It was my month for catching up with the books my friends have been writing.
And it’s always a pleasure to be able to honestly recommend a friend’s book. Of course – some of my friends are pretty fine writers.
Second Thyme Around – Katie Fforde.
As well as being a best-selling author and President of the RNA, Katie is a friend. Despite this, for some reason I hadn’t read much of her work. This was the first of her books I have read for some years. Katie’s writes a gentle and charming book. There is real humour in her work… and the characters do tug at the heartstrings.
I confess I personally prefer a book in which the characters have a tougher time that the characters did here. Their problems were real – but never too overwhelming. The saddest part of the book (the death of a key character) was gently and kindly done. The book was entirely enjoyable – and is recommended if you are looking for a humorous and relaxing read. You’ll shed a tear probably too.
Call Nurse Millie – Jean Fullterton
I generally like my historical novels to feature knights on horseback, or at the vest least women in floor length gowns. This book, set post WW2, was a change of pace for me. It’s not a time frame I would normally choose.
I have read Jean’s four Victorian East End sagas and really enjoyed them – so I knew I would get a well-researched and well-told story. I got that – but I got an unexpected bonus.
As a child, I used to hear may father talk about the London he returned to after his stint in the navy. The bomb sites. The rationing. But I never really pictured it. Reading Jean’s book showed that world to me very clearly for possibly the first time… and I found myself remembering my late father in a new way.
Thanks for that Jean.
No Such Thing as Immortality – Sarah Tranter
This is the debut from fellow Choc Lit Author Sarah Trantor.
My liking for a good vampire book is known – and this really captured me from page one.
It is a totally different take on the vampire legend. No shiny vampires here. No bottled blood substitute. This was my kind of book – characters with a lot to lose. Lives at stake. Really nasty villain. Really compelling hero and heroine at risk of losing everything – including their lives.
AND – the whole book is written entirely from our vampire heroes point of view. That’s new and different and it was done well. The cover is pretty cool too.
I will be on the lookout for the next book in the series.
Twisted Creek – Jodi Thomas.
Jodi is a New York Times best selling author – and a gentle, warm person. Her books are warm too. I 
instantly love the characters she creates. But she isn’t gentle with them. Her characters face the toughest tests. Just when they seem to be getting on their feet, life (or rather Jodi) throws something even more difficult their way.
This book had it all – a romance, a mystery, interesting family relationships, villains and a hero to die for (if he doesn’t die first trying to help someone who needs him).
I devoured this book in a couple of days. Too bad about the housework… but I it was all I could do to put it down long enough to feed John and the cat.
This is part of a series – and I’m there for the rest of them.
Nora Roberts – Midnight Bayou
OK – in this case the author is not a friend (but I have met her). My ‘Nora fix’ this month was Midnight Bayou. This is another of her supernatural books. There’s a big old plantation house, a murderous past, a ghost.
All right up my alley.
I won’t say much more about this – no spoilers here.
My liking for Nora Roberts’ work is again well known – this is very much up there with her best.
And finally – my book of the month award goes to someone who is not a friend – nor have I met them… In fact – he’s been dead for quite a while.
Day of the Triffids – John Wyndham.
I was introduced to John Wyndham at an early age and have read pretty much everything I can get my hands on. His writing style is a bit dated – but good story-telling never dates.
I was a little way into this, I had a light-bulb moment.
Like much of the TV viewing world, I have been engrossed in “The Walking Dead”. OK – I cover my eyes during the really gruesome bits, but the characterization is wonderful. Talk about giving the characters you love a hard time! And it wasn’t until I was a couple of chapters into Day of the Triffids that I realised it was the same story – that starts when our hero wakes up in a hospital in a world forever changed. Those zombies massed against the fence of Rick’s prison sanctuary are the triffids massing on the fence of Bill’s farm sanctuary.
I have since learned that the people behind TWD acknowledge the debt they owe to John Wyndham and I am certainly not accusing them of plagiarism. I just never realised before that this favourite author of mine had effectively invented the zombie genre… a few small groups of people struggling in a world made dangerous by an alien species (or zombies). But the greatest danger of all comes from the other survivors.
Loved it!!! So – for those who can’t handle the gross bits of the zombie genre – try this. A thoughtful apocalypse without the eye gouging.
