Great books for children at Christmas

So its that wonderful time of the year again and I can honestly say I'm a true Christmas fan, I love absolutely everything about Christmas although I have been known to get confused and start signing Christmas cards Merry Christine lots of love Christmas! Honestly I have done this so many times.
This year I decided to take control and get organised for the big day but when I went to start getting organised... I had no idea what I really needed to do to be organised!! So I booked myself into a Christmas workshop, and it was the best thing I have done. Last night I went to my first workshop, it was run by a local Swedish stationary company I might be slightly obsessed with called Kikki K. It was brilliant and if you live in Australia or Singapore you really should look into their workshops.
So on that note today I started to write my Christmas cards and have bought a few presents so right now I'm feeling all awesome and organised compared to the last few years when I talked about being organised right up until the week before Christmas when I was still buying presents.
Its no secret that I love books and I love that when my little boy finds a book that interests him he  will happily sit down and read it again and again so I thought I would put together a list of some really great books that might come in handy if you are looking for gift ideas.
As there a quite a few books I wont go into detail about them, I will just post the books and if you would like to know anymore about them just give me a bell. I will say that of all the small kids books I post, my son is mad about each one, he really does love and enjoy them.

These books are brilliant for the littlest kids.

These books are great for the older kids and young Teens.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

People.... you NEED to go out to your local book store or second hand book market and buy this book. Every person who enjoys reading needs to read this.
I am desperately holding myself back from gushing endlessly about this amazing book.
The story of how this came to me is lovely, my mother and my sister both told me they had just read the loveliest book and both were planning on reading it again, both felt the same, this book just makes you feel happy and lovely. Less than a week later my mother in law and Nana both started talking about this lovely book that they have just read... Winter Solstice... by now I was starting to think that this book really must be something special and made my way down to my Mums bookshelf and borrowed it (I have had serious thoughts of never returning it ha-ha). From the first page you are hooked, simple as that. This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, each character is so well written that after the first chapter you forget they are fictional characters and you think you know them... its not lunacy its just how brilliant this book is.
The majority of this book is set in a small town in the of north Scotland, there are five main characters who all come together and spend Christmas together. OK now that is all I can say, sorry folks but anymore and I would be giving too much away. If you aren't into Christmas stories never fear this is not actually a Christmas story, its just set around that time of year. It doesn't matter what age you are, please pick up this book and read it, sooner rather than later. I honestly felt like I had just been to visit my favourite relations or a beloved old Aunt after reading this book, there is no possible way that you could read this book and not walk away with a light heart and a spring in your step!
I would give this book a clear 10/10.

Well Well Well

Folks I am back. After a busy two months I am back on the book wagon, I have been stuck in a bad book coma and couldn't seem to find the right book to pull me out of it. If you do have any good book recommendations I would really love to hear them, please do let me know.

Ok now, Housewives all over the world have woken up this morning to the news.... the news so many women world wide have been waiting and waiting and waiting for..... they have cast Christian Grey.
Charlie Hunnam from Sons Of Anarchy has been cast as The Christian Grey.
Regardless of us liking the books or not, I'm fairly certain most of us will venture out to see this movie, if anything just for the curiosity, I mean, if you have read the books you understand what I mean by curiosity... how can a book like this be brought to life and then aired on the big screen? Its a book about strange sex. 
I know I will venture out to see it, and I also know I will be mortified for the majority of the movie and I wouldn't dare take my Mum to see this movie.

Oh and just in case you were wondering, I am thrilled with the casting, Charlie can absolutely glare in my direction any day and as for Dakota, she has a quirkiness to her that I like. Good choices I think!
Right well I had better get back to Mum duties and sorting books into some sort of organised reading pile.

