Tag: Christmas

#Book Review On Top Of The World by David Lamb.

On Top Of The World Book Cover Image4_stars_goldOn Top Of The World: (Until The Bell Chimes)

by David Lamb

Fiction: Humor/Satire. 250 Pages Print. Woolly Mammoth Books (October 20, 2016)

Author Biography

David Lamb is a native New Yorker, born and raised, bitten with the writing bug since he was in elementary school and had handwriting nobody could decipher. Like Charles Dickens, David grew up a poor boy in the big city who found that the pen really is mightier than the sword. While working as a lawyer by day, at night he transformed into a writer and eventually wrote and produced the award-winning hit off-Broadway romantic comedy Platanos Y Collard Greens. Being a writer and having the chance to make people laugh out loud while challenging them to think about the world around them, and inspire each of us to believe in the power of love and our own ability to overcome life’s challenges is a great gift that David truly enjoys and thanks you for allowing him to share with you in On Top Of The World (Until The Bell Chimes).

Book Description

This version of Scrooge and Belle is familiar, yet unlike any you’ve come across before. Scrooge, or rather Scrooje, is music’s biggest superstar, with one hundred million albums sold, fifteen million devoted YouTube subscribers, two and a half million Facebook likes, and twenty-five million fanatical Twitter followers known as Scroojites. Belle, is a legal shark who gulps down her opposition voraciously and whose beauty and stunning figure causes traffic accidents as she zips through the sidewalks of Manhattan stylishly adorned and taking no prisoners.  They never imagined being music’s most powerful couple, but that’s exactly what happened when Belle fell head over heels and gave the Coke-bottle glasses wearing, plaid and stripe attired, scrawny, biggest nerd on her college campus the ultimate makeover, turning him into a fashion impresario whose style sets trends from Milan to NY Fashion Week and who can be seen courtside at the NBA Finals sporting a perfectly-fitted cashmere suit.  Then it happens. Belle realizes too late that she’s created a chart-topping monster as Scrooje’s ego explodes and he starts acting a fool.  Now, it’s been three years since they ve spoken. But tonight at Hollywood s biggest red carpet event, with the whole world watching, they’ll be given a second chance. Will Scrooje listen to the ghostly-advice of Marley, his best friend since the fourth grade, who at the time of his untimely drowning at his Brazilian poolside birthday bash was as big a star as Scrooje?

Book Review

I was looking for a Christmas book to read and this one fell into my lap. While reading On Top Of The World I thought of real life people that seemed to fit the characters. I see Sean “P Diddy” Combs as Scrooje and Marley is Biggie Smalls. At least that’s my take on it. However, you can look at several members of hip hop royalty these days and the shoe would fit. This isn’t the usual spin you have for A Christmas Carol. You don’t have the same types of things happening when spirits visit Scrooje that you see in a lot of retellings. There isn’t a modernization of the spirit trips. I liked that about the story and was pleased with the surprises. I also liked the real life situations of the visits the spirits take Scrooje on. You get to see where Scrooje comes from and what shapes the person he is before he becomes the king of the world.

I like the character of Belle as an upper class more privileged student who takes the very much poor class Scrooje in hand and brings out the best in him and then becomes a high powered attorney. She looks out for Scrooje and Marley even while both are ruining their real lives while living the Hip Hop high life.

I think anyone can read this and enjoy it. You don’t have to enjoy any type of music to like the story as music doesn’t play a part like you might think. If you want a good what if look at what real life people could turn into this is a good book to pick up. I read the book in one sitting without a problem. It goes very fast.

This is categorized under Humor and Satire but I don’t see an over abundance of humor in the story, but you have to give books a category on Amazon so I suppose this was the best way to go.

As some of you know, I’m a writer myself and have little time to give to reading these days. Having such a quick and enjoyable read was a nice surprise.

Review by: Ronovan Hester

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#Book #Review by @HughRoberts05 of ‘The Night Before Christmas’ by Rose Collins

The Night Before Christmas by Rose Collins

Title: The Night Before Christmas

Author: Rose Collins

Format: Kindle Edition

Genre: Children’s Book

Language: English

Published: 7th December 2015 by NurseryBox Books

Print Length: 28 pages

File Size: 15661 KB

ASIN: B0193Y9PHW

Price: £1.49

Sold By: Amason UK Amazon USA

A free copy of the book was provided to me in exchange for a review.

