When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot

Alright, so I don't really know what this series is called, it was: 1-800-Where R You, then Vanished, and then there was a TV show called 1-800-Missing (don't think this was very close to the book to be honest). Anyway, it is by Meg Cabot and as you know I have been getting rather excited about her new Heather Wells Mystery Size 12 and Ready to Rock which is just out in the US (I know, I am so upset). I have been delving through her backlist and reading everything I can get my hands on. Sadly, Mister Kindle won this time, as I had to fly on RyanAir which as you all know (or not, but I will tell you) means I can only carry one little bag and therefore couldn't carry all of these brilliant books. It was a tough time, but I am glad to be out of it now, thanks!

So onto the first in the Vanished series: When Lightning Strikes. Jess is a normal teenage girl, she protects her friends from bullies, plays the flute in orchestra and likes a boy who is too old for her (18, she's only 16) who drives a motorcycle (yep, he is the dream guy). So, here is Jess, all normal until she gets hit by lightning and when she wakes up the next day she knows exactly where the two kids on the back of the milk carton are. By 'exactly' I do mean addresses and zip codes and all of that. So what is a young girl supposed to do? If you are Jess then you convince the hot guy to drive you over to one of the addresses to make sure that kid really is there and then you call the Missing helpline (you got it: 1-800-WHERE-R-U).

Jess now has a superpower, but she's doing the right thing, finding these kids and returning them to their parents or loved ones - right? Well, sometimes doing the right thing is more complicated than that and Jess has to fight to right some wrongs. Who knew having a superpower would be so difficult!?

Anyway, this is a pretty exciting start to the series, there are FEDs and motorcycle gangs, but what really impressed me was the back story. Jess has an older brother called Douglas, he tried to commit suicide last year and is now living at home, on medication to help quiet the voices he hears in his head. While some of you might be like, 'Hey, that's depressing', I have to say, it is amazing. It brings depth to a novel that could just be a fun, flirty book about a girl who can find missing people and her way cool adventures, but it is so much more than that and definitely worth a read! So as always, I will beg you to visit your local bookstore, hunt around a library or, if you are super desperate like me and have to fly on RyanAir, buy it on Kindle. Just buy it, show the book-creating community some love and remember a book is pretty cheap compared to the cinema and you get to keep it forever and ever and ever!!!

Got the next one lined up and ready to go so watch this space - I will be filling it with awesome Meg Cabot books until I get my hands on her new Heather Wells!

Going Out by Scarlett Thomas

Can I really rave about this book? Will you let me? Because it is the only thing I can do under these circumstances. This book is really brilliant. It felt so original and fresh, especially when you remember that this book came out a good few years ago (2002) and it hasn't lost it's allure. I bought it from my trusty Waterstones so it had that new book smell and I read it while bombing around England on a high-speed train (which became rather terrifying).

Set in Essex in 2000/2001 Luke and Julie are next door neighbours and best friends (oh stop you, they are not secretly in love with each other), but they have never been outside together. They don't go to the pub or go for walks, eat ice cream in the sun, run inside from the rain; because Luke has never been outside (or at least not for a very long time). He is allergic to the sun and a whole lot of other things no one is very sure about. He has never felt the sun on his face and he lives his entire life through television and books. If you were telling him about how your friend had to go to hospital, Luke could only picture a hospital from a TV show or he would have to look it up on the internet.

Julie is a normal girl, well as normal as someone who loves maths and is afraid of death to the point where she is afraid to take fast trains, drive on motorways or A-roads and is so afraid of storms she has to sit in a closet until it passes. Julie also feels lost, like her life is stalled, but she doesn't want to go anywhere else. She just can't imagine ever leaving Luke and taking chances isn't really her thing.

The catalyst to the whole story, or modern day 20-somethings Wizard of Oz adventure (off to see the wizard....) is Charlotte who has told this Chinese healer all about Luke and now Wei says he could cure him...Yep, on they go to Wales of course - but will this bunch of misfits find what they are looking for? Well, you're just going to have to read the book to find out.

If you are looking for a quirky summer read, this is perfect. With it's brand new cover and the incredible reviews, I couldn't recommend it any higher. But of course you be the judge. Buy it from a bookshop (maybe even an independent?!) or visit your local library - let's try and keep Amazon out of this one for now...

Skin Deep by Nora Roberts

Chantel O'Hurley is the jaw-droppingly gorgeous movie star you have met in the other O'Hurley books. While she might not have come across so well in those, this book might answer some questions. I think all of her bluster and irritating moments that popped up in The Last Honest Woman and Dance to the Piper were all down to stress and fear - I mean who wouldn't be a little on edge with a stalker calling you in the middle of the night and making you fear for your own safety?!