Take care & talk soon xx

Giants Of The Frost by Kim Wilkins

I found this book a few years ago in a box of old books my sister was giving away, for some reason I picked it up and brought it home with me. It wasn't until a few months ago that I picked it up and read it and I have tried to review it many times since starting my blog and I have to say, it is extremely hard to review. To give an honest review about this book would force me to give away a crucial plot. This book really needs to be reviewed so I will try and do my best not to spoil it for you. If you feel that you can not read a book when you know the ending then maybe you shouldn't read on, just go and get the book and read it yourself.
Twenty seven year old Victoria Scott suddenly finds herself on a way to a remote weather station off the coast of Norway, starting a new job in a strange country is an adventure itself. Strange occurrences start happening upon her arrival and suddenly her world has slipped away into a world well known from ancient folk lore... introducing.... Vikings. Yep, they are all there, Odin, Thor and Loki. I really don't know how to word this review, so I will do my best to sum it up in Chris words.
This book starts out being about a normal girl who is searching for her place in life, she ends up in a beautiful but strange and haunting land, suddenly a man named Vidar appears and the story really starts from his arrival. I really cant tell you much more about the story line without completely spoiling it for you but let me say this. I really enjoyed this book, at times it was frustrating and at times it was sad, I was happily putting two and two together and my head was skipping ahead to the happy ending but come last page and the book flew across the room bouncing off the wall and narrowly missing poor husbands head. I cried with rage and sadness for half an hour after reading this. I was devastated with the ending, I understood it but did I like it or agree with it, NO.
So if you can handle reading a book with a great storyline but not so great ending then you should give this one a read, if you are into Vikings and the old Norse Lore then this is a must read, I was excitedly explaining characters in the book to my Swedish friend only to have her fill me in on the histories behind each character, it was amazing. One thing that the author has done brilliantly was combine the two worlds together, it is done in such a brilliant way that on stormy days you might just wonder...
6/10

The Inn at Boonsboro Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Three great women....who happen to be best friends.... Three hunky men who happen to be brothers.... another beautiful small town in America.... Three books that made me happy and wasn't I just the happiest little camper when my friend bought me the first book, I knew from the very first page that I would love it, my friend had written a really lovely message on page one that stumped me, you could say that in our brilliant friendship I have enough ridiculous emotions for the two of us and then some ha-ha so it was extremely heart warming to open this book and see her lovely message! So with that happiness in my head I started reading and boy did I love this story, you don't really need to know more than the first two lines above, three women who are friends, three men who are brothers and this is a romantic book lovers dream. It has all the romance without being over the top and wow do they have a story line, I have to admit the first book has a pretty serious storyline that at times left me gobsmacked which surprised me and made me like the book even more. Nora Roberts is renowned for her brilliant writing so I don't need to mention anything about her style. She is a great writer who knows her stuff. Out of the three books I liked the first one a lot, I liked the second one and I loved the third one, so in all I really liked this trilogy and I would highly recommend it.
8/10

 

 

 

Sally by Freya North

I had previously read Secrets by Freya North and really liked it, so I got a little book happy and bought a load of her books a few weeks ago. Well I finished Sally and what can I say, I didn't like it, I had a headache from the first page to the last. It has the makings of a great book, and I still really like Freya North, she has this funny streak that I really do like, her characters are great but and there is a pretty big but... I couldn't stand her style of writing in this book. It changes from first, second and third person all within one page. At times it is impossible to follow the story because you cant keep track of who is talking, one minute she is having a conversation with him, the next the conversation switches into her head and then suddenly it has flipped to his character having a conversation with her only to jump right back into his head and then, and yes there is a then, suddenly its the author talking and telling the story from an outside point of view, now this might be OK chapter to chapter but when these switches happen all on the one page it is a huge mind bender and impossible to keep track. I actually couldn't wait to finish this book. I'm sad to say that I wouldn't recommend this book and recently had a conversation with a friend who also said she found the constant switching of narrators too hard to enjoy. Sadly this book is a bottom shelf for me.
2/10

Thankful

By now you may have noticed that I don't like to give away too much of the story, If I start jotting down the story line I will most likely reveal too much and people wont need or want to read the book so I do try and write these reviews more from my opinion and feeling about the book. I'm sure if you have read my reviews you have gathered that I'm more of a romance happy book girl, this is true and I don't feel the need to deny it, I don't like reading books with heavy sad scary or devastating story lines, that's what the news is for, so when I open the pages of a book I will happily admit that I want to go somewhere that I know will have a happy ending. So if you are looking for fancy literary quotes and big intelligent words this blog probably isn't for you, I don't feel the need or want to waste my time saying something I don't want to be saying.

