Book Review: The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

Title: The Dream Daughter
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 
Publication Date: 9th October 2018
RRP: $24.99
Pages:384
Format Read: Trade Paperback
Source: Courtesy of Publisher

When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby's heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never new existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline's part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

It’s 1970 and Caroline (Carly) is 24 weeks pregnant when she has an ultra sound revealing her baby has a heart defect. He husband Joe has been killed in the war in Vietnam and this baby is all that is keeping her from falling apart.

Carly’s brother-in-law Hunter, has a proposition; something that could be her baby’s only chance of survival. Something that is completely alien to everything Carly knows but she will do anything to save their baby. It is all she has left of Joe.

I loved this story. It was tense and heart-rending. I truly couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next, committing one of my own cardinal sins by skipping forward quite a few pages just to have a peek, the suspense, not knowing, was killing me.

I don’t want to give too much away as it’s best to go into this story not knowing too much. You will have to suspend belief to truly get into the story but that’s the idea, to delve into unknown territory and ponder the what ifs in this genre crossing novel.

Chamberlain draws her readers into the 1970’s with the Vietnam War, Beatlemania and the evolving of technologies such as computers and ultra sounds.

There is much comparison between America of the 70’s and the 00’s, showing how much the world changes in a relatively short period of time with new innovations, mobile phones, laptops, internet and advances in medicine.

Chamberlain highlights the attitude toward the Vietnam Vets then and now and shows how the War affected many lives.

I had no idea where Chamberlain was taking this story and each twist took me completely by surprise.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys a story full of hope and dreams and a plot that strays from the norm.

My rating  5/5        🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Diane Chamberlain is the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 24 novels published in more than twenty languages. Some of her most popular books include Necessary Lies, The Silent Sister, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and The Keeper of the Light Trilogy. Diane likes to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of her books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, her stories usually feature a combination of drama, mystery, secrets and intrigue. Diane's background in psychology has given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create her realistic characters.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore. She also lived for many years in San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her bachelor's and master's degrees in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, Diane worked in hospitals in San Diego and Washington, D.C. before opening a private psychotherapy practice in Alexandria Virginia specializing in adolescents. All the while Diane was writing on the side. Her first book, Private Relations, was published in 1989 and it earned the RITA award for Best Single Title Contemporary Novel. 

What's arrived in The Burgeoning Bookshelf's Mailbox in October

Books that have arrived in my mailbox during October and what I'm excited about reading next

 

Back cover blurb
 

9 authors
9 stories
to make you laugh your head off 4EVER
A runaway pram ➕ an artsy alien ➕ a cereal monster ➕ a word-stealing curse ➕ one dancing dad ➕ three feral fairies ➕ an evil genius ➕ a hairy birthday ➕ a super-duper pig ＝ one hilarious book.



 .

 Back cover blurb

Louis David Adler was born on the 8th of September 1978 to Peggy and Irving Alder of Casablanca, Maine.

Louise Dawn Adler was born on the 8th of September 1978 to Peggy and Irving Adler of Casablanca, Maine.

In their moment of birth Louis and Louise are the same person in two different lives. they are separated only by the gender announced by the doctor, and a final 'e' 
If you could look at one life in two different ways, what would you see? 

 Back cover blurb


As the year 1349 approaches, the Black Death continues its devastating course across England. In Dorseteshire, the quarantined people of Develish question whether they are the only survivors.

Guided by their beloved young mistress, Lady Anne, they wait, knowing that when their dwindling stores are finally gone they will have no choice but to leave. But where will they find safety in the desolate wasteland outside?

When lady Anne and Thaddeus Thurkell conceive an audacious plan to secure her people's independence, neither foresees the life-threatening struggles over power, money and religion that follows.....

 Back cover blurb

It is thirty years since FBI Agent Atlee Pine's twin sister, Mercy, was taken from the room they shared as young children.
Notorious serial killer Daniel James Tor was caught and convicted of other murders, and, while there's no proof, Atlee believes he knows what happened to Mercy. Tor still resides in a high-security prison in Colorado.

Assigned to the remote wilds of the western United States, Atlee has never stopped the search for her sister, and, wracked with survivor's guilt, she has spent her life hunting down those who hurt others. She will always ask herself. 'Why her, and not me?'

Now, Atlee is called in to investigate a case in the Grand Canyon when a mule is found dead with strange  carvings on its body, and its rider missing. She knows about killers and perhaps understands them better than any profiler in the FBI, but it soon becomes clear that she will need to put her skills to the ultimate test in this investigation.
It seems that Atlee will now have to confront a new monster. And face the one of her nightmares.

