BeccaBooks

• Rated 2 stars

“It took a lot of perseverance, the writing style wasn't for me. Eventually the story encouraged me enough to want to finish it, but if I'd had anything waiting on my TBR pile then I doubt that would have happened. It became fairly predictable and utterly unbelievable, but it wasn't totally devoid of charm.
Put me in mind of a Catherine Cookson novel, only set in fLondon instead of Newcastle.”

BeccaBooks wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Janet Evanovich back on hilarious form, and lots of entertainment on the good old Morelli v Ranger dilemma!”

BeccaBooks wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Slow going at first, took a lot of perseverance to get through the first half, but was oh so worth it when I did.
Larsson is a mastermind and this is one of the most enjoyable and original crime novels I've read in a long time.”

BeccaBooks wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“What an unusual book... a fantastic surreal read.
Isobel Fairfax is a 16 year old girl whose past is shrouded in mystery - what happened to her mother? Why did her father disappear for seven years? Then her present turns topsy-turvy as well, she briefly ends up in the past a couple of times, and her step mother appears to have gone mad, then a dog turns up on the doorstep, followed by a baby.
In trying to make sense of the present, Isobel's journey teaches her more of her past, and about her ever elusive mother.

The strangeness of this book had me hooked, and despite the spiralling story line Atkinson did a tremendous job of making it an easy and enjoyable read. ”

BeccaBooks wrote this review Thursday, November 10, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“The blurb of this book doesn't do it justice - don't be put off by what at first glance seems like just another tragedy-come-mystery.

It's Adam's 8th birthday, and it's also his school sports day. His mother, Grace, is there to cheer him on at the playing fields, and his older sister, Jenny, is school nurse for the day.
Against the back drop of a beautiful day, tragedy occurs. The school is ablaze, and Jenny is trapped inside. Grace battles the flames to try and save her daughter, and both are eventually rescued from the building, critically and possibly fatally injured.
While their family and friends try desperately to cling on to hope, Grace and Jenny find themselves outside of their bodies, trying to understand what has happened to them, and why.
Powerless to communicate with their family, they must watch as Grace's sister in law, a Met Police officer, tries to discover who is the perpetrator of this heinous arson attack.

Grace narrates the story, as though talking to her husband. It is at times heartbreaking, but it is beautiful and enlightening.

The whole book is an incredible mix of 'whodunnit', tragedy and faith, with the thread of true love woven intricately around every thread of the story.
The twists and turns and the many discoveries make for a great crime novel, but ultimately you finish it knowing the meaning of true love.”

BeccaBooks wrote this review Saturday, October 29, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I bought this book wanting to learn more about what my Polish relatives contributed to the war effort.
I read it cover to cover in a day, and have been left wondering how in all those school history lessons this important aspect of WW2 was never even mentioned. It really puts into perspective that initial invasion that started the war, and details the heroic and essential contribution that Poland and her armed forces made to the eventual success of the Allied nations.
The author has achieved a fantastic feat with this book. It is hugely informative, without ever feeling bogged down by facts and figures.
This story should be told to everyone.”

BeccaBooks wrote this review Tuesday, September 13, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This is one of those books that has you in its clutches from page one. You want to know what is happening to Valentina Ivanova, and by the time you’ve found out, you’re hooked.

Set in Russia, the aristocratic Ivanov family give us a glimpse of what life was like in the final years of Tsarist rule, a time when civil unrest is growing. As the Bolsheviks fight against their oppression by the state, 17 year old Valentina fights against the oppression of tradition, family and money. Valentina wants independence, to marry the man she loves, and to avoid the forced engagement to a man she despises - but she also feels duty bound to her family. Viktor Arkin, desperate for change and a fierce believer in a new Russia, wants revolution - but is finding it hard to sacrifice the Ivanov family for the cause.