On another note, I love reading, we now know this, its one of my favourite things to do, sometimes I admit to preferring the company of the characters in the books to some characters in my real life but that's what I love so much about reading, the feeling of being somewhere else for a time, so if you have any suggestions for books I should look out for I would love to hear them so please do let me know, my list of books to read can never be high enough and just because there are two piles that are now taller than me there is always room to start another pile.

It takes a lot of courage for an extremely self conscious person to come out and do something like this, to put their thoughts and opinions out there for the world to read. So I would like to say thank you for reading my blog and an even bigger thank you for all the kind words and support I have been receiving, people are very kind and I truly appreciate it.

Christine

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

What can I say? This book is beautiful, not only is it written beautifully but the story and its characters are just beautiful. Once again the story takes place in a southern town that just makes you want to pack your life up and move there. Sarah Addison Allen is a brilliant writer, all her books have a beautiful theme throughout them, you can easily recognise Sarah from the first page, its just a feeling of warmth. Simply put the story is about a woman named Willa Jackson who of course has a family with a past and with pasts there are usually secrets, bring in socialites, a grand house and of course a delightful hunk named Colin and this is a definite warm place with the sun on your face kind of book. If you haven't read any of Sarah Addison Allen's books then please do, yes there are underlying currents of romance in most of her books but they aren't sappy or cheesy, instead you will be wrapped up in a beautiful town with strange yet lovely folk and taken on a wonderful journey.
7/10

Highland Fling by Katie Fford

Again, Scotland and men in kilts. This book was coming home with me no matter what. I found this book for $4 in a supermarket, yes, a supermarket. But when Scotland and Kilts wrapped up in the pages of a romance book jump out at me it was always a given that it would be coming home with me. OK so this book is a read in a day kind of book, its tiny but its lovely, it has a really funny story line and even though the character spends the majority of her time freezing cold and slightly miserable you won't feel cold and miserable reading it, instead you will feel a fresh breeze and a great cup of tea kind of warm. I really liked this book, it is a good read for those in between days.
Jenny Porter is an online secretary, she looks after businesses for people and when she gets sent to Scotland to look into a failing business all sorts of funny things start to intrude on her very organised life. With a boring misery of a partner back in England its really lovely when chaos starts to intrude on Jenny's well ordered life....and that's all I'm really going to say about the story.
Its lovely, its a nice funny book and not one you will think about long after the last page has closed but if you are looking for an in between book and a quick read this is a goodie.
5/10

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

So of course I have to review Harry Potter. But it is hard, a lot harder than I thought it would be and if I'm honest I'm really not sure where to start. I just don't know if I will be able to sum up just how amazing these books are. Can my simple words do justice to a story that changed the lives of millions. That may be a little far fetched some will think but the reality is it is true, Harry Potter changed peoples lives, a lot of peoples lives. Kids grew up reading Harry Potter, I remember taking my niece Erica to see the first movie and I remember her freaking out at the scary parts... and yet when the last movie came out.... Erica wasn't that little kid hiding any more, she was a young adult, she too had grown up as had the characters of Harry Potter. I think this is the first time since starting my Book Blog that I have been truly scared, I keep thinking wow if I stuff up the Harry Potter review then I will have ruined this whole thing, why I feel so much is riding on Harry Potter I do not know, maybe, it's a sign of just how truly amazing I believe this story to be. We all know the story, having read the books or not you will  know the story, the story of a young boy who lost both parents as a baby, who starts the journey living in a cupboard under some stairs yet ends up becoming a remarkable wizard. You don't have to like the story but you should respect the fact that J.K. Rowling has done an amazing job, these books are so well written that every reader is instantly transported to Hogwarts. I absolutely adore these books and I have promised myself that my son will read the books rather than just watching the movies, don't get me wrong, I own all the movies because they too are brilliant but nothing will ever replace the amazing feeling when reading this wonderful story.
This is a story not to be missed and if you have children then please buy these books, don't just rely on the movies. I so look forward to the nights I can sit and read these books to my son.
9/10

Bared To You by Sylvia Day

If my Brother or Dad should happen to stumble upon my blog I would kindly ask them to not read this next review. Thank you.

