Book Lovers Never Go To Bed Alone

Book lovers never go to bed alone.  ~Author Unknown

My parents gave me a great gift when I was younger. The gift of reading and ever since I was little I have been a book worm! I love how you could be sitting at a wet bus stop open a book and your back in the 1940's or 18th century Italy or in a far away land. I love reading and am always telling my hubby he should read more! I read about 4/6 books a week so I thought I would share some of the books I read with you.

Some books I read over the past couple of days.

Taste Of Sorrow by Jude Morgan - This is a kind of fictional biography of The Bronte family. I found this book a slow burner it was great once I got into the mindset of the Bronte close dark family. The first 30 pages of so were hard I put the book down and took it up again about five times, but when I finally go into the book I was transported back to the Gothic wild moors of the Bronte clan. It is written in present tense so you really feel you are growing up with the Bronte family. The famous Charlotte, Emily and Anne are there, but so are the little know sisters Maria and Elizabeth, and brother Branwell. At the end of the book I felt I knew them all a little better. I always adored Emily because she wrote my favourite book ever, but I now also have so much more respect for Anne. It is a great read.

A Noble Assassin by Christie Dickason - This is another fictional biography this time of Lucy Russell Countess of Bedford. She was one of the Queen's favourites and had it all riches, fame, power and a lover. Now she is out of favour with the court and has been banished from court along with her husband. She is now trying to help her friend Elizabeth Stuart Queen of Bohemia to come home to England so hopefully she can regain favour in court.

I started this book and I really liked the first half of this book. How Lucy recalls how she raced to be the first to met the new Queen and King from Scotland. How she won the favour of the Queen and became a darling of court. How she fell in love with poet John Donne and became friends with little princess Elizabeth Stuart, but for me it began to drag into the second part of the book. As Lucy trys to bring Elizabeth back from Bohemia and home to England. As plot goes on and more and more characters are introduced I became bored with the plot and found I didn't really care what happened to our heroine and was glad when I read the final page (and believe me that does happen to me alot!) In short I had high hopes for this book but it left me cold.

The Girls Guide To Homemaking by Amy Brantley - This book is about Juliet she is on a misson to make her dream come true and her dream is to have a home with her boyfriend Simon. She thinks her dream has come through when she finally gets Simon to agree to getting a place of there own. Her dream turns into a nightmare when she finds out Simon has been sleeping with her close friend. Heartbroken and depressed she finds her Grandmother's 1950's homemaking manuals and she discovers craft and homemaking are back in style.

I didn't think I would like this book....but it was my favourite of the four. I loved the quotes from actual homemaking manuals at the start of each chapter. It is basically a chiclit but it done so well and with all the desire to make a loving home. The character of Juliet is so sweet you can't help but feel sorry for her. Her family issues are fleshed out really well and you can really see why she wants a staple home life. I couldn't put this book down and read it cover to cover in one night. Sometimes in life you want a nice light read and I would recommend this book for a curl up by the fire on a rainy day book!

The Other Side Of Paradise by Margaret Mayhew - This book is set in 1941 in Singapore. While Britain is in the grip of war Susan Roper is living the high life in Singapore and the war feels far way. The only problems she has is picking what clothes to wear and if she wants to go to that boring party her neighbours are having, but when Singapore falls she is force to grow up quickly.

This is another slow starter and I did think of putting it down and not taking it back up, but once I got into it I read it in two days. The character of Susan is so spoiled at the start of the book that I found it hard to like her. The second half of the book is where it picks up for me. The hardship and horror of war really make her character grown up quickly in the book. I did enjoy it and it's one of those books where everything comes together at the final chapter.

I will be back down to the library tomorrow to pick up some more books...might even fold to pressure and read 50 Shades Of Grey!!! If you have read any good books let me know =)