The Beach Wedding by Dorothy Koomson

The Beach Wedding by Dorothy Koomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will your past always catch up with you?

Tessa Dannall is excited and happy when her daughter, Nia, arrives at their family’s tropical beach resort to get married.

Tessa is also trying to forget the last time she went to a wedding on this beach and how that day changed her life for ever.

But as the big day draws near, Tessa realises she must face the deadly ghosts from her past – or they may ruin her daughter’s future...

I love the time of year when Quick Reads release their titles for the year. These are perfect for people on the go, who have a little time but really want to feel like they have read and achieved something.

Koomson is a popular women's fiction writer and has written some very popular books. This is less than 100 pages but didn't feel rushed and had many twists and turns in it.

Nia and Marvin are due to be getting married at Nia's family home in Ghana, this was the same place that her mother was meant to marry her father, but something happened on that faithful day that she doesn't like to speak about. Nia's mother is not so sure it is a good idea that her daughter is to marry in the same place, surely it is bad luck? Things look like they are going ahead anyway and when Marvin's parents turn up a few days early, everything changes.

This was a short story that I devoured in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a small escapism but can't commit to a full length novel.

Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Book Covers

Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Book Covers by Margaret C. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane Austen’s six novels are true classics, still immensely popular some 200 years after their first publication. But although the celebrated stories never change, the covers are always different. Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of design, from elegant Victorian hardcovers and the famed 1894 “Peacock” edition to 1950s pulp, movie tie-in editions, graphic novels, foreign-language translations, and many, many others. Filled with beautiful artwork and insightful commentary, this fascinating and visually intriguing collection is a must for Janeites, design geeks, and book lovers of every stripe.


When I was offered a copy of this beautiful book to review, I was only too happy to.

I have a dreadful literacy secret, that is that I have never read a Jane Austen; I know, I know how is this possible and where have I been? I felt that this book was a brilliant one to introduce me to Austen.

This book is simply stunning, it shows 200 years of Auten's covers with large photographs and very informative text. You don't have to be an Austen fan to appreciate this book, don't get me wrong, fans are going to love this and I would recommend this to any fan to enhance their collection. However this is perfect for anyone interested in history: publications and artwork.

I am not an Auten fan (due to the fact I have never read anything by her) but I am an art fan, having a degree in art makes me interested in seeing any art form. For me this is what captured my interest about the book. I just loved viewing all the different covers, there are some I am sure even if you are die hard fan you would not have known some of these editions existed.

I love that there is a timeline included and a complete description of the publisher, date of publication and other information you may find interesting. Personally I had no idea there were so many different variations of covers; from film tie ins, YA editions and in the modern world, ecopies!

This is going to be a book that takes pride of place on my coffee table and is a brilliant ice breaker. As I mentioned earlier in my review, I have never read any Austen books, this has certainly inspired me to begin reading her. The only question I have now is which edition do I choose? I will be returning to my book very shortly to pick my favourite and I will try to get hold of a copy!

I think I am going to be purchasing a second copy for a friend this Christmas, it is going to make a stunning present, one I know she will love!

I would like to thank Quirk for sending me this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

Horrorstor - Grady Hendrix

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's a classic old-fashioned haunted house story - set in a big box Swedish furniture superstore. Designed like a retail catalogue, Horrorstor offers a creepy read with mass appeal-perfect for Halloween tables! Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring wardrobes, shattered Bracken glassware, and vandalized Liripip sofabeds-clearly, someone or something is up to no good. To unravel the mystery, five young employees volunteer for a long dusk-til-dawn shift-and they encounter horrors that defy imagination. Along the way, author Grady Hendrix infuses sly social commentary on the nature of work in the new 21st century economy. 

A traditional haunted house story in a contemporary setting (and full of contemporary fears), Horrorstor comes conveniently packaged in the form of a retail catalogue, complete with illustrations of ready-to-assemble furniture and other, more sinister accessories.



This is a very different type of book to the genre I usually read, however I was looking forward to a change and as it is October and Halloween isn't too far away I thought this was an ideal time to begin it.

Horrorstor is a book like no other I have ever read, as a rule I don't enjoy horror; this book I feel slips into other genres not just horror. I loved the humor in the book and the whole lay out of it. This type of book proves that ebooks will never replace actual books. There is so many quirky aspects to this that just wouldn't come across correctly on a screen. I feel so lucky to have had a physically copy to review.

The book looks and feels like a catalogue from a well know furniture store, throughout the book there are different furniture types that are available to buy. I love the detail and the effort that has gone into the book to create it. Dimensions, product descriptions and colour variations.

The novel is extremely easy to read and I read it in just a couple of sittings, the writing flows very well and you are hooked right from the beginning. You are only in a chapter or two and the action starts.

I loved the development of the characters and felt I was with them in Orsk that night, (wishing I wasn't) I began to really care about the characters and my thoughts on them grew the further I got into the book. The whole idea and concept of this book is a good one.

It was brilliantly clever and I loved the ending, although I felt it wasn't completely wrapped up I felt satisfied I have never read a book like this and would recommend it to everyone. Even if you don't like horror, you will enjoy this, make sure you buy the paperback copy though as I don't think you will have the same experience reading an e-copy.

This is a book that will be staying with me some time, I would love to read more from Hendrix and hoping there will be a sequel some time soon.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Tic Tac Tome - Willy Yonkers

Tic Tac Tome: The Autonomous Tic Tac Toe Playing Book by Willy Yonkers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Think you’re pretty smart? Turn the pages to play your moves and watch as Tic Tac Tome beats you forward, backward, and diagonally. Tic Tac Tome features more than 1,400 pages, hundreds of draws and losses, and just one way for a clever reader to win. No apps, batteries, or touch screens required—Tic Tac Tome is powered by good old-fashioned book smarts. It’s deceptively simple, endlessly addictive, and (nearly) impossible to defeat. Complete with introduction and FAQs for the unfamiliar and unsure, Tic Tac Tome is the smartest book you’ll ever cross.

When Quirk Books were offering this for review, I waved my hands high in the air. This looked like a fun book that could entertain you for hours.

First I sat down with a pencil and thought I would get started, I was thinking that it was a shame that the game could only be played once. I know how to play Tic Tac Toe, just like probably most of the population but I decided to check out the rules. This was when I realised that the game can be played over and over.

This book is really clever, you can choose to start first or allow the book to begin, by starting at the front of the book or back. Then by selecting where you want to put your X, you change the page to the number in that square. The grid begins to fill up in the way you would play Tic Tac Toe.

This is a really fun, clever, brilliant book that is perfect for the coffee table and a great conversation starter for a dinner party.

I love that it can be played again and again. This is going to have prime place on my dinner table and I am sure it’s going to be a great ice breaker.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review.