Clement Clarke Moore’s much-loved poem is brought beautifully to life in this gorgeous picture book with a twist – as Santa visits a family of bears on Christmas Eve.

I’ve always loved Clement Clarke Moore’s poem ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.’ For me, Christmas Eve is my favourite day of the year. So when I was asked to review this book I didn’t hesitate in saying ‘yes’.

Christmas Eve is a magical night and this book is just as magical. The pictures, story, and vivid colour not only help in making the book a spellbinding read, but they captured my heart. I could not fail in taking in every last detail of the illustrations and being whisked away on Santa’s sleigh for the time it took me to read the book.

I thought I was going to get the story of ‘The Three Bears’ but was very pleased to say there were no hints of cold porridge or lumpy beds. I smiled throughout the whole book and could feel it pulling me back to the days of my childhood. Not only will every child enjoy reading this book, but so will any adult who reads it to children.

As I have already mentioned, the illustrations are both beautiful and colourful. Children, young and old, will take a great time in absorbing the whole story not just from the words, but also from looking at the pictures and taking in everything that has been captured in them. They are mesmorizing.

Although the book is aimed at younger children, I’d encourage parents to get older children to read the story to their younger brothers and sisters. Didn’t we all love the magic of Christmas, especially when very young? The book will certainly help anybody reading it to spread that magical feeling to their audience.

The only slight problem I had with the book is that there is a small section of the story which refers to Santa smoking his pipe. The illustration on the particular page also shows this. Given the anti-social attitude towards smoking these days, some may find that they don’t want to promote Santa’s bad habit, as a smoker, to children. I was a little surprised to see it in the book. Had the book been published 30 or so years ago, then I don’t think it would have been considered that much of a problem but, in the current climate, it may raise a few eyebrows.

Realistic Characterisation: 5/5

Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

Readability: 5/5

Recommended: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Review by:

Hugh Roberts

Hugh Roberts

Twitter: @HughRoberts05 (https://twitter.com/HughRoberts05)

Blog: hughsviewsandnews.com (http://hughsviewsandnews.com/about/)

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Planning for the Holidays

Whether you have a new book coming out this year or are just concentrating on marketing your already published backlist, now is actually a great time to ponder your end of year sales campaign. I know that some authors keep at it all the time, but I find that three or four times a year is a good way to give your books a bit of publicity without irritating the daylights out of your followers. It’s also always a good idea to have a comfortable plan in place for the event all ready to go in plenty of time. Get as many goodies in your Christmas bag as you can.

First decide on a budget. It is very, very hard to sell books with a zero advertising budget, but even a little will help. When it comes to presents and bookmarks though, I’ve seen some fabulous homemade ones, so you don’t have to break the bank. Rafflecopters and events with prizes don’t always have to be about Amazon gift cards. You could have something a little more special to win – something related to one of your books or characters. And one thing’s for sure – fans absolutely adore getting something personal from a favourite writer. So – on your holiday campaign to-do list—

Pick your dates.

Allocate a budget if you can, and decide what you’re going to spend it on.

Choose one or a couple of paid book advertising newsletters and pay in advance if you can to avoid price increases. Get a list together of free sites too.

Open a new word document and copy and paste all the links you’re going to need – get your Global Amazon Links there so you don’t have to post separate links for each site, making it easy for readers to use one easy click to buy your book. Shorten your URLs in readiness for your Twitter shoutouts, and get your book covers or artwork all stashed in a file ready to go for the same thing.

Collect some fabulous short excerpts from your book and zoom over to Picmonkey to add them to images that are going to make people want to share.

Set up dates on your list to remind you to go to Amazon and create free days or countdowns for your books. Remember, that as well as your own advertising, Amazon always has a page for countdowns that a lot of readers regularly check.

Set up your swag early. Order or make bookmarks. Get your paperback giveaways ready for posting with personal notes all ready to go. An absolutely fabulous idea is to go to Zazzle and order mugs or just about any other thing on the planet with images of your book covers on them.