When Chantel is forced to recognise that perhaps she does need protection in steps Quinn Doran, private investigator who is suddenly being pulled out of his office and back into the field. Protecting Chantel will be a full-time job, but can he really keep his hands off her or stop his heart from falling? Quinn doesn't trust himself around Chantel...

I actually quite enjoyed this book, Quinn was dark, broody and all things a hero should be. At points I wanted to strangle them both, as they keep assuming what the other was feeling and then not acting on their own desires - but hey the road to true love was never smooth. I really liked the stalker story-line, it isn't anywhere near as good as Nora's later work but shows you where she started out and how brilliant she is now.

So, onto the final one...Without a Trace all about that mysterious big brother we've heard so much about!

Dance to the Piper by Nora Roberts

Just look at that cover! Seriously amazing and now I wish I had that book in my possession and not just some boring cover (you saw it on the last Nora Roberts post, so dull compared to this one). Anyway, this is the story of Maddy O'Hurley, the middle triplet who has so much energy she can dance all night and all day - which is a good thing as she is a very talented Broadway actress.

Maddy is a quirky, free-spirit living her life for herself and no one else. She seems to relish making time for herself and going with the flow, even if that flow is taking her towards a rather high-strung, though seriously attractive music exec.

Reed's company is backing Maddy's new musical, a story about a stripper who meets the man of her dreams - but he thinks she is a librarian - what will happen? Reed however, is a pretty straight-laced, workaholic who is sure he knows what he wants and that it isn't Maddy. But, can he really resist her charms or will he end up head over heels for a woman he just can't believe would be good for him...?

All about assumptions and fear of commitment this book is a bit of a roller coaster. Maddy is quick to know what she wants and when she falls in love she knows it to be true, but Reed is a cynical, and at times, a bit of a jerk - who just needs to loosen up and believe that true love can be right in front of you.

I really enjoyed this, probably not as much as The Last Honest Woman, but it does give you a taste for the O'Hurley's high-flying, high-living lifestyle that will knock you over the head in Skin Deep. A quick read, perfect for a holiday and I have to say having them in 2-in-1 packs makes these books so easy to read one after the other!

Without a Trace by Nora Roberts

Okay, okay, this is the first cover I don't like, but hey-ho, here it is for you to make your own opinion. Trace O'Hurley has always been a bit of an enigma, throughout this series everyone is talking about him and yet you have to wait to the last book, just to meet him! Well he does not disappoint...

Trace left his travelling performing family to see the world, but not on good terms. His father was so hurt by his son's rejection of the family's lifestyle that they both said things they would live to regret. Now Trace is considering retiring from his job as an ISS agent (I know secret agents!!!) when Gillian Fitzpatrick tracks him down in a dingy bar.

She needs his help, her brother and his little girl have been captured by a terrorist ring who Trace knows are led by a mentally unstable man, who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. But, Trace wants to retire, he doesn't want to get shot again or go undercover! For the first time in a long time he wants to go home, to America, to his family...if they'll have him.

Gillian was a character i could really get behind! Strong, loyal and, of course, beautiful she is a woman who you almost want to be best friends with. Her heart really helps soften up the story, as Trace often comes across (when he is speaking to her) as a bit of a jerk, but inside we all know he is actually really sweet and cares for her a lot. Anyway, this is the last O'Hurley story and it is high-octane stuff! The best bit is all the amazing places they travel to and Nora's descriptions of Trace's life as a secret agent.

Final opinion on the O'Hurley's series: As much as I would love to say it was incredible, I can't. It is a decent series from a top-notch writer, but all in all I prefer some of her others. But give it a go if you like Nora, each book had it's own gem of a character and as always there is the classic touch of Nora! Nothing she does is every not worth reading and when you are waiting for a new series to come out, it's great to delve back into her backlist. Perfect for duvet days!

Underworld by Meg Cabot

Oh my oh my! Pierce Oliviera is in the underworld once more, but this time the gorgeous lord of the dead (John - you remember him right?!) won't let her go! Not now he's finally found her!

Meg Cabot has a gift, a gift for writing incredible romances for teens, if I may say so, she is the Queen of Teen! Underworld is just another example of her ability, she is a maverick - twisting the Persephone story into a teen romance really tops it all. I hardly remembered the myth when I opened the book (Hardback from America - yep it's not even out in the UK yet), but Cabot easily weaves interesting insight into the myth (like the whole wasn't Persephone a demi-goddess or something and wouldn't she totally know all about the eating in the underworld thing?!) with true teen moments including, worrying about your hair, or what that guy is thinking! How does she do it?

