From the Book Elf

 The Best Post Boy in England  by Stephen Frost The Best Post Boy in England by Stephen Frost  was published on 18th September 2023. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Why this book evolved Berrington Hall is a bold red sandstone mansion nestling in the Herefordshire countryside. Built in 1778, it was home to Lord and Lady Cawley from 1901. Much later, Lady Cawley used part of Berrington Hall as a convalescent hospital during the Second World War. When their son, the 2nd Lord Cawley, died in 1954, death duties meant the estate had to be handed over to the Treasury, who in turn gave it to the care of the National Trust. Lady Cawley continued to live at the house until her death in 1978, at the age of 100. When I visited Berrington Hall back in 2009 there was an exhibition dedicated to the role the house and its occupants played during the First World War, and in one of the rooms...

 The Doctor of Hiroshima  by Dr Michihiko Hachiya Synopsis The powerful and inspiring diary of a doctor who survived the atomic bomb and treated the people of Hiroshima only 1500m from the centre of the blast. With what this poor woman had been through the sight of her crying tore at my heartstrings. What if something should happen to her; who would care for her little baby? To conceal the fear and terror in my heart I left her, trying to put up a cheerful front. But no one could conceal from her the ominous import of the dark spots that had appeared on her chest. The Doctor of Hiroshima is the extraordinary true story of Dr Michihiko Hachiya, whose hospital was less than a mile from the centre of the atomic bomb that hit on that warm August day. Somehow, in immense shock and pain and extremely weak, the doctor and his wife manage to drag themselves to the hospital, where their horrific wounds are treated, and they slowly begin to recover. Tentatively, the doctor starts to re...

 In The Lives of Puppets  by TJ Klune In The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune was published in paperback on 14th March 2023. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis In a small home, built into the branches of a tree, live a human named Victor and three robots. These are a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, a small vacuum desperate for love and attention, and a fatherly inventor-android named Giovanni Lawson. Together they’re a family, hidden and safe. Then Vic salvages an unfamiliar android labelled ‘HAP’. He learns that Hap and Gio share a dark past, where they hunted humans. And Hap unwittingly gives away Gio’s location. Before they know it, robots from Gio’s former life arrive – to capture and return the android to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. The rest of the unconventional family must travel across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to resc...

  A Swift Return  by Fiona Barker A Swift Return by Fiona Barker with illustrations by Howard Gray, was published in February 2024 by Tiny Tree. My thanks to the author an publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  The Write Reads for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Aria has her head in the clouds. Yusuf keeps his feet on the ground. But when they work together to save a bird who has lost her way, something magical happens. When Swift loses her way on her epic migration. Aria and Yusuf come to her rescue and are inspired to think big about looking after the sky above their city. Inspired by Fiona and Howard’s love for wildlife of all kinds, A Swift Return is the follow-up to Setsuko and the Song of the Sea. Howard’s beautiful illustrations evoke a strong sense of place, strengthened by the beautiful Arabic text distilled by Maysoon AbuBlan. My Review This is a beautiful picture book for children that they will want to return to time and time again . ...

  My Father & Other Animals  by Mike Kirby  My Father & Other Animals was published in February 2024.  My thanks to Mike for sending me a copy  in return for an honest review. Synopsis My parents chose the Yorkshire Pennines – a tough place to pursue their dream of having their own farm. Dad, a man of many actions but few words, was as relentless as the farming seasons, and through long hours and lots of mud, sweat and tears, gradually carved out a living, slowly making real the vision that they shared. My Father and Other Animals tells the story of how this driven man, always hand in hand with Mum, and blessed with a unique understanding of his animals, brought their  farming dream to life, building a successful farming business against the backdrop of the South Yorkshire hills.  Together they raised  a family, blessing all four of their sons  with their  common sense and restless work ethic and love of being outdoors, working s...

  The Antique Hunter's Guide To Murder  by  C.L Miller The Antique Hunter's Guide To Murder by C.L. Miller was published on 29th February 2024 by Pan MacMillan. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis WHAT ANTIQUE WOULD YOU KILL FOR?  Freya, it’s down to you to finish what I started . . . Freya Lockwood has avoided the quaint English village in which she grew up for the last twenty years. That is until news arrives that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and Freya’s estranged mentor, has died . . . and the circumstances seem suspicious. You will uncover a reservation, I implore you to attend . . . But when a letter from Arthur is delivered, sent just days before his death, and an ordinary pine chest concealing Arthur’s journals, including reservations in her name, are revealed, Freya finds herself sucked back into a life she’d sworn to leave behind. But be...

  Save Me From The Waves  by Jessica Hepburn Save Me from the Waves by Jessica Hepburn  was published on 7th March 2024 by Aurum. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Save Me From The Waves is an inspirational story of physical and mental endurance which starts on the streets of London and culminates on top of the world, fuelled by song. It explores the redemptive power of music and mountains. How family and friends can be lost and found in the most unusual places. And encourages everyone to live big and bravely when life doesn’t go to plan. Because sometimes we all need saving from the waves. And whether it’s high and far away or closer to home and in your head, an adventure will always change your life for the better. My Review A brilliant book that I am having to review before I have finished it due to that fact that it is taking a long time to get t...

 Kitchen Sanctuary  by Nicky Corbishley Kitchen Sanctuary Quick and Easy : Delicious 30-Minute Dinners  by Nicky Corbishley is published on 29 February 2024 by Kyle Books / Octopus. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Quick and easy, home-cooked family recipes, ready in 30 minutes or less, from the hugely popular blog and YouTube channel Kitchen Sanctuary. Making dinner from scratch can feel like a chore - often half the battle is trying to find something that's quick, nutritious and, most importantly, delicious. But delicious doesn't have to mean demanding. After their debut book, Sunday Times bestseller It's All About Dinner, Kitchen Sanctuary is back - this time focusing on quick and easy meals, all made in 30 minutes or less! With chapters such as Champion Chicken; Moreish Meat; Fantastic Fish; Vitally Veggie; Perfect Pasta; Rice, Noodles, Grain...