These are the books I will be aiming to purchase one way or another in the next rew months. Below this post, as the books I have read as the months go by. Generally I'll do one month per post.

BOOKS I WILL BE BUYING

1. The Otherside of Paradise ~ Margaret Mayhew.
2. As time goes by ~ Annie Groves.
3. The Power of Dreams ~ Rosie Harris
4. Never say never ~ Elizabeth Waite.
5. Wait for the day ~ Denise Robertson.
6. Many a tear has to fall ~ Joan Jonker.
7. A place to call home ~ June Francis.
8. When the clouds go rolling by ~ June Francis.
9. Look for the silver lining ~ June Francis. Read. 10/10
10. The Street Philosopher ~ Matthew Plampin.
11. The Devils children ~ Loretta Loach.
12. Letters from the trenches ~ Bill Lamkin ( would make a great book club read )
13. A mother's hope ~ Katie Flynn.

1. LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING ~ June Francis





SYNOPSIS

When Nellie marries a man who does not meet with her mother's approval she is cut off from her family. With her soldier husband Teddy away, a pregnant Nellie is forced to face alone the horrors of the blitz. Only when a bomb destroys the family home is she reunited with her younger sisters. With the three of them homeless, though, Nellie is forced to contact their grandfather. He takes them in but at what cost to Nellie's unborn child?Although fearful for Teddy, the church is the last place Nellie would turn to but when her priestly brother turns to her for help in tending an unconscious man, who apparently has sought the sanctuary of St Joseph's, she complies with his request. When the man disappears as mysteriously as he came, Nellie thinks little more of him. Instead she seeks solace for her grief by working in the day nursery. The end of the war and the return of her sailor father brings unexpected challenges for Nellie, as does the reappearance of the man she never thought to see again.

My own thoughts on this book are that it takes much longer to 'get into' than my usual 'preferred' novel. Having said that Once there I was gripped, and probably will be for life. It's not a massive changing of lives saga with slushy romance thrown in, it more about being accepted into a family and being priviledged to have experience their very inner and deep seated fears, feelings, worries and happiest of all moments.
This book had me in tears one moment and rolling around with laughter the next. For the times I was reading I was completely there. Living amongst these wonderful people. Now I've finished it, I'm left feeling I am the one who has run away. The one who stole their memories and have run off with them leaving them releived to have lost some but destraught that I have robbed them of all their happiness. A very weird feeling, and not one I am used to after merely reading a book. I know this is a book I will always remember, for good reasons and bad.
Wow!

10/10

2. MANY A TEAR HAS TO FALL ~ Joan Jonker



SYNOPSIS

Things are finally looking up for George and Ann Richardson. After causing years of worry, their younger daughter Tess, who had always been sickly and small, is starting to blossom into a confident, clever girl. It will be some time before she catches up with her older sister Maddy, but her family know she'll soon be just as strong. And they've just scraped together enough money to take them on their first holiday, to Wales, where the country life will be just what they need. But heartache is waiting for the family when they return to Liverpool, and many a tear will have to fall before they find the true happiness they long for...

I've read many of Jaon's book before, and on the whole the all follow a similar pattern. They grab your interest from the very onset of the first sentence. A bit like looking through a keyhole at a neighbours door, hearing and seeing things you know you shouldn't. You can't help it! What you hear is riveting! shocking! hilariously funny that you have to cover your mouth to stop any sounds escaping and quite tearful too at times. Well worthj a read even if it's not your usual genre.

3. AS TIME GOES BY ~ Annie Groves





SYNOPSIS

The new Liverpool-based World War Two saga from the author of Goodnight Sweetheart and Some Sunny Day is the story of tomboy Sam, keen for adventure in the ATS, and Sally, a young mother desperate to hold her family together. When Sam Grey joins the ATS, she wants to find adventure, not end up in office work. But when she's posted to Liverpool, that's what she's allocated. Sam wants to show that she's as brave as any man, and when she doesn't get the chance her lively nature leads her into confrontation with her authoritarian boss. Sparks also fly when she encounters Johnny, whose heroic work in bomb disposal makes him very attractive to many women -- but Sam's determined not to fall for his charm. Sally wants nothing more than to protect her small children while her husband is a prisoner of war. She works hard doing shifts in a factory and singing at the Grafton ballroom, confessing to no-one the shameful reason why she needs two jobs. But help is at hand, from a most unlikely source. Annie Groves is fast becoming one of Liverpool's favourite saga writers. This stirring tale of women fighting together to do their bit for their country, keep their families together and finding love and fulfilment in the process will delight her fans and win her many more.