Pierce is also definitely growing on me as a heroine, I almost wished I could step right through the book and become her best friend. But I still think Suze from the Mediator series is my favourite.

I also love John, he is the strong silent type but with all the power and sex appeal (ok in my head people) of Angel from Buffy (when he's not a vampire - obviously!). Sensitive and hiding some pain away beneath his rough exterior he is every teenage girls dream, oh and he is hunky too (did I say that already?)!

Oh to list all the wonderful things about this book would be far too difficult, but lets get down to it - you get to go to the Underworld and meet all kinds of wonderful people (Henry is adorable and I think I'm a little in love with Frank), but it is also an Abandon novel so there has to be a chase, some Furies and to top it all off a cliffhanger ending! If you have read any Cabot before you will know that she is a fantastic writer who pulls you straight into the story and this like her other novels takes place over a short period of time. I only wonder how I will manage to survive until the final book in the trilogy comes out?

The Man Who Rained by Ali Shaw

I recently read Ali Shaw's fantastic Costa Prize shortlisted novel The Girl with Glass Feet and I absolutely loved it, it was atmospheric and incredibly original. So, when I saw that Ali Shaw had a new book out, I couldn't resist and Kindle had it on offer, so even though the hardback cover was heavenly, I couldn't resist. To be honest, the first few pages were a little hard going, probably because I was tired and the train was bustling, but it does begin with a journey. Elsa Beletti leaves New York in search of something different, a change of pace after the death of her beloved father and takes a plane ride out to a place she only saw once in her life from out of a plane window, Thunderstown. It is a place that is riddled with superstition, a backward little place that Elsa finds it hard to understand, especially the taciturn Daniel Fossiter, the towns official animal-culler. But when Elsa is exploring the four mountains that surround this mystical place she discovers Finn, a man who is not a man, he is a giant-hairless-recluse who she watches turn into a cloud. It is only her own mournful plea for him to stay that brings Finn back to earth and gives Elsa and Finn the chance to grow and learn from one another.

As with The Girl with Glass Feet this novel is shrouded in mystery, but Shaw's message is clear: it is more about accepting yourself than how other people view you. The host of characters Shaw has collected are all brilliantly drawn and feel quite real, which makes the whole set up almost creepily possible. I think, living in the UK does give you a certain affection for the weather, sometimes I quite enjoy it's unpredictable howling or rain, or incredible heat that arrives in March after a frost. But I could see how you could view the weather as an enemy, how you could want to control it and how this could take over a towns mentality. Chocolat never seemed that far-fetched, religion was always something that could turn fanatical and now the next step could be the weather - who wouldn't give anything to control the weather?

I have to say, overall while I enjoyed this novel and loved some of Shaw's excellent phrases and beautiful - almost loving - descriptions of tornadoes, storms and clouds, I found it lacking. The Man who Rained was somehow missing the energy and off-beat realism that came out of The Girl with Glass Feet. By the end, I was already pretty sure I knew what was coming and I felt that Shaw had to pull a bit of a miracle off to create the ending, which made it all the more unbelievable and shattered the spell I had been under. For anyone who enjoys reading magical realism do give this a go, but to be completely honest I still prefer The Girl with Glass Feet - so go borrow it from the library or buy it from a bookshop you will not be sorry!

Comfort reads

I know, this is not a review, but it is a list, a list of books that no matter how terrible I feel always manage to cheer me up. Suffering from a cold I have been wallowing and reading an awful lot, so here are my favourite comfort reads. Ones that no matter how awful I feel, always perk me up and keep me going.

The Guy Next Door is one of my ultimate favourite reads. Every time I feel under the weather this book is pulled off my bookshelf and I curl up in bed knowing that I will have a satisfying read. Melissa Fuller is a gossip columnist for the New York Journal and her life is going along pretty well - well except for a boyfriend (her last boyfriend was a terrible example of what a boyfriend should be). All of a sudden her life is turned upside down when her next door neighbour is rushed to the hospital (after being attacked!!!!) and is now in a coma. Who will look after her pets, especially who will walk her Great Dane Paco while she is hospitalised? So Mel has to track down her next of kin - luckily he just happens to be a world-famous photographer, but when he shows up he's pretty darn gorgeous and Mel is almost swept away - but isn't he supposed to be some massive tool?
Anyway...this book is awesome and told completely in e-mails! I know, it is so 21st century! Also, Meg Cabot is amazing and just about the best author for when you are feeling under the weather. The whole "boy" series is great! So grab a copy and pour yourself a cup of tea, keep the tissues close and get ready for a hilarious romance.

