From the Book Elf

 Help!!!!! I love it when new books arrive in the post for me to review. The dilemma is which one do I read first ?????? 📚📚🤔📚🤔 So ....... do I want to immerse myself in a Fantasy novel for young adults........a psychological thriller........ A Finnish murder mystery.........or Murder and Mayhem in Montevideo ????????

  THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS) by Clement Clarke Moore THE MILLENNIUM FULCRUM EDITION, 1988 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,in hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds,while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,had just settled down for a long winter's nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash,tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick,I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than ea...

  "The Keeper of Stories" By Sally Page  Published by One More Chapter  If I'm going to be honest it took me a while to get into this book however, persevere because it slowly draws you in to the relationship between Janice and Mrs B along with  how other people and their stories affect their lives.  Everyone has a story to tell but does Janice have the courage to unlock her own....  For someone who is a listener, this novel  gets you thinking about the stories you have heard and which of those have influenced and shaped your own life. This is Sally Page's debut novel and I am really looking forward to reading the next. Synopsis Cleaner Janice knows that it is in people's stories that you really get to know them. When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs B - a shrewd and tricksy woman in her nineties - she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn't have a story of her own. At least, not o...

  "The Labyrinth of the Spirits" By Carlos Ruiz Zafon This is the fourth in a set about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books where the book chooses you......... Since the first book in the series, "The Shadow of the Wind", took the reader into the eerie world of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books   when 10 year old Daniel "chose" The Shadow of the Wind " by Julian Carax, Zafon has taken the reader through tales of love and deception on many levels. There are plots within plots that forever have you wondering what the next twist of fate, or link, is going to be abd where is it going to end?  I have been hooked on these books from the beginning when I happened on the first one by pure chance during a swap.  If you have never read them I can truly recommend getting them all in one go and hiding away for a few days to emerse yourself in the old city of Barcelona. Synopsis As a child, Daniel Sempere discovered among the passageways of the Cemetery of Forgotten Boo...

  "The Island of Missing Trees" By Elif Shafak Published by Penguin 🐧 This has to be one of the most powerful, emotive books I have read for a long time. A story told from two different perspectives, the human and the fig tree which; once you get used to the changing narration,draws you in ,entwining you in the roots and branches of love, fear, happiness and despair. The compassionate and, yet at times, blunt way in which Elif develops the reader's understanding, and relationship with the characters and how they were affected by the Greek/ Turkish division in Cyprus at different times of their lives is expertly woven into this story of love and grief . I will definitely be looking out for more of Elif's books to read in the near future. Synopsis In 1974, two teenagers, from opposite sides of a divided Cyprus, meet at a tavern in the city they both call home. The tavern is the only place that Kostas, who is Greek, and Define, who is Turkish, can meet in secret, hidden...

"Wave of Nostalgia" I have just come across the most fascinating independent bookshop in Haworth by accident. Whilst initially going to Haworth with the intention of seeing the parsonage decorated for Christmas, only to be foiled by a power cut !!!! I was drawn into this Aladdin's Cave of books ( and other wonderful gifts) by the stunning window display. This bookshop is what dreams are made of and I could literally have bought so many books thanks to the excellent taste of Diane, the lovely owner, and yes Diane I will most definitely be back. Needless to say I did restrain myself today to two books; another TJKlune  book"Wolfsong" and another Jackie Morris book "The Unwinding" along with a stunning Jackie Morris tote bag to carry my books in which has a beautiful poem on the back (both of these authors have featured in earlier Advent posts.) Browsing around the books and chatting to Diane, who is so passionate about them all, and finding we had the s...

  "A Christmas Carol" By Charles Dickens This has to be my all time seasonal favourite read as well as , in my opinion, Mr Dickens best novel. The timeless classic of Scrooge, Bob  Cratchet,Tiny Tim and the Ghosts of Christmas,past, present and future is just as poignant and telling now as it was when it was written.  Sadly we are still living in times when many do not have enough to eat.