I agree, Annie is fast becoming a world class favourite!

4. THE POWER OF DREAMS ~ Rosie Harris



SYNOPSIS

When all hope is gone, are dreams enough...? After losing both her parents, sixteen-year-old Merrion Roberts is left to bring up her baby sister. Unable to cope alone, she teams up with Rhonda Rees, a trained milliner, who also has a young baby. They share rooms in notorious Tiger Bay in Cardiff, struggling to make ends meet. In time, though, they are able to open up a little shop and it seems as if life is looking up for both young women. But, fate soon intervenes and they are reduced to living in even greater squalor, barely able to eke out enough money to support themselves let alone their two children. Meanwhile, Merrion's brother and her childhood sweetheart have both gone to sea and she has almost given up hope of ever seeing them alive again...

What can I say? I was left chell shocked and riveted, screamingly mad the book ended and rifling through other books of hers in the store to try to find a sequel

5. Anna Jacobs ~ FREEDOMS LAND



Synopsis

Norah's husband was killed in the Great War, and she's struggling to provide a home for her daughter. Andrew's wife is dead and he wants to make a new life for his two sons.

The Australian government is giving ex-servicemen a farm. But to join the group settlement scheme, Andrew must find a wife. Will a marriage of convenience give Andrew and Norah the chance they seek? Can two strangers be happy together?

In Australia they have to clear the forest to make their own farms. But they're both strong and willing to give it everything they've got. Then nature intervenes and not only their farms but their lives are in danger. Will they survive?



6. Kitty Neale ~ LOST AND FOUND



Synopsis

The gritty new drama from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Nobody's Girl. Bullied by everyone around her for years, has Mavis Jackson finally found happiness? Or is it a case of going from the frying pan straight into the fire? BULLIED Taunted by everyone around her, including her mother Lily, 15-year-old Mavis Jackson is devastated when her only ally, her father Ron, leaves home to beat his gambling addiction. Forced to walk the streets in search of junk to sell, the future seems bleak. BRIBED Until an unexpected fairy godmother arrives in the form of Edith Pugh. Struck down with a debilitating illness, she needs help around the home. In Mavis, she sees the perfect solution. Especially as she has ulterior motives! BLAMED Meanwhile, Ron has fallen off the wagon and disappeared. Best mate Pete doesn't know where he is and has to break the terrible news. But does he have another reason for his sudden interest in the Jackson family? BETRAYED Back at Edith's, Mavis revels in her new job. But when Edith reveals her true motives for taking Mavis under her wing, she faces a monumental decision, one which could change her life for ever!



7. Kitty Neale ~ THE EMPTY HEARTH



Synopsis

"Kitty Neale has proved herself to be a storyteller of rare power who is unafraid to uncover the dark secrets of family homes... Neale goes to the heart of a troubled family with a deft touch and a powerful insight."



8. Ruth Hamilton ~ THE READING ROOM



Leanne Chalmers has made a career for herself presenting her own style of home decorating and design on the nation's screens. That was her past life, at least. For now Leanne has been forced to start again as Lily, leaving her name, job and marriage behind. No-one in the Lancashire village of Eagleton has a clue about Lily, save that she's come up from the South West with her best friend and a small child. But it's hard to lead a solitary existence in a small place, and Lily and Babs are swiftly embraced by some of the local characters: Mike, the Catholic priest, who the girls can't help noticing is easy on the eye; Eve, a Liverpudlian, who has a big mouth but a heart of gold; the hairdressers Paul and Maurice; and Dave and his love, Philly, both shy yet determined not to be cowed by Dave's mother, the domineering matriarch of the village. Soon, Lily's new life is full of promise and as she joins Dave's reading room, a shop come cafe and library, she begins to relax. But then Eve is wounded in a burglary, and suddenly, Lily is afraid that her secret is out: her husband Clive may have discovered where she is, and, having left her for dead before, is now out to kill her. Full of Ruth Hamilton's unique warmth and humour, The Reading Room is a rich, compelling novel of love, life and courage.



9. Rosie Thomas ~ EVERY WOMAN KNOWS A SECRET.



Synopsis

What happens when you fall in love with the one person you shouldn't? In the aftermath of a family tragedy, Jess Arrowsmith is powerless to resist her attraction to Rob, twenty years her junior, and the person she has reason to hate most in the world. As their love affair threatens to blow her family apart, Jess finds herself in a desperate struggle to defuse a crisis that puts at risk all she holds dear...