Anne of Green Gables is a book I have written about before here - so not to bore you or anything - but if you still haven't got a copy Why NOT? If you ever felt down, read some Anne, not only will she have your frown turning upside down, but Montgomery's gorgeous descriptions of Prince Edward Island will make you feel like you are on holiday. With fantastic adventures and true friendships this book is perfect for when you need to curl up and forget all the pressures of life. It is also great to read a loud to a child who is sick, but I personally like to be alone with Anne and disappear into Avonlea. The story is lyrical and a magical read, but keep the tissues nearby and ready for use before you get to the end of the book. If you are far too ill for reading I must recommend the 1985 TV movies of Anne of Green Gables - they capture the whole thing perfectly and will keep you entertained for hours!

 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - it is short, it is fun, it is brilliant, witty and all things Austen books should be! It might be one you haven't read before, but once you have you can recite the beginning by heart and falling in love with Mr Tilney never felt so good. He is one of Austen's most amiable gentleman heroes  who is not only a great guy, but forgives our near Catherine for all her foolish Gothic imaginings and truly loves her.
There is also a brilliant villain, horrible woman and rake! Can Catherine Morland survive her first time away from her family unscathed? A truly enchanted read and one for Austen fans to try out - it is her first book, so remember that we all have to learn!

A comfort read list would not be complete without Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. For anyone who hasn't read it, I beg of you to try - it is a children's classic for a reason and anyone who meets the March family will find it difficult to ever forget them. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are the heroines of this work, each of them very different and vivid in detail and descriptions. Beth is my favourite, a young girl who is so kind, so loving that no one in her family could ever be without her. She would always do the right thing and when reading it, I felt more like Amy or Jo (neither of whom are perfect) messing up a perfectly good day with selfishness. But all the sisters are wonderful and if you know anything about the story or have ever seen that episode of Friends you will know that tissues are a must, as is comfort chocolate and a warm cup of tea. For when you are feeling down, the March sisters can definitely bring you comfort!

Other such comforting reads include: Daphne Du Maurier's Frenchman's Creek, which is a gorgeous romance, swash-buckling adventure story! Meg Cabot's Heather Wells Mystery series: Size 12 is Not Fat is the first and is completely amazing, a perfect mystery series to curl up with in any situation! And now a fantasy series that I loved when I was young and will happily re-read when ill or not feeling my best: Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series starting with First Test - completely captured my imagination and adventurous soul! Sorry, no space to add any more covers, but get thee to a library or bookshop and find your favourite comfort reads now! If you have any further suggestions comment, tweet and basically let me know! Everyone needs a list of perfect comfort reads!

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

If you are looking for a stunning comfort read look no further than P.D. James' Death Comes to Pemberley! A completely brilliant story that picks up just a few years after Pride and Prejudice ends, Elizabeth and Darcy are very happy (who thought they wouldn't be?!), living at Pemberley with their two sons (yes, I know, I love how she had two boys - no idea why, except that Elizabeth is no longer at risk of turning into her mother with sons there is no fear of an entail or anything that had so plagued the Bennet household). The Bingleys reside very close and not a month goes by when there isn't a carriage making frequent journeys between the two families. All is set to be a wonderful book of rural happiness, the only slight worry is who shall marry Georgiana? A very bright, handsome young lawyer (don't worry he also has some land!) and Colonel Fitzwilliam (I know I thought it a bit creepy too, he was her guardian, is her cousin and older than Darcy!!!) appear to be vying for her attentions, but who shall she choose? Obviously Elizabeth believes that Georgiana should only marry for love, not for money, or title (which is why we all dearly love her).
But this rural simplicity is broken by the arrival of Lydia Wickham hysterical and panicked - Wickam and Denny went into the Pemberley woods and shots were heard, Lydia is sure that Wickham has been killed! Now, I must say, I wasn't so concerned about Wickham, but ... now I won't spoil it for the rest of you (as you shall have to buy the book to find out what happens next) I will say that I was unable to put the book down after Lydia's untimely arrival!

A compelling drama and mystery all rolled into one, P.D. James' love letter to Austen is beautiful. The whole book reads like fan-fiction (if only all fan-fiction was written so well and by such an accomplished author), with little asides and mentions of other Austen characters, giving you a glimpse into their new lives. While it does read a little modern, James knows these characters and is obviously very familiar with Austen's works, she has the language and character's voices almost perfect (we could not expect anyone other than Jane herself to get it completely right!). And any fan worth her/his salt will notice a few re-used phrases, but never do these feel out of place, rather they sit so pleasantly within the text that you could forget you had heard them before. James knows what she is doing and it truly felt in some moments as if Austen had come back to life!
A must read for any Austen fan and anyone who loves a good cosy crime story. It is the perfect antidote to the modern world and (as I have a very bad cold) the perfect medicine for any occasion. Just be warned - once you start you will not be able to stop!