OK so we all read Fifty, we all know the story, its porn, literary porn. I knew after reading Fifty that as exciting as these stories are they aren't something I would waste too much time devouring, so when my friend (yes, the same girl who I am positive Fifty convinced to leave her awful marriage) recommended I read these books I thought Uh Oh here we go again.
Whilst this book is similar to Fifty in the sense that the story lines are almost identical this is a better story, the two main characters are much more realistic and easier to read, Eve Trammel has a backbone and some confidence, Gideon Cross doesn't have as many maniac control freak issues as Christian Grey.
At times this book is a little confronting, there aren't ten chapters of umming and ahhing, Gideon meets Eva and pretty much tells her straight away he wants to have hot sex with her and that's the end of that, she pretends to be offended and not interested for all of two seconds and then its on, and when I say on I do mean on!
If you really didn't like Fifty then you most likely wont like this one, all I can offer you is that it does have much better characters and the story line is slightly better. The Sex. It doesn't have any of the slightly freaky and scary sex that Fifty has but it does have amazing Sex. Why does the Sex have to have a capital letter you ask, I don't know it just feels right. The sex is what makes this book, with out this crazy sex these books wouldn't even be published so once again of you are looking for something that has an abundance of literary brilliance to it... this isn't the book for you.
On another note... why do these books have to have such cheesy awkward covers?? Honestly, there is nothing worse than trying to hide the book underneath the bread in your food shopping trolley at Cole's, desperate for the Butcher man not to look down and see you openly flaunting your Mummy Porn. Or even worse, when you go to the counter at the book store and the young pimple faced guy smirks at you and you just know what he is thinking and it can never be good, because generally the hunky sex god types of men don't work in book stores, well not my local book store anyway. So why do these books have to have such ridiculous front covers? Why? Why not spare us Mummy Porn readers from the humiliation of having to face the Butcher man or the spotty faced guys in the book store?
OK so rounding this up, I liked this book and I will read the next one when it hits the shelf's.
7/10

The Hidden Cottage by Erica James

Brilliant.
This is a book you would easily look past in a shop, there is nothing that reaches out and grabs you from the cover of this book. My friend lent it to me, it belonged to her sister who had read it on a holiday so in between the squashed mosquito water damaged pages I discovered a brilliant story. I would ask you to please have a read of this book, I loved it. I admit the first chapter was slow and I wondered if I could really be bothered with the dead bugs and water damage but I am so glad and thankful that I persevered because I fell head over in heels in love with this book and its wonderful characters. Set in a small English village it is a story about a retired man trying to rediscover a lone happy moment from his youth, trying to get back to that one and only happy place. It is also a story about a family trying to repair broken bonds and strained relationships. I don't really want to give much more away but I beg you to please give this book a read you will really enjoy it.
8/10

Banker To The Poor

As my husband is a banker and has been for almost twenty years I heard about this book and thought this is something we really should read.
Banker To The Poor is a true story about Muhammad Yunus, a man who set up an amazing banking system in Bangladesh. Lending tiny sums of money to the poor, to the people ordinary banks wouldn't even speak to so that they could set themselves up with small enterprises therefore helping them find a way out of the slums of poverty and into a decent life that all human beings deserve.
There isn't much more I can say about this book, the name speaks for itself, it is a true story and a remarkable one at that.
7/10

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Well.... we all know Nicholas Sparks is the king of great big monumental sappy romance stories.
If you adored the Vow and the Notebook then I guess this will be another sure thing for you...
I did not like this book. I found it awkward and annoying and it is not something I can put my finger on I'm sorry to say, it is well written and the characters have continuity but I just couldn't take to this book. I think maybe it was the story line, it bothered me, it does have one of those why is the girl running up the stairs when there is a killer in the house instead of out the front door feels to it. So someone is trying to kill you so you choose to live in a house deep in the middle of nowhere, with no car or phone? Yes, I can absolutely see how that is clever and safe and smart..... I am being sarcastic here because there is nothing more I despise then paying good money for a really crap book. What makes this even worse is that I did go and see this movie at the cinemas and yes I have hung my head in shame for paying a ridiculous amount of money to see the movie about I book I didn't like!! If I thought the book was bad... wow Josh Duhamel really takes the cake for being quite possible one of the worst actors in this day and age!
Would I recommend this book... no.
2/10