I REALLY need to update this list!! I've gotten slack and I shouldn't have done so. Now I can barely remember what I've read and in what order since I last posted! Oh well....I shall did out the pile of read books and go through them til I have it straight then post them

Okay, here we go.......since I lasgt posted the books I had read these are what I have managed to read in the meantime.

ROSIE GOODWIN Yesterday's Shadow's.




Synopsis

Kate Cleary feels no sorrow when her brutal father dies. At last she will be free from him, even though she and Nuala, the sister who depends on her for everything, must now leave his miners cottage. Then Kate discovers they have an aunt in the Midlands whom their father had kept secret, and who now offers them a home.

Despite leaving her heart in Durham with Matthew, a young artist, Kate feels loved and safe with Aunt Beth. But her peace is shattered by an astonishing revelation from Nuala, and a series of brutal attacks on the women of Nuneaton. Kate turns to a handsome widower, Martin Denby, but is his kindness too good to be true?

My thoughts on this were wow!! 10/10 can't wait for the next edition in this brand new saga. It's harsh, very real, easily associated with and will make you laugh, cry and feel so deeply about Kate and her life. By the time I'd finished it I felt like she was a part of my family.





ANNA JACOBS Chestnut Lane



Synopsis

This is an evocatively moving new bestseller from a well-loved author.When novelist Sophie Carr rescues a man hiding in her garden from a group of paparazzi, she finds that her new neighbour is ageing pop star Jez Winter. She's loved his music for years and knows he's had a tough time lately, with an intruder slashing his face, then a car accident putting his ability to play music at risk.Life's not been easy for Sophie either, losing her husband just as she was taking off as a novelist and having difficulties with her control freak son William and her daughter Andi, who is into recreational drugs and has lost her way in life since her father's death. And Sophie also has a secret to hide. One that makes her very wary of getting involved with Jez.

What can I say? I LOVE All of Anna Jacobs books. 10/10





ANNE BAKER All That Glistens




Synopsis

When jeweller Edwin Jardine gives a job to Hilda Thorpe, his daughter Jane suspects that he's been blinded to the attractive widow's flaws by her looks and her hard luck story (she's alone with a teenage daughter, Kitty). Jane's dismayed when Edwin and Hilda become romantically involved; she knows that her father deserves happiness again after the death of her mother, but must it be with Hilda? With the help of her new fiance, Nick, Jane begins to unravel the shocking truth about Hilda's past – and soon she fears that Edwin may be about to take a step he will live to regret bitterly

Another winner! Although it did get a little predictable half way through, and I found myself easily guessing the end of the story, I was still compelled to read it with vigor. 8/10





JUNE FRANCIS Tilly's Story



Synopsis

After an argument with her elder sister, Tilly Moran decides it is time to fly the nest and moves across the Mersey to Liverpool. As the ferry slips through the murky water, Tilly prays that her strike for independence will not land her in trouble. Having found lodgings and a part-time job, Tilly begins to settle in to her new life. But working undercover for a detective agency brings Tilly into contact with the seedier side of the city and she uncovers rather more than she bargained for. And it is only when her life is put in danger that she discovers where her heart truly lies. A heartfelt tale of a young woman's search for independence and love in the shadow of the Great War, and the friendship that supports her through her time of trouble.

I thought this would be a slight change for me. Katherine got me more intersted in crime novels from reading her choice of book in the book club a while back. However, it started brilliantly and tailed off into what I can only describe as confusion on the authors behalf. It became quite clear the author has not fully researched her subject and the whol thing became unbelievable by the end. 3/10





MEG HUTCHINSON A sister's Tears



synopsis

Her upstairs d'aint want nobody becomin' privy to what that husband of her'n be up to! Her knowed the ways of Fenton Gilmore . . . may the devil tek him! Her knows his temper, felt his fist many a time. And there be others as knows, women he's paid to keep silent about the blows they've suffered, for it tek more'n a roll in bed to satisfy Fenton Gilmore.

Emma Lawrence has reason to fear the base cruelty of the man she must call uncle. She and her sister Rachel had been taken into the Gilmore household on the death of their parents and have known nothing but unkindness at the hands of Fenton and his wife. And now Rachel is dead, brutally raped and strangled, and Emma must dry her tears and flee if she is to escape the same fate. Emma falls in with two other orphans, and Timothy and Lily become as dear to her as her own departed sister. But Fenton Gilmore does not give up so easily. His evil ambition is to own a brothel and Emma is vital to his perverted plan ... Meg Hutchinson is back in vintage form with this absorbing tale of a vulnerable young woman who overcomes hardship and tragedy to reap the rewards of a virtuous life.