  "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" By Laurie R King This is the first in a series of books focussing on Mary Russell and the 'retired' Sherlock Holmes as told through the life and 'adventures' of Mary.  For Sherlock fans these are a good collection of stories, however they are also a very readable, standalone, set in their own right thanks to the accomplished writing of Laurie R King. The stories follow the adventures of Mary and a retired Sherlock in which we find out more about Sherlock's past life whilst we witness their developing relationship between murders, mysteries and all the intrigue you have come to expect from Mr Holmes.

  "Song of Silver, Flame like Night" By Amelie Wen Zhao  To be published on 2nd February 2023 by Harper Collins I've just received this beautiful book in the post to do a review of in February. If the cover is anything to go by the book is going to be incredible. Watch this space for my review as I have just read the first chapter and I am HOOKED. About the author  Amelie has adored putting pen to paper since she was in kindergarten. Born in Paris and raised in a multicultural community in Beijing, Amelie has a bone -deep love for travelling and immersing herself in new worlds and cultures. She works in New York City, working as a financial professional by day, and writer by night. She hopes to empower young readers with messages of acceptance, strength and courage through her works, and to continue to push the boundaries of young adult literature by exploring new, cross- cultural themes.

"The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home" A lovely heart warming novel by Joanna Nell, published by Hodder & Stoughton. This is a story that will have you laughing and encouraging the characters to grow old disgracefully, whilst reminding us all that we should enjoy our lives, no matter what our age. It is never too late to try something new, fall in love, or make new friends. Synopsis   At nearly ninety, retired nature writer, Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people, so when a fall lands her in a nursing home she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy. From the confines of her ' room with a view' (of the car park)she dreams of escape. Fellow 'inmate', the gregarious, would-be comedian Walter Clements, also plans on returning home as soon as he is fit and able to take charge of his mobility scooter. When Hattie and Walter officially meet at The Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog, Queenie, ...

  Wuthering Heights   By Emily Brontë I'm not going to say much about this classic of English Literature other than it is the book I would have on Desert Island Discs. I first remember reading this when I was about nine years old after we had visited Haworth and The Parsonage museum. Mum bought me "Wuthering Heights" after our visit and Heathcliffe and Cathy have stayed with me ever since. Many years later I count myself fortunate to live on the Moors the Brontë sisters roamed and I spend many happy hours walking in their footsteps, and exploring the landscape, though generally in far more suitable clothing than they possessed.

 " Elodie's Library of Second Chances" By Rebecca Raisin published shed by Harper Collins  Rebecca has written a beautiful, caring story that reminds all of us that we should look "Beyond the cover" to the actual person behind.  An easy to read comfort  story in which Rebecca creates a character you will fall in love with , along with a library and it's members you will want to rescue too. This is one of those stories that leaves a warm glow in your heart 💖💖💖💖💖 Synopsis   When Elodie applies for the job of librarian in peaceful Willow Grove, she's looking forward to a new start. As the daughter of a publishing magnate, her every move has been watched for years, and she longs to work with the thing she loves most: books. It's a chance to make a real difference too, because she soon realises that there are other people in Willow Grove who might need a fresh start - like Harry,the homeless man everyone walks past without seeing, or Sofia who can...

" A Cotswold Christmas Mystery " By Rebecca Tope  Published by Allison &Busby Limited. This is one of "The Cotswold Mysteries" series which, for some reason, have managed to pass me by when browsing book shop and library shelves.  As a seasonal cosy murder mystery I can thoroughly recommend closing the curtains against the cold winter skies, making a mug of something warm - in this case a gorgeous homemade hot chocolate - and settle down for an evening's easy and entertaining read. It is coming up to Christmas in Broad Campden and Stephanie Slocombe, aged eleven and three quarters has just finished school for the Christmas holidays. Stephanie, along with the rest of her family, are looking forward to traditions both old and new, when events start to dictate otherwise. Beverley Frowse, a neighbour, goes missing and Stephanie's lovely step- mum, Thea, feels she should investigate to allay Beverley's son's concern.....and then a dead body is discove...