Back cover blurb

December 2018, and free-spirited Influencers Bo Loxley and her partner Zac are living a life of wanderlust, travelling the globe and sharing their adventures with their millions of fans. Booked to spend Christmas in the Norwegian fjords, they set up home in a remote farm owned by enigmatic mountain guide Anders and his fierce grandmother Signy. Surrounded by snowy peaks and frozen falls, everything should be perfect. But the camera can lie and with every new post, the ‘perfect’ life Zac and Bo are portraying is diverging from the truth. Something Bo can’t explain is wrong at the very heart of their lives and Anders is the only person who’ll listen.
June 1936, and fourteen-year old Signy is sent with her sister and village friends to the summer pastures to work as milkmaids, protecting the herd that will sustain the farm through the long, winter months. But miles from home and away from the safety of their families, threat begins to lurk in friendly faces . . .
The mountains keep secrets - Signy knows this better than anyone - and as Bo’s life begins to spiral she is forced, like the old woman before her, to question who is friend and who is foe.

Back cover blurb

Journalist Matthew cave is sent out to the edge of an ice sheet to write about the discovery of a mummified Viking corpse. But the next day the mummy has disappeared, and the body of the policeman who was keeping watch is found naked and flayed at the discovery site.

Matthew soon realises that the body is connected to a series of unsolved murders from the 1970s. As he delves deeper into his investigation, he finds shocking connections to the present. When he meets Tupaarnaq, a young Greenlandic woman, he knows there is no way back - but nothing has prepared him for what he will discover.

Back cover blurb

In the great city of Catifornia, the Meofia are by far the most feared of all the felines. At home, their baby sister Kat is enslaved under lock and key. Done with the constant abuse, she escapes, embarking on a perilous journey far beyond the land of cats.

Lost at sea, Kat is captured by a ruthless gang of notorious pirate dogs and forced to the depths of the ocean in search of treasure; where she discovers an ancient city, lost in time.

Here, Kat comes to terms with who she truly is – gaining the courage to fight for her life and freedom, to fulfil an ancient prophecy that she inevitably finds herself entwined with

Back cover blurb

At the end of a long, dark night detectives Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch cross paths for the first time.

Detective Renee Ballard works the graveyard shift and returns to Hollywood Station in the early hours to find a stranger rifling through old files.

The intruder is none other than retired legendary LAPD detective Harry Bosch, hunting for leads in an unsolved case that has got under his skin.

Ballard escorts him out but -- curious to know what he was searching for -- soon becomes obsessed by the murder of Daisy Clayton. Was she the first victim of a serial killer who still stalks the streets?

For Bosch, the case is more than personal: it may be all he has left.

But in a city where crime never sleeps, even detectives have a dark side…

 Back cover blurb

The remote Matsu diamond mine in the Kimberley is the perfect place for engineer Dru Porter to hide. The vast and rugged landscape helps her feel invisible. And safe. Surely the terror she left behind in Dubai will never find her here?

Security specialist Connor Kirk knows from experience that beautiful women are capable of treachery. When he arrives at Matsu to investigate a diamond theft, he immediately suspects the reclusive but obviously capable Dru Porter. He knows she's hiding something.

As Connor's investigation deepens and Dru's past catches up with her, their instant, mutual dislike threatens to blind them to the true danger lurking in the mine, one which could leave them both at the mercy of the desert...  

Back cover blurb 

 A wondrous and beautiful A-to-Z guessing game from the bestselling author of Room on the Broom

From ant to butterfly to caterpillar . . . to zebra and then back again, Animalphabet is an entertaining puzzle as well as a gorgeous alphabet book to treasure.

Who can slither better than a rabbit? A snake! Who can growl better than a snake? A tiger! There are clever hints and peekaboo holes within the artwork that will amaze and delight young children as they learn to use the alphabet. This is a preschool must-have.

What's arrived in my inbox during October

  Back cover blurb

An American research ship disappears in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea only to reappear a few days later. When a special U.S. Coast Guard unit boards the vessel, they find it deserted, its power grid wrecked, two bombs waiting to explode, and an even darker secret hidden below her decks.

A few miles across the international maritime boundary, a massive Russian oil platform harbors its own secret. Below the behemoth lies a mysterious energy source so powerful it threatens to topple the balance of world power in favor of Moscow.

