Fit not Fat in 2015

In an effort to give myself a kickstart back to being fit I have joined #janathon. Having lost 18 kilos a couple of years ago I am kicking myself for putting back over half of that amount. Time to stop, take stock and get moving again. So wish me luck, for sure I will need it!

So this is my public declaration of intent .... exercise, exercise, exercise! For me that will be cycling and walking for now, although I am being encouraged to add squats to my daily routine.

Wish me luck!

Review: Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day by Leah Fleming

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A good family saga that explores the lives of the "gentry" and the "workers" and the impact of two world wars. Involved plots with lots of interesting characters. I will look for more books by Leah Fleming.



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Review: Deceptions

Deceptions by Laura Elliot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is my second Laura Elliot book. I read [b:Stolen Child|13564792|Stolen Child|Laura Elliot|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362169284s/13564792.jpg|19142190]a little while ago and was completely absorbed. I could not put it down.

[b:Deceptions|16102382|Deceptions|Laura Elliot|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350923989s/16102382.jpg|21913075], for me, was a little slower to get into, but not for long. Once again I was absorbed in the finely drawn characters, their lives and, as the title suggests how their deceptions impacted across a range of families.

Without giving the plot away, I was uncomfortable at one point with the suggested actions of one of the main characters, and also suspicious that there was something here that did not meet the eye. The author deceiving the reader? As the book progressed it became clear that certain other characters were more involved.

Althrough the book, until the very end, one or two lines of the story keep you guessing.

As good as [b:Stolen Child|13564792|Stolen Child|Laura Elliot|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362169284s/13564792.jpg|19142190]? Definitely, another "un-putdownable" book. This is one of those books that when you finish it you need time and space before starting on a new book. I am looking forward to reading The Prodigal Sister in the near future.



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Review: An Autumn Crush

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Thoroughly enjoyed it. Loads of really great characters, lots of twists and turns, laughter and tears and all culminating in a forever happy after ending. A true Milly Johnson good read!



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Review: Stolen Child

Stolen Child by Laura Elliot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I could not put it down. The author explores the hearts, souls and minds of diverse characters from different backgrounds bringing them together in a story that traces the life of a couple whose baby is stolen, the couple who are bringing up the child as their own, and the child itself.

Compelling reading ..... fantastic read



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Review: A Daughter's Place

A Daughter's Place by C.J. Carmichael

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Another good beach read ... single parenthood, family relationships all wrapped up in a love story.



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Review: Life After Life

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Recommended by a friend, I was a little unsure to start with but got thoroughly hooked. The author tackles a difficult, maybe unbelievable, subject well and pulls it all together as the story continues. Great characters and descriptions draw you in. "unputdownable"!



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Review: In Between

In Between by Jenny B. Jones

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



At first I thought this was going to be a bit trite .... but I got into the story and the portray of the difficulties of fostering and being fostered.



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Review: One Night in Italy

One Night in Italy by Lucy Diamond

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Great summer beach read ... especially if you are in Italy at the time.



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Review: Beggars and Choosers

Beggars and Choosers by Catrin Collier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I was happy to find another series from [a:Catrin Collier|38502|Catrin Collier|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1364893838p2/38502.jpg] set in Pontypridd .... another brilliant family saga that keeps you engaged all the way through ...



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Review: The Clouded Hills

The Clouded Hills by Brenda Jagger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I would have rated it so much higher if there had not been so many typos; so many that they distracted from the story line and I had to go back and read many sentences / paragraphs at least twice to understand what was happening.

Is this the price we pay for self-publishing? Please please authors get someone to at least proof read your books before publishing them!



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Review: Across the Mersey

Across the Mersey by Annie Groves

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is one of my favourite genres, family saga. It took me a while to get into the story line and characters, marred by the presentation as a Kindle book. The location and characters change from paragraph to paragraph with no clear line spacing or other delineator to show that the scene has changed. In some cases scenes and characters changed mid paragraph, I had to go back and reread in several cases to make sure I had the right people in the right place! On at least one occasion the wrong character name was used ..... it's a shame because the lack of editing made what should have been a good read quite difficult to follow.

I will look for the next book in the series as I now feel I know the main characters well .... hopefully the publisher will have achieved better editing!



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Review: Fractured

Fractured by Dani Atkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I could not put this book down. At first I though it was just another chick-lit ..... then I was mystified, could not see which way the story was going to go. And just when I thought it had morphed back into another standard happy ever after ending ...... very emotional ending.



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Review: Winter's End

Winter's End by Clarissa Cartharn

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



I rarely give up on a book once I start it. This is one of those rare occurrences. There are so many grammatical errors, words missing from sentences making them meaningless. No matter how good the story, and I didn't get far enough to determine whether it was a good story or not, there are so many errors that they completely detract from it.

This book has obviously never been proof-read or edited either by the author or by anyone else.



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Review: The Golden Acorn

The Golden Acorn by Catherine Cooper

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



In the style of a Harry Potter tale .... if you believe in magic, or even if you don't and just want a few hours enjoyment, take a few hours and read this tale of druids, acorns and of course, pure magic.



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