 "A Night the Stars Danced for Joy" by Bob Hartman and illustrated by Tim Jonke. Published by Lion Books. This is a retelling of the Christmas story through the eyes of a Shepherd's family. Imagine them at the end of the day when the sheep are asleep and the family are lying on the top of the hill staring into the night sky. At the beginning the sky above Bethlehem was like anywhere else....to start off with. This story follows the joy and wonder of the first Christmas through the eyes of the Shepherd and his family. This is a lovely retelling of the Christmas story to enjoy sharing with your children or grandchildren 💕💕💕 

" The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey" Written by Susan Wojciechowski and illustrated by P.J.Lynch published by Walker Books  This has to be one of the most beautiful , and moving, Christmas stories I ever read with my children and consequently it will always have a special place on our book case and in our hearts at Christmas.  "When the widow McDowell and her son Thomas knock at Jonathan Toomey's door one winter's day , they receive a frosty reception. For Jonathan keeps himself to himself - Mr Gloomy, the children call him. What no one knows, though, is that once he was a happy man with a wife and baby and that it is grief at their deaths that has made him so hard and cold. Would the carver make a set of nativity figures for Christmas, the widow asks, and could her son watch him work ? When Jonathan reluctantly agrees it is the beginning of a miracle that will see the warming of his sad, chill heart " This is one of those special books to share with ...

 I thought I would move onto children's Christmas stories for the next few days as I have just spent a delightful hour looking through some of the books my children had as their Christmas Eve special story. Each year I would take them to a lovely book shop in Thirsk, run by two retired primary school teachers, so that they could choose a Christmas book each to read on Christmas Eve. Today's choice is "The Christmas Bear" by Paul and Henrietta Stickland, published by Orion press. This is a magical story where the reader follows Little Bear around Father Christmas's workshop. As it says in the blurb there are thousands of details for children to discover and pore over in this absolutely gorgeous picture book. Also don't forget to spot the penguin hidden on every page. An absolutely beautiful book to share with your children or grandchildren, or even to just enjoy yourself with a warming glass of mulled wine in front of a roaring fire and twinkling Christmas ligh...

 " The Bullet That Missed" By Richard Osman and published by Penguin Viking This is the third book in The Thursday Murder Club Mysteries and develops our relationship with the four sleuth OAPs and their friends, both old and new. If I'm honest I struggled with the first book and couldn't get my teeth into it, however, the second book "The Man Who Died Twice" had me hooked and consequently I was eager to read "The Bullet That Missed". I wasn't disappointed, this is a book that I struggled to put down, laughing at the idiocy of some of the scenarios and the hilarity of the different characters. This is definitely a cosy murder mystery book for a cold, wet ( snowy!!!) weekend. Richard Osman allows the narrative to develop through the view points of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim as they try to uncover the truth behind a decade- old case and bring the perpetrator to justice.  The quartet use a mixture of fair means and foul to find out what happ...

 "Date with Death " Today's choice is the first book in The Dales Detective Series by Julia Chapman published by Pan books.  These are lovely cosy murder mystery stories set in the Yorkshire Dales involving Samson O'Brien who has set up the Dales Detective Agency in Bruncliffe, his home town where he finds he is not universally welcomed. Also in Bruncliffe is Delilah Metcalfe, owner of the struggling Dales Dating Agency-  need I say more...... This is a very enjoyable read, sprinkled with Yorkshire humour, grudges and forthrightness - in other words "A spade is a spade , not a shovel" Julia Chapman develops the characters well in the first novel of the series with a good combination of murder, intrigue and romance. A good novel to cosy up with on a cold winter's night secure in the knowledge that there are already another six in the series to read and the eighth is due out in April.

East of the Sun, West of the Wind  Today's book is a special little book that is written and illustrated by Jackie Morris and one that pulls you into it's magic from the first paragraph. "In an iridescent sparkle of frosted light he appeared, a huge white bear, shifting and shimmering into solid form. Frost stars clung to his thick pelt. He shook himself and they danced around him like an echo of Northern Lights " This is a beautiful Beauty and the Beast style story that sees the girl embarking on a journey to find the castle East of the Sun, West of the Moon in order to be reunited with her love. A fairytale of love and loyalty that has been around in various forms for hundreds of years and never ceases to delight in it's telling.