There are many magnificent characters in this book, which at heart is a love story set against the backdrop of a bloody revolution. It is passionate and dark in equal measures, and has enough drama to keep you hooked. Its not unique, reminiscent as it is of many love stories played out in times of fear and war, but it is a good read.
”

BeccaBooks wrote this review Sunday, September 11, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“*SPOILERS*

I was left slightly aghast when I finished this book, as it wasn’t what I had been expecting. I was drawn by the mysterious quality of the blurb, and was quite unprepared for the erotic side to the story to be quite so prominent.

Ramona, an albino young woman, is a serving girl at a large estate in Italy. She exudes an over-powering scent that proves utterly irresistible to males of all ages. Whilst men flock to her side, following her like lost puppies and desperate for her ‘attentions’, the women despair and shun her. The ardent admiration gives Ramona a power over others that she abuses, placing herself in her mind above the people around her.

When she meets a man who at first seems impervious to her beguiling scent, Ramona is affronted and sets herself the challenge of conquering him. When she discovers the only way to do this is to marry the man, who genuinely appears to love her, she does so without much thought, then carries on her wanton ways regardless. On discovering this, the new groom’s heart is broken, and his death quickly follows. Then his body disappears.

Ramona is forced to leave her home and sets out for the city, her new lover alongside her. Her dreams of grandeur overtake reality, and in the wider world she learns that even her intoxicating scent cannot get her everything she desires. She then gives birth to a daughter, and her scent disappears. Alone with the child and financially destitute, she decides to throw herself on the mercy of the estate she used to live in, and returns. Awaiting her is unexpected happiness, for a while, until finally karma catches up with her... her daughter appears to have stolen her scent, and the woman for whom nothing is ever enough soon finds herself with nothing indeed.
”

BeccaBooks wrote this review Sunday, January 15, 2012. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“An incredibly honest depiction of life as an immigrant family, and an astonishingly accurate insight into Polish family structure. Close to my heart because it reminded me so much of my own family, but accessible to those who don’t share that background. If you want to know more about real Poles, not just the stereo-type, this book will go some way to explaining their character and their fierce patriotism.

In brief, Babcia (Grandma in Polish) is living in Derby, England with her daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren. She is confused by the English language, frustrated by the different world she finds herself in, and determined to be the centre of attention.
Wanda, the eldest grandchild, feels stifled by the traditions of her family and is unable to relate to the Polish way of life – she was born in England and wants to be English; as a result she leaves school and heads to London to carve out her own life.
Zosia is the middle grandchild and the apple of Babcia’s eye. Fascinated by her Polish heritage, she is beautiful and intelligent and determined to be successful. Worshipped by Babcia and praised by all the adults she meets, the bullying she suffers from her peers is proving difficult to cope with.

There are many other characters in this rich story, (not least the eccentric and rather deranged Princess Maria), but it is mainly the story of these three women who capture the reader’s heart. So much happens in this book it is almost impossible to write a synopsis, but it is more the interaction between characters that makes this book what it is, with the actual events serving as an interesting backdrop to facilitate the portrayal of the Polish mindset.
”

BeccaBooks wrote this review Saturday, September 3, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This book is fantastic. It's not a literary feat that is going to push the boundaries of your knowledge, nor is it a classic. However, it is a brilliant little novel that will make you giggle and you can't help but feel connected to the characters.

When Stephanie Plum loses her job, the financial pressures become immense. As a result, she takes a job as a bounty hunter (like you do!) and soon finds herself hunting down a police officer who is on the run after being accused of murder. As cases go, this isn't the easiest one for a fledgling bounty hunter - and Stephanie is soon in well over her head. Dragged into a seedy underworld and hounded by a psychotic prize fighter, the hunter becomes the hunted. Now Stephanie needs protection... and the elusive police officer might just be the one to help.

This story is brain candy at its absolute best, a guilty pleasure and a trashy treasure... if anyone can manage to not at least crack a smile when Grandma Mazur gets 'friendly' with a roast chicken, then there must be something wrong with them!”

BeccaBooks wrote this review Friday, September 2, 2011. ( reply | permalink )