Skip to main content
Monthly Archives

December 2015

Book Review: Dream a little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsNo Comments
dream-a-little-dream-giovanna-fletcher-cover In Dream a little Dream Sarah is just fine. Yes, Dan her ex-boyfriend dumped her two years ago for Perfect Lexie. Yes, she has a crap job being PA to Jonathan, her boss who is a truly disgusting man at Red Brick Productions. Yes, she is also a disappointment to her mother – by being single and not progressing in her career. But she’s fine.

Sarah day dreams of being on the research team at Red Brick Productions, but every time she asks Jonathan about a promotion he fobs her off. Brett enters Sarah’s dreams at night. Brett is an old friend of a friend who she always liked.

Sarah has a good friendship group who meet up every Wednesday for a Pub Quiz. There’s Interior Designer Natalia, Sarah’s Housemate Carly, Alastair, Josh, Sarah’s ex Dan and his girlfriend Lexie. The dynamic between Sarah, Dan and Lexie would be awkward, if it were not for Sarah insisting she’s fine with it.

Then Brett enters her life, landing a job at Red Brick Productions. Sarah does the only logical thing, she calls the man in her dreams Dream Brett and the man in the real world Real Brett (just never to his face, well apart from one slip up).

Sarah has a lot to grapple with. First, Dan & Lexie announcing their engagement and quick marriage. Second, dealing with Dream Brett and Real Brett and remembering that they are two different people. Third having fought for a temporary place on the research team at Red Brick, proving her worth by coming up with an idea for a new reality show called Grannies Go Gap and developing the idea.

The idea that someone whom you have dream fantasies about, where everything is lovely and perfect, comes crashing into your real and imperfect world is a good idea and was well executed in Dream a little Dream. The beginning was slightly over written, with Fletcher seeming to labour hard to get the reader to like and have empathy for main character Sarah.

Sarah was a really likeable character and one that had plenty of depth. Unfortunately the other characters, including Sarah’s friends and Real Brett lacked depth. There is a moving scene with Carly and Josh, which made me tear up. It was extremely well and sensitively written and gave these two characters a sense of realism, but it was such a shame that this scene took place towards the end of the book.

The pacing was reasonable. It was just a bit slow in the beginning and middle, meaning that the end felt wrapped up relatively quick. The plot was mostly predictable, with the odd unexpected twist and turn.

Dream a little Dream is a wonderfully engaging read, made so by Fletcher’s warm and inviting writers voice.

Fletcher has also wrote Billy and Me and You’re the One That I Want, both of which I hope to read and review soon.

Review soon,

Antony

mental-health-wisdom-banner



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


Share on Social Media:

A Review of Goals & New Experiences for 2015

By Books & Authors, Happiness & Joy, Health, Life, Thinking, TV, Online Streaming & FilmsNo Comments
goals-and-adventures-large Goals For Throughout The Year
Unticked Box Read & Review 30 books – managed to read 19 books and reviewed most of them.
Unticked Box Watch & Review 12 films – I only managed to review Jurassic World this year.
Tick Box Bullet Point See a show/gig – saw Ruby Wax Live, Wheatus Live and Nina Conti.
Unticked Box Give up smoking for good. Didn’t happen. Will make a goal for 2016.
Unticked Box Write, Edit and publish a Novella. Didn’t happen due to poor mental and physical health.
Tick Box Bullet Point Arrange & Have a Holiday. I had the adventure of a lifetime seeing two good friends get married in India (see My India Adventure Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 & Part 8).
Unticked Box Study Something Pagan/Druid with Chrys & Simon. Didn’t happen due to my poor health.

New Experiences for 2015 by month:

January
Tick Box Bullet Point To start Writing again – my creative writing has stopped, started slowly, stopped and then slowly started again this year due to poor health. But right now, I am writing again.
Tick Box Bullet Point To write a series of blog posts with a ‘Mental Health Focus,’ publishing one a week throughout the month. Done. See Mental Health Focus: 5 Brilliant TED Talks About Mental Health, Mental Health Focus: I’ve Been One of the 1 in 4, Mental Health Focus: A List of Common Conditions & Mental Health Focus: Treatment & Recovery.

February
Unticked Box Try Yoga. Take a Yoga class. – Ha ha, didn’t happen.