Wow! very powerful book indeed. 9/10

CECELIA AHERN The Gift




Synopsis

Lou Suffern is practised in the art of concealment. He is, also, always overstretched, trying to do too many things at once. His overburdened schedule gives him few moments of peace, even in his sleep. And when he spends time at home with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else. On a cold winter morning, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building. Lou is intrigued by him, and contrives to get him a job in the post room. But this act of charity rebounds on him, and Gabe's presence begins to grate on Lou -- particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time. Christmas is drawing near, and before the season is over, Lou's life will be irrevocably change by the casual act of kindness he has performed.

Apart from the sheer storytelling skill of The Gift, perhaps Cecelia Ahern's most considerable achievement is the way in which she has taken a narrative which could easily have moved into rather twee territory, and very efficiently kept sentimentality at bay. That's not to say that the novel isn't deeply affecting, without ever trying to engage our emotions in a synthetic way, Ahern succeeds in involving us completely. In fact, the title could be said to be apposite -- it's a book that deserves to be a gift given by many people to the readers in their lives.

All I can say about this book is that a story you think is going to be oh so predicable is NOT.
It IS deeply affecting of the mind, the heart and the soul.
It DOES make you laugh, and has the ability to make you cringe as you associate with Lou ( Aloysius - pronounced al-o-wishuss ) and his oh so painful life choices and experiences. What this book does is make you realise HARD the repercussions that every single decision we make has on everyone around us. From life's partner's to grand parents and distant friends.

'm not generally in favour of most modern day books. I find them either quite patronising or are seemingly aimed at deliberately dense and foggy minded individuals. It's rare to find an author that treats readers with the same intelligence level if not better than their own. Very refreshing and I shall indeed be reading much more from this newly discovered favourite of mine 20/10

Never have I been so sad that a book has ended.

I have to read this one It sounds geat and i quite enjoyed "PS, I love YOu"

Durga you will love it! I could barely stand to put it down. I'm still gripped by it now really, but re-reading it so soon wouldn't help. I shall leave it til next year. Who knows it may become a hyearly 'must read' like Dickens 'A Christmas Carol'

Addy and Prue Fairweather live with Nell, their widowed mother, in a flat above her shop on the Scotland Road. The sisters, however, are very different. Addy is dark-haired, plain and always in trouble whereas Prue is flaxen-haired, blue-eyed and as angelic as her looks imply. To make matters worse, Nell makes no secret of her preference for the younger girl, increasing Addy's jealousy and resentment. On the other side of the coin, Giles Frobisher and his twin sister, Gillian, live in a crumbling mansion near the sea in Devon. The family have lost most of their money in the Depression, so Giles leaves university and joins the Fleet Air Arm. He meets the Fairweather girls briefly on a visit to Liverpool but they lose touch. When they meet again Addy and Prue are no longer children and Giles realises he is falling in love...

I didn't think I'd like this book at forst but the more I read into it the better it became. Well written. 7/10







Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who must put her life back together after she loses her husband Gerry to a brain tumour. Ahern, the twentysomething daughter of Ireland's Prime Minister, has discovered a clever and original twist to the Moving On After Death concept made famous by novelists and screenwriters alike--Gerry has left Holly a series of letters designed to help her face the year ahead and carry on with her life. As the novel takes readers through the seasons (and through Gerry's monthly directives), we watch as Holly finds a new job, takes a holiday to Spain with her girlfriends, and sorts through her beloved husband's belongings. Accompanying Holly throughout the healing process is a cast of friends and family members who add as much to the novel's success as Holly's own tale of survival. In fact, it is these supporting characters' mini-dramas that make PS, I Love You more than just another superficial tearjerker with the obligatory episode at a karaoke bar. Ahern shows real talent for capturing the essence of an interaction between friends and foes alike; even if Holly's circle of friends does resemble the gang from Bridget Jones a bit too neatly to ignore (her best friend is even called Sharon).

I actually saw the film of this too. Even Marc was mezmerised by it! Great film and book 9/10

I first saw themovie and i cried and than i've read the book and cried again. I am really not that emotional usually when i already know the story. And i rarely cry on th movies, so that was unusuall for me. And i had all those emotions in my before all those things that started trying me out happen, so i guess it says something The story is convincing and touching and it just shows how painful life can be. Well, that is what it shows for me now, by than i saw a bit more in it...