Dark Prince by Christine Feehan

Vampire/Human Romance maybe not for the prudes.
OK so this is actually the first book in a series of over twenty books. Christine Feehan is a brilliant writer she really is, she has written so many books that I couldn't begin to list them. If you are into the vampire romance genre then this is a good place to start. The Dark series is about a breed of vampires the Carpathian's and while most live in and around Romania some of the books are set in different places around the world. I will be honest here and tell you that each book has the very same theme, as do a lot of vampire novels, vampire needs saving and along comes a woman to save his soul. But with these books there is so much more to enjoy, its the small details Feehan goes into, the different situations and circumstances of each character is what makes these books really enjoyable.
One thing some readers may not like is the fact that the men in these books all have the same macho I am man you are woman attitude going on, in some of the books its tolerable and others it isn't, it will really depend on your personality. What I am trying to say is that there is a hell of a lot of men telling women what to do in these books, the man saying you do want this, the woman saying no I don't only to be told to trust the man as he knows best, and what to you know, the woman does decide that of course the man was right and she did in fact want it! I'm sure a few of you will get my drift on what it is that she will be wanting ;)
So again if you are into the vampire scene then this is a must read, I would be amazed that anyone into this scene hasn't already read or heard about these books. Christine Feehan is an amazing woman and I will happily say I have all of the Dark series and a complete collection from another series she has written, there are a number of different genres Christine writes for so you really should check out her website.
7/10
http://www.christinefeehan.com/

ET a novel by William Kotzwinkle

Yep. I'm doing this and your eyes aren't deceiving you! People who know me generally know that ET is one of my all time favourite movies, there may even be a gigantic framed movie poster in my bathroom.
I adore ET and was delighted to stumble upon this little book in an op shop years ago, with a price tag of $1.50 I knew I would be taking this baby home with me.
There is no need to go into detail we all know the story but something that the movie only lightly touched on was that these wonderful little creatures are horticulturists. Big time. These little folk are major plant folk! Its a really great story and I absolutely loved discovering a different side ET and his folk. I really loved this book and I don't believe you are ever to old to read children's book. If you liked ET and are a bit of a plant person then this book is just lovely. Do it, or at least do yourself a favour and go and watch ET.
6/10

Wolfskin & Foxmask by Juliet Marillier

I'm going to review these two books together. If you are into anything Viking then these books are a must read. Set against the back drop of what I can only assume is Norway these books will take you on a beautiful if not frightening and at times dark adventure.
Wolfskin is the story of Eyvind a man destined to be a great Viking warrior, a wolfskin. On a voyage of discovery Eyvind meets the mysterious Nessa who returns to Eyvind's land. Yes there is a gentle hint of romance to this story but believe me this is not a romance novel. This is an adventure to be read by both men and women. Juliet Marillier has brought an amazing visual to this book, as she introduces the lands and characters you can instantly visualise these strange lands and its people.
Wolksin is a book worth reading.
6/10
Foxmask. This book picks up with the story of Eyvind and Nessa's daughter Creidhe and whilst it is much more of a romance than Wolfskin this book is amazing, it will haunt you at times but you are unable to put it down. I found this book to be set in a much colder darker place than Wolfskin, I had never read a story like this before and still haven't to this day, there is something about this book that will stay with you long after you have read the last page, having had a fascination with Scandinavia for such a long time I  was really looking forward to reading about these magical Fjords surrounded by stunning mountains and scenery. This book wont give you a lovely warm feeling, you be wont bursting with happiness but you will be moved by this story. Please find this book in a shop or library and read it. Its a must.
7/10