March
Tick Box Bullet Point Visit a Museum. I visited World Museum Liverpool in November.

April
Unticked Box See a Sunrise. Didn’t happen. The sun rises far to early for me.
Tick Box Bullet Point Visit a new place. A city or town that I’ve never been to. Does going to India in July count? See My India Adventure Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 & Part 8).

May
Unticked Box Celebrate my birthday. A night out to celebrate in style. Possibly in another city or town. Didn’t happen, instead I deliberately made no plans.
Unticked Box Visit a Castle or a Pagan site. Didn’t happen due to poor health.

June
Unticked Box Spend time Walking in Nature. Didn’t happen due to my poor health.
Unticked Box Take time out to celebrate Litha. Didn’t happen due to my poor health.
Tick Box Bullet Point Watch Jurassic World at the cinema.
In addition I said adios Vodafone, after a nightmare trying to upgrade and hello to Giffgaff. I also had My First Fishing Trip.

July
Tick Box Bullet Point Attend Mum’s events. Birthday, etc. I attended my mum and Ian’s wedding and mum’s birthday celebrations.
Tick Box Bullet Point Watch Minions at the cinema.
In addition I enjoyed the sunshine.

August
Unticked Box Visit Chester Zoo’s new Islands exhibit. This was something I really wanted to do this year, I just wasn’t well enough.
In addition I had a marvellous massage.

September
Unticked Box Learn to Knit. Didn’t happen.
Tick Box Bullet Point Donate to charities. I made charitable donations in November.
In addition I discovered the superb Writer Matt Haig, reading a reviewing: The Humans and Reasons to Stay Alive.

October
Unticked Box Celebrate Samhain. Didn’t happen.
I did have a magical evening at the British Musical Firework Championships in Southport.

November
Tick Box Bullet Point Take some time out to relax. I took what-I-call a Life Hiatus.

December
Unticked Box Watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the cinema. Didn’t happen.

Overall ill health has effected my ability to achieve my goals and have new experiences this year. In 2016, I hope for better health so that more of my goals can be achieved.

Blog soon,

Antony

Share on Social Media:

Happy Gay Christmas

By GayNo Comments

Here’s a fabulous gay version of All I Want for Christmas Is You by Steve Grand, complete with video:

Click here to display content from YouTube.
Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy.

Have a great Christmas all.

Blog soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


Share on Social Media:

Book Review: Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsNo Comments
shopaholic-to-the-rescue-kinsella-book-cover Shopaholic to the Stars, which I have reviewed here ended on a cliff hanger. So I couldn’t wait to read Shopaholic to the Rescue by the fabulous Sophie Kinsella. And Kinsella didn’t disappoint.

In Shopaholic to the Rescue, Becky is on the hunt for her father, Tarkie (Suze’s husband) who have gone missing with a dodgy character called Bruce. In the RV is Becky, Luke, Minnie, Becky’s mother, Janice (Becky’s mother’s best friend), Suze (Becky’s best friend) and Alicia Bitch Long-legs. There’s a growing gap between Becky and Suze, one that Alicia is taking advantage of to become Suze’s new best friend. Danny joins the crew to.

Can Becky solve the mystery of her father’s sudden disappearance? Can she find her father and help him to put right an injustice? Can she find Tarkie and build a bridge across the gap to Suze? Can she find out what Alicia Bitch Long-Legs is up to? In short: can Becky put everything right?

Shopaholic to the Rescue pinnacle of the Shopaholic Series, but also of Kinsella’s ability to write comedy. There is literally a laugh on every page of this addictive page turner. As with every other book in the Shopaholic series, in between chapters are littered with entertaining letters, emails or texts of response mostly from Derek Smeath (her former Bank Manager).

All of the characters grow and develop, but what was most outstanding is that Becky’s character also grew. Becky has so many internal struggles going on and guilt in Shopaholic to the Rescue, that she looses her mojo, and even, dare I say it? Finds no pleasure in shopping and has no desire to shop. The plot is enjoyably predictable with an ingenious ending. The pacing is perfect.

Overall Shopaholic to the Rescue is a superb addition to the Shopaholic Series. A thoroughly entertaining and captivating read. A must read for fans of the Shopaholic series.

Review soon,

Antony

mental-health-wisdom-banner



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


Share on Social Media:
×