The Russians will to kill to protect it. The Americans will kill to stop its recovery.

Back cover blurb

Journalist Charlotte Ashe unmasks the big lies. But uncovering this lie could endanger the one person she’s trying to save…

Charlotte is determined to expose Tyrone Garner—a former football star turned property developer and everyone’s darling. Everyone is wrong. But to prove he’s a fraud, she needs help.

Tired of her quiet life, Allie is thrilled to engage in a bit of espionage for her best friend Charlotte. Allie’s great with secrets. She’s guarded her own well.
Then the nightmare begins.

And the cracks start to show…

Allie vanishes.

Charlotte is desperate for clues. Is Allie alive or dead? What had she discovered that put her in danger? And how will Charlotte cope with her guilt? The more Charlotte learns about Allie’s secrets, the more she wonders how well she knew her best friend. And then she uncovers a lie so big she questions everything she believes…about Garner, Allie and herself.

Best friends share all their secrets… don’t they?

What am I really looking forward to reading? This is going to be a hard pick as I am keeping myself down to three 'I can't wait to get my hands on it' books. 

Kat: The legend of Gnawbonia - This book looks amazing! It is a beautiful hard cover picture book come graphic novel. I'm excited to read this and I think it would make a perfect Christmas gift.


 Louis & Louise - the premise of this novel fascinates me. telling the story of someones life if they were born female and again if they were born male. It's set in 1978 so I am presuming it's main focus is gender inequality but I don't want to jump ahead of myself so I will just wait and find out.


Polar Melt - I just know this is going to be a fabulous read. I have read Martin Roy Hill's books before and I was excited when he asked me to review his latest book. His stories are always full of action and suspense.


Anything here that takes your fancy? I'd love to know what is on your must-read list for November.

 

 

 

Book Review: The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell

Title: The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village
Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette Australia 
Publication Date: 25th September 2018
RRP: $29.99
Pages:400
Format Read: Trade Paperback
Source: Courtesy of  Publisher 

 A moving, funny, heartwarming tale of love and friendship, for anyone who loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Keeper of Lost Things and Three Things about Elsie.

It's never too late to grow old disgracefully ...

The life of 79-year-old pensioner Peggy Smart is as beige as the décor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. The highlight of Peggy's day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim.

Peggy dreams of inviting the handsome widower - treasurer of the Residents' Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village - to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties.

But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn't seen in five decades - the glamorous fashionista Angie Valentine - sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Can she channel her 'inner Helen Mirren' and find love and friendship in her twilight years?

I was quite torn by this book. It was funny and entertaining but I also found it easy to put down. I was easily distracted by other things and it ended up taking me a week to read. I wasn’t drawn into the story or the characters, just a mere bystander.

I couldn’t relate to Peggy, a frail 79 year old. My mother at 80 and my mother-in-law at 89 are both active, vibrant and extremely self reliant people.

I really enjoyed the politics of the retirement village which elicited quite a few giggles and Peggy’s crush on Brian was sweet and this was one plot line I was eager to see through to the finish.

At times I felt quite saddened by Peggy’s circumstances and her inner thoughts and at other times she had me in fits of laughter.

Nell covers many women’s health issues in a humorous, but never demeaning, way.

Peggy’s constant thoughts of “looking after” Brian, ironing his clothes, cooking his meals had me rolling my eyes and wondering if Peggy really wanted to gain any independence.

The introduction of Angie, Peggy’s best friend from school days, was a breath of fresh air; at last salvation. Angie had lived a wild, crazy life and the two hadn’t seen each other for 50 years but they instantly reconnected, old friendships are like that. I loved Angie....and then I didn’t! You will have to read the book to find out why.

Even though I struggled to love this book I would suggest you read it if you have an ageing parent, you may learn some empathy, or if you are approaching the retirement home stage, you will learn to speak up, play up and never stop having fun.

My rating 3/5                 🌟🌟🌟 

  

Photo courtesy of Goodreads

Joanna Nell was born in the UK and studied medicine at Cambridge and Oxford universities. Her short fiction has won multiple awards and has been published in various journals and literary anthologies. 

As a GP with a passion for women's health and care of the elderly, Joanna is drawn to writing character-driven stories for women in their prime, creating young-at-heart characters who are not afraid to break the rules and defy society's expectations of ageing. 

Joanna lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her husband and two teenage children.  