The Travelling Matchmaker series part 1 by M.C. Beaton

I had never read an M.C. Beaton until this year. With such an enormous back list, vibrant covers and titles that show ingenuity and humour I am baffled why it took me so long. Now, the first one I picked up was because of a Kindle sale and it was 99p at Christmas: Emily Goes to Exeter. This is the first in the Travelling Matchmaker series and once I had read it, I could hardly resist buying or procuring the others, by any means necessary! So, I went to my trusty local library and low and behold they placed it on hold for me for a mere 80p - once someone returned the book, it was going to be all mine and they would e-mail me to let me know when to come in. A rather handy system and even cheaper than a Kindle daily deal! So once armed with my new book and seeing as the sun was shining that weekend (do you remember when the sun used to shine?). I braved the outdoors and devoured it in one delightful sitting. Anyway, here are my reviews of the first 3 Travelling Matchmaker books:

Emily Goes to Exeter is a brilliant start to the series. Hannah Pym is a housekeeper for a recluse who unexpectedly leave her a legacy of £5,000 on his death. Suddenly Miss Pym is no longer a servant, but a lady of independent means. The glory of that revelation means that Miss Pym can now do as she pleases and what she pleases to do is to travel! Having worked as a servant for most of her life, she has had very few experiences out of the house, her one joy is watching the stage coach (or Flying Machine as they were called) come speeding past the house. So, once the money is in her account, she has acquired a lovely little flat in Kensington (a place once cannot walk to at night, as it is a very dangerous area!) she goes off to fetch her first ticket on the stage coach to Exeter.
All at once the adventures begin, as a quite beautiful young boy is seated opposite Hannah on the coach and a mysterious handsome outside passenger proves to be very useful when snow drifts mean the passengers must shelter for a few days. Suddenly Hannah finds she is quite a wily matchmaker and is able to turn the rather spoilt Emily into the perfect match for the proud Lord Ranger Harley. But not only is there romance, but mysteries abound as it appears someone on the stage coach is trying to get away with murder - can clever Miss Pym, Harley and Emily find the would-be-killer?
A brilliant, face-paced novel for lovers of regency period and a glory good little read. I have to say Beaton had me in stitches of laughter at the oddest moments, with incredible wit and vivacity you will be captured by Hannah's adventures!

Belinda Goes to Bath
Belinda has been sent away in disgrace. Even though her aunt and uncle deliver her to the Flying Machine in a horse and carriage, she is forced to take the stage with the others. Miss Hannah Pym is at once interested in this girl and her odd arrival. Especially with her companion who seems fit to moral bursting! Hannah cannot resist finding out all and when she begins to uncover the story, Hannah is more determined to help. A 'lucky accident' of their drunk driver upsetting the coach into a river pushes the passengers into the house of a local mar guess who welcomes them into his home. What luck to stumble upon an attractive aristocratic bachelor, when Hannah has already set her sights on finding Belinda the perfect match!
Belinda is a wonderful character, with more vivacity than Emily and a lot easier to like on first meeting. The rest of the cast of characters are brilliantly drawn, especially the morally superior companion who ends up with a shaved head! Great historical detail fleshes out the story and makes this story a gorgeous read!

Penelope Goes to Portsmouth
Our indomitable Hannah Pym is ready for her next journey, armed with her successful matchmaking track-record she can hardly wait to see who should appear on her travel this time around. When a stunning young girl climbs into the coach Hannah is excited to notice a gorgeous lord is also in attendance, but can true love overcome class? While Hannah and her friends are attempting to save a deaf and dumb footman from the clutches of Lady Carey (rather a racy character here in her see-through gowns!) Hannah keeps on her meddling ways, even if she must do some rather out of character things.
Fantastic third instalment, but I must say the rather beautiful Penelope was a bit hard to like as quickly as Belinda, but you do quickly start rooting for her 'happy ending'!

So in conclusion, I have now downloaded the rest of the books from the Kindle website (how awful is that store on the Kindle - useless!) and will be devouring them on my journeys to work! Not the cheapest of Kindle books, but a rather lovely series I can see myself re-reading whenever I need a quick regency fix! Go on guys get out there and use your library, download a book or go see a real-life bookseller, because these books do have the most wonderful covers!