time goes by Tom begins to worry when Willie doesn’t answer his letters, so he goes to London to find him, and there makes a terrible discovery.

The story starts just as the Second World War is imminent. 8 year old Willie is evacuated to Little Weirwold and is billeted with Tom. He arrives “sewn in for the winter”, carrying only a small paper bag, malnourished, covered in bruises from beatings from his mother, cowering expecting Tom to beat him too and scared of Tom’s dog Sam.

“Sewn in for the winter” means his vest was sewn to his underpants for warmth and I don’t even wish to contemplate the implications for toilet needs. Willie is also a bed-wetter initially which is hardly surprising given the circumstances.

Tom has lived alone for many years since the death of his wife Rachel and baby son, and is considered a bad-tempered old man. Other villagers are surprised at the change in him as he begins to care for Willie, getting him clothes, boots and treats. Although Willie initially can’t read, Tom finds he has a fantastic aptitude for drawing.

Willie has never had friends before but becomes good friends with local children George, Carrie and Ginnie and evacuee Zach. By the time he is summoned back to London by his mother, he is a new boy. However everything changes when he returns to London and we see the darker side of the tale. Tom is worried when Willie doesn’t write and travels to London himself. What will he discover? And how can he deal with it?

Goodnight Mister Tom is available on Amazon. I highly recommend this excellent classic story, which is targeted at children age 9-12.

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Mr. 100% by Lance Morcan – book review and giveaway

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Mr. 100% by Lance Morcan to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

New York defense lawyer Madison Harley only takes on clients he believes innocent. He’s known as ‘Mr. 100%’ because he has never lost a case, and consequently he is Public Enemy No. 1 in the eyes of the NYPD, the District Attorney’s Office and the media.

The bad press has taken a toll on his personal life. His wife has moved out, taking their two young sons with her and instigating divorce proceedings. When his latest client confides that he is guilty of the horrific rape-murder he’s accused of, a depressed and guilt-wracked Harley hires a contract killer to terminate him after the jury delivers a Not Guilty verdict.

It’s 1987 and groundbreaking developments in the field of forensic science sees DNA profiling used for the first time in criminal investigations in America. The release of DNA test results causes Harley to rescind his order to carry out the hit on his client. Unfortunately for him, the killer doesn’t change direction once a ‘kill’ order has been placed.

The nightmare scenario that follows sees Mr. 100% negotiating with the Mafia for his client’s life, his own life and the lives of his estranged family, stalking a contract killer and acting as a minder for a client who it appears really is innocent and who is oblivious to the mayhem unfolding around him.

Throughout it all, Harley is sustained by the affections of a new woman in his life – a prosecutor with the DA’s Office no less.

This is a short story of just 85 pages, so I read it very quickly. I am surprised at how much of the story has been revealed in the blurb, so there is not too much more that I can add.

The story set in 1987 begins 2 days after Harley, a defence lawyer successfully achieved a ‘Not Guilty’ verdict for the rape and murder charges against his client Hughes. Harley currently only represents clients that he believes innocent so was shocked when Hughes then thanked him for helping him get away with the perfect crime. So devastated that he was contemplating suicide.

But then he comes up with a better idea. Why not right a wrong by hiring a contract killer to take out Hughes. The blurb already reveals some of what follows and I’m certainly not going to give away more.

A good short story. Mr. 100% is available on Amazon, currently priced at £1.99 in Kindle format and the story also features in Lance’s 5 Short Story Gems compendium which I mentioned in my review of Once Were Brothers.

I’ve now read 8 of Lance’s titles, but my favourite remains Silent Fear which he wrote jointly with his son James.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition to giveaway a kindle copy of Mr 100% to one lucky winner. Open worldwide.
Plus you don’t even need to own a kindle to read this, as you can download the kindle app free to your phone or tablet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear about your favourite read.

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Shared to The Monthly Book Blogger Link-Up with Lovely Audiobooks