Dreams come true

I started my holiday reading a little bit early. I just fancied something light and found the perfect book. The Beach Cafe, by Lucy Diamond, ticked all the boxes. I am at that time of life when I feel like trying something new, but just can't think what. I have a great life and I am very happy, but one of my dreams is to live by the sea. I have to say, I am very fickle and lots of things make me happy. I would also love to live somewhere rural, I also love living in London, I would also love to live abroad, so I am probably either a difficult person to please or I just love everything. I think I am the latter, but enough about me. I loved the Beach Cafe. It is about the youngest of three sisters, who is referred to as the black sheep because she doesn't live life conventionally, e.g. find a man, get married, have babies, or have a career. She has chopped and changed careers, and although in a stable relationship, is not quite convinced that they are making each other happy. Anyway, in her early thirties, her favourite aunt dies suddenly leaving Evie (I love that name) her beach cafe in Cornwall. What could be more idyllic. The story describes the trials and tribulations that follow, but naturally, as with all good chicklit, there is a happy ending, allbeit with several disasters throughout. It is a really nice read, lovely characters, great location, and very enjoyable. I do however, now want to live right on the seafront in Cornwall.

Latest reads

I have been a bit slack with my reading and my blog lately, the main reason being that I am studying and working full-time and just ran out of time. I also have two other blogs, both work-related and I guess those have to take priority. Anyway, I have been reading. On my Kindle, I am reading Lord of the Rings. I promised my husband that if he read Twilight, I would read LOR. He honoured the agreement, and I am just getting round to honouring my part of the deal. I have to admit, I am enjoying it. However, my Kindle had a terminal crash, which was disappointing, but the fabulous support at Amazon Kindle, in particular Melanie, replaced it immediately. I am so impressed with the service provided by Amazon Kindle. No hassles, no issues, just a good, fair, and friendly, personal service. Anyway, my Kindle issue is all resolved now and I am back into reading LOR.

In the meantime, however, I have also been reading paperback books. The first was The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. I have read her other books (The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton) and really enjoyed them. I did enjoy this one too, but I have to admit that I did prefer the others. I am not sure why, but I felt the characters were stronger in the other two books and I cared about what happened to them. This one, I didn't become as attached. The story is very good and the twists and turns keep you guessing to the end, but it just feels a bit frustrating. Perhaps I was in the wrong mood.

The Sunday Times is currently offering Waterstones vouchers enabling you to choose from a different title every week and buy it for 99p. I bought Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon. I absolutely love the film, and I am delighted to say that it was pretty true to the book. The story focuses around a published author who has been writing his next best-seller for the past seven years, while spending most of that time stoned, teaching, and getting married or having affairs. It got a little bit lost in the middle, but it was actually really good to read. I have to admit the film version of Grady Tripp was far more tolerable than the book version, but Crabtree remains the same in both. At one point, I really didn't like Grady in the book, and I did wonder why I was reading the book, but I was determined to persevere, and as it came to the end when everything came together, I found that I had discovered a new and interesting author. I also enjoyed the way the author focused so much on the skill of writing. Anyway, I shall be checking out some of his other books in the future.

And, if you fancy something fresh and new, check out Padraig De Brún (my husband), who has launched his novel and his short stories via three blogs:

• A Good Man - his novel
• Songs, Poems, Stories - short stories based on folk songs
• Tumbledown Fairies - gorgeous, children's stories.

Enjoy :-)