The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty

Set in Australia this book is brilliant, its extremely well written with fantastic characters,  I love reading books when you can see the characters clearly from the get go. The book is centred around a number of characters whose lives delicately entwine within each others, there is a great sadness throughout this book and there where times I questioned the plot but I was glad I kept an open mind because I am quite slow to get the drift when one is floating just under the surface from start to finish, that probably wont make sense so you will just have to read the book to get a better understanding of what the bloody hell I am yapping on about.
I really don't want to give any of the storylines away so I wont say much more except that this is remarkable story not to be missed, its great and you really must read this book.
7/10

This Is How It Ends by Kathleen MacMahon

OK so this book is set in my Mothers home town so the first few chapters I was delighted, calling Mum every few pages explaining landmarks, enjoying hearing her childhood stories from these places. This book is very well written, the characters have depth and the main character Addie has something about her you just warm to instantly. I laughed a lot at first as I have always found my Mum to have a trace of snobbery she would vehemently deny yet these characters from the very same town have the very same characteristics so I delighted in knowing it was just something people from that place are born with. Bruno the American is lovely, from his daggy caps and cardigans to his belief in the good of these snobbish people is just heart warming but folks let me tell you this book is a killer. It reels you in, my Mum laughed at me when I told her the night I finished this book I sat in bed roaring crying and threw this book at the back of my door, a few weeks later she would call and tell me she did the very same thing. That's what this book does to you. Destroys your soul. Ok ok I admit that's a little far fetched and dramatic although I am known well for my dramatics. Without ruining the complete book I will just say that this is a book to be read but do have the tissues at the ready and I do believe books like this should have a warning. I will leave it at that and just hope that you take my advice and seek out this book and please remember to close the bed room door first so the book hits the door and not a poor innocent person.
5/10

Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L. James

Lets do this....
Women's porn, we all know that is exactly what this series is. Its nothing more than literary porn. And I liked it! Women love the unbelieve crazy sex antics that go on in the story and men, well if you have a crap sex life... you need to read these books, you will definitely learn a thing or two!
Now the lead character Anastasia Steele is the biggest pain and there are times you want to throw the book across the room and into the wall because she is just so frustrating, I get self confidence issues I really do... I'm writing a Book Blog and freaking out waiting for that first snippet of criticism. But seriously this girl is ridiculous. As for Christian Grey, I'm not going to lie he is a massive control freak and at times pisses you off but wow... E.L. James knows how to write about strong sexy men.
The whole way through this book I was blushing across the room at my husband thinking I would literally die of shame if he knew what was going on in these books yet my friend and I were texting each other non stop through out each book emotions ranging from shock to amazement. I am almost certainly convinced that these books gave my friend the final push to leave her miserable unhappy marriage. I read a lot of reviews about this book and read a lot of people snipping at the lack of storyline... I found Grey to have a strong storyline that I enjoyed, yes its mostly full on graphic sex and this thing called BDSM but it does have a story and its not too bad once you can get past Anastasias OMG he hasn't called OMG is he calling again attitude. I had never read any books even remotely like this and I would be very careful not to get caught up in these books but every once in a while you just cant go past a book like this. My younger cousin once posted her utter humiliation of coming home from collage to find her Dad, my Uncle who is extremely close to my Dad reading none other than her copy of Fifty Shades of Grey... Oh I felt her shame but was comforted by the fact that my Dad lives in another country so this scenario was never likely to happen to me... well... My Dad & wonderful Step Mum have just been here on holiday.... and it happened, the most mortifying and embarrassing moment happened when they came home from my sisters house, Step Mum brandishing this book, discussing with my Dad about it being awful and that my sister really shouldn't be reading this.... keep in mind my sister is seven years older than me... I promptly hid my books from the shelf in my room under my bed came out to the kitchen and said Oh god I have heard about those awful books, not sure why anyone would want to read them! Oh the shame of seeing a book like this in the same room as my dear old Dad.
So moving on from that horror this is a brilliant steamy book that is bound to get your pulses racing and if you aren't doing so well in that area you soon will be ;) Men and Women if you haven't read it just go out and get a copy and read it. You can thank me later xx
6/10