 

Book Review: Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat (Middle Grade Anthology)

        An anthology of bedtime stories for all kinds of kids
 
Title: Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat
Author: Various 
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 
Publication Date: 25th September 2018
RRP: $19.99
Pages: 208
Format Read: Hardback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

Once upon a time, there were 9 beastly bedtime stories.

Stories with vampires and bats, 

and a sleepover of doom; 

of a pirate dance party

and a zoo in a room.

There were bears who were scared,

and three bags of wool.

Kids who ate pasta till their tummies were full.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat features an entertaining collection of stories filled with terrific twists on the traditional and is sure to have kids (and adults) shaking with laughter in their beds!

With illustrations by J. Yi, the stellar line-up of storytellers includes:

Andy Griffiths, Katrina Nannestad, Morris Gleitzman, Judith Rossell, Tim Harris, R. A. Spratt Frances Watts, Tony Wilson, Jaclyn Moriarty.

 

These spooky stories will have your young reader hiding under the blankets, and giggling uncontrollably, well after lights out.

Sleepover of Doom by Andy Griffiths

A choose your own adventure in true Andy Griffiths style. Laugh out loud funny.

Read it over and over, each time a new adventure but be careful what you choose or there may be a deadly outcome. No matter what route you take you are in for lots of laughs.

Pirate Dance Party by Frances Watts

An annoying mosquito, a parrot that thinks it’s a chicken, a cheeky monkey and two dancing pirates makes this a hilarious night of no sleep for Lily.

Dracula by Morris Gleitzman

Corey’s little brother, Will, is sure their sister’s boyfriend is a vampire and Corey has to convince him that Jarrod isn’t a vampire but maybe the convincing goes the other way. This story doesn’t feature any real vampires because we all know that vampires aren’t real........right.

Wool by Jaclyn Moriarty

A twist on the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep. Frankie’s dad needs three bags of wool for the knit-a-thon but Gabe has just bought the last three bags of wool. Frankie thinks that Gabe’s reason for wanting the wool doesn’t quite fit and someone may be in danger. Can Frankie work it out before it’s too late?

Things That Go Splat in the Night by Katrina Nannestad

Ruby and Harry don’t believe in ghosts but what happens when they enter Worthington Manor one dark night may quickly change their minds. A surprise filled story that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Zoo in a Room by Tim Harris

Everyone has brought their pet to school for special news day but Clancy had a cold last week, his ears were blocked and he didn’t hear the teacher properly. All the pets are introduced and pandemonium ensues. Can Clancy’s special news save the day?

Dreamo-Machino by Judith Russell

Gran is very inventive and loves making gadgets but her latest dream machine doesn’t make for a pleasant nights sleep.

Yellowhead and the Three Traumatised Bears by R A Spratt

Hear Grandma’s true story of Goldilocks and the three bears. Goldilocks (Yellowhead) wasn’t the cute, innocent little girl we are all led to believe.

St Reginald’s School for Children Who Only Eat Plain Pasta by Tony Wilson

Where do parents send their children that refuse to eat anything but plain pasta with butter? St Reginalds of course! Where every child goes home completely cured.

Well, I couldn’t wait to read this last story to Dot because she qualifies for this school. So does Ditto but I will save this for him when he is a little older.

Dot’s favourite story from the anthology was Pirate Dance Party. We have read this book over and over and she now walks around repeating “I’m a baaaad chicken” in a parrot voice. She thought this story was very funny.

My favourite was Sleepover of Doom. This story was so funny I was laughing all the way through. Andy Griffiths knows how to write a story that is outrageous and ridiculous but still seem to be completely feasible.

This crazy collection of scary, silly and addictive stories by some of Australia’s best known children’s authors would make the perfect Christmas gift.

 Suitable for ages 5 - 14 years and beyond.

My rating 5/5                                   🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Here is a short list of authors. I won't go into full details of each author or this post will be longer than the book.

Andy Griffiths: author of the bestselling and award-winning Treehouse series.
Katrina Nannestad: award-winning author of The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome.
Morris Gleitzman: acclaimed author and Children's Laureate.
Judith Rossell: winner of the Indie Book Award for Withering-By-Sea.
Tim Harris: author of the popular Mr Bambuckles' Remarkables series.
R. A. Spratt: bestselling author of the Friday Barnes books.
Frances Watts: author of the bestselling picture book Kisses for Daddy, and winner of the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Goodnight Mice.
Tony Wilson: author of The Selwood Boys.
Jaclyn Moriarty: award-winning author of The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone.

Featured in the back of the book is a little about each author and their books. Each author is also asked to name their favourite beastly bedtime stories.