Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
January 3, 2010 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 2010, 4 stars
Willow is born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (more commonly known as Brittle Bones disease) and after a disastrous vacation to Disney World her father Sean meets with an attorney. The lawsuit they are encouraged to file is one of wrongful birth – suggesting that Sean and Charlotte (the mother) should have been made aware earlier on in her pregnancy that Willow suffered from this life-threatening condition. The fly in the ointment? Charlotte’s OB is also her best friend! The story is based around the lawsuit and the devastating effect it has on Charlotte’s relationship with Piper (the OB), Sean, Amelia (her eldest daughter) and Willow.
[ Read this article → ]More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland by David Koenig
December 29, 2009 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 2009, 4 stars
I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first; maybe a part of me didn’t like to read stories that made Disneyland feel more like a normal business than a place where you can check your cares and worries at the door and immerse yourself in the magic!
[ Read this article → ]The Drowning Girl by Margaret Leroy
November 2, 2009 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 2009, 4 stars
I was drawn in to the story from the start – and the many twists and turns made it a satisfying read. For my UK readers you will understand when I say this would make a perfect ITV drama mini-series!
[ Read this article → ]A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy) by Libba Bray
August 22, 2009 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 2009, 4 stars, Young Adult
Libba Bray pens an intriguing and suspenseful tale in A Great and Terrible Beauty and even throws in a hint of passion (not too much – this is a Young Adult novel after all!). I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be on the look out for the other two novels in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.
[ Read this article → ]The Center of the Universe: A Memoir by Nancy Bachrach
August 8, 2009 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 2009, 4 stars, Memoir
Alexandra Fuller is quoted on the cover of this book as saying that Bachrach is “one of the writers [she's] ever read” and I think I’d have to agree with her. This book is probably not a good one to read in public, I got quite a few strange looks as I was sitting there giggling away 
Silver by Edward Chupack | Book Review
January 18, 2009 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 2009, 4 stars
Silver is presented as the tale of Long John Silver – one of literature’s greatest villains – told by himself: “my own tale as written by me with a goodly amount of murder”.
[ Read this article → ]Book Review | Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie
December 24, 2008 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 4 stars, 50 book challenge, Reviews
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie set in 1960s Nigeria and follows the lives of a number of different characters as they are engulfed in the shocking horror of war.
[ Read this article → ]Book Review | The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
October 23, 2008 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 4 stars, 50 book challenge, Young Adult
A thief called Gen who is enlisted by the King’s magus to steal the ultimate prize; a gift of the gods that promises a royal appointment and immortality.
[ Read this article → ]Book Review | Cathy's Book by Stewart Weisman Brigg
October 5, 2008 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under 4 stars, 50 book challenge, Young Adult
Cathy’s Book isn’t your usual ‘words on a page’ kind of book; it’s presented as a journal documenting Cathy’s detective adventures – complete with doodles and illustrations. In among the story are telephone numbers you can call to pick up messages about the characters, websites to visit and IM conversations.
[ Read this article → ]
Hi - I'm Clare Swindlehurst; welcome to my little corner of the Internet!