Today's book is  "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern, published by Vintage books. ISBN 978-0-099-55479-0 This is a most magical book which draws you into it's imaginative night-time world, where dreams and nightmares exist,through a narration of  intense colour and description. Erin Morgenstern weaves a beautiful spell around you as she takes you into the circus which only appears, without warning, at twilight. There is no prior notice or announcement that The Night Circus will be arriving , it just.......arrives and takes you through the many tents and their artistes through the use of illusion and your developing imagination. Prepare to be drawn into a story which is both beautiful and dark and will leave you with the urgent desire to escape and join....."The Night Circus".

 Something a bit different  I was sat here after decorating the tree, looking through my books, wondering which one to recommend today when I realised  that I had just reviewed a beautiful story for the last couple of hours. The tree you see here tells a story all of it's own. It is not dressed with colour matched baubles , changed on a whim when fashions change. This is a tree that has been dressed , and added to, each year by the children ( who are now 30 and 27) and each individual decoration has it's own little story about who made it, where we were when we bought it,or if it has an identical twin as they both wanted to have the same one. Every single one opened up memories whether it be images of my mum knitting choir boys and angels with my daughter, my son proudly putting his snowman on the tree that he had made at nursery or the beautiful handmade ones my daughter still makes each year.. So as you will have gathered today's story is not a book, it is the story of ...

 Today's book is "The Miniaturist" by Jessie Burton, published by Picador. In the words of S.J. Watson this book is "Haunting, magical, and full of surprises, the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading" For a first novel the complexity and depth of the developing story line had me hooked from the beginning and I read it twice in quick succession in order to build a clearer background. I will be honest it is not always an easy story to read, content wise, and some aspects left me feeling appalled at how different characters were treated by society. However, it is a very compelling read which will draw you in. Synopsis On an autumn dayin 1686, eighteen year old Nella Portman knocks at the door of a grand house in Amsterdam to begin her new life as the wife of Johannes Brandt. Instead of her husband, she is met by his aloof sister Marin who is cold and disapproving . When Johannes gives Nella a wedding gift of a  miniature version of their ...

 I thought I would write about this wonderful story "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune; which V.E. Schwab reviewed as " Like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket ". This is such an accurate description to the extent I feel like there is nothing much more I can add.It is a book that leaves you feeling full of hope for humanity and that lovely sensation of being hugged. If you only read one more book before the end of the year it should be this one. HE EXPECTED NOTHING. BUT THEY GAVE HIM EVERYTHING. Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in charge of Magical Youth, he's spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages. Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside, including the Antichrist. There, Linus must somehow determine if th...

 For my second book of advent I have chosen a book that I came across after watching "Between the Covers" on BBC2.   The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudsley by Sean Lusk @seanlusk1  .  This is one of the most accomplished first novels I have ever read and  is one of those rare books that captivates and draws the reader in, taking away the ability to be able to put it down until you have read the very last page. Zachary is an enchanting child with an extraordinary gift . After losing his wife in childbirth Abel raises Zachary within his workshop of strange and captivating clockwork automata along with the workmen who bring his creations to life. At the touch of a hand Zachary can see into the hearts and minds of people he meets and can foretell future events. After an accident in the workshop Zachary goes to live with his Mother's aunt and his father makes a journey to Constantinople that he will never return from. Years later Zachary, with his extraordinary g...

First of all "Hello" and welcome to my blog. This is the day I embrace technology and move into the world of blogging to share my love of books, and by books I mean proper, actual physical, in your hand copies. I have tried with electronic copies but it just doesn't work for me. That feeling of opening the cover of a new book and wondering what lies within is just magical and cannot be replicated on an electronic device. So with today being the start of advent I thought I would start my blogging adventure by posting one of my favourite books for the next 25 days.  Today's book is an absolute favourite; "The Toy Makers" by Robert Dinsdale. A story that feeds the imagination through a family of Toymakers whilst also dealing with the aftermath of war. Cathy, a young pregnant girl finds The Emporium and, once she enters it's doors her life is changed forever thanks to Kasper, Emil and Papa Jack.  Once you enter The Emporium you will be hooked and each page w...