Best of all, boost that celebratory excitement by heading over to TSRA Book Trailers and getting yourself an awesome trailer made. These really are attention grabbers, and another wonderful way to find new readers. We all love retweeting cool trailers on Twitter.

I suggest that you do all this well before the actual celebration days begin. There are a lot of people buying books after getting Kindles for Christmas – that’s true, but you’re going to sell a lot of books when people are still in shopping mode too, so try and at least begin before the big bang and let your event zoom through till the end.

Once you have your plan in place you’ll probably find yourself so hugely inspired that you just might not be able to stop yourself from making sure that it’s going to be a brand new book that you’ll be throwing a party for. In that case, get to scribbling scribblers! You’ll find it a lot more fun having everything ready to go in December, rather than having a mad dash at the last minute.

Party

Jesus vs. Santa: Christmas Misunderstood by @JERoyle #Book Review by @RonovanWrites

In Jesus vs. Santa: Christmas Misunderstood, Jason Royle tackles THE big question of Christmas; Is Santa evil? Okay, maybe he doesn’t quite put it that way, but you know a lot of Christians have issues with Santa.

After reading, enjoying, and reviewing Judas: Hero Misunderstood (click HERE for the review of that one), and then bringing Jason onboard LWI as our Christian and Inspirational book reviewer, there was no doubt I was going to read this new one.

One thing about both Jason and I, we are Christians. We are by choice, living it Christians. That means even though Jason works here, he gets an honest review from me. He expects one as well. If his book was so bad I couldn’t finish it, I would do like I do with other books like that, I send an email explaining things instead of putting it out there to the world my opinion that it was bad. The fact there is a review here should give you an idea if I liked the book or not.

In Jesus vs. Santa: Christmas Misunderstood, Royle takes you through the history of Christmas, from the real Jesus vs. Santa: Christmas Misunderstood by Jason E. RoyleSaint Nicholas to the daddy of Thor, in a brief and painless way. (I was a History teacher, so I know about painful history lessons.) You’ll learn where the answer to how we handle the issue of Santa with our kids begins. A great deal of what you find in Jesus vs. Santa you can use in everyday life with not only your children, but yourself as well.

As a minister and a father, Jason has to balance the question we all face as parents each Christmas with even more pressure than the rest of us. You might think he’s going to go full force in one direction on this subject, but read. If the answer is as clear as that, why would I read it and review it? If the answer is as simple as No More Santa, I would not waste my novel writing time reading the book and then even more of that time writing a review.

As an ordained Deacon, former Youth Minister, and Sunday School Director, I feel the pains Jason goes through in a family moment he shares. My son is 11 now, and the question of Santa is a big thing at the moment. He’s not asking, but you can see how realization is setting in. Fortunately, I’ve done some of the things Jason mentions in his book, so my hope is things transition well.

If you are about to enter the Santa zone with your kids, are in the middle of it, or coming to the end of it, read this book to find out how to handle things in a way that keeps your kids on the right path of Jesus not only at Christmas, but year around.

5 out of 5 Stars

Bet it at Amazon by clicking HERE NOW for Kindle/Paperback for $2.99/$5.99.

ABOUT JASON E. ROYLE

Judas Hero Misunderstood“Writing, for Jason, is a way to express the ongoing story of theology. With every book or article, he hopes readers get a sense of the complexity of God and the necessity of faith. Captivated by the spiritual component of life, Jason loves to read everything from the Greek classics to the Sunday comics. While serving as pastor of a congregation near Memphis, TN, Jason wrote a weekly column in a local newspaper called Sermon in a Nutshell and has had devotions published in The Secret Place, among others.”

Jason E. Royle toon editionClick the image to follow the latest from Jason on Twitter!

About the Reviewer

Ronovan Hester is an author, with his debut historical adventure novel Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling due out in Valentine’s Day of 2016. He shares his life as an amnesiac and Chronic Pain sufferer through his blog RonovanWrites.WordPress.com. His love of poetry, authors and community through his online world has lead to a growing Weekly Haiku Challenge, a  Weekly Fiction Prompt Challenge, and the creation of a site dedicated to book reviews, interviews and author resources known as LitWorldInterviews.com.

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@RonovanWrites

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Three #Gifts I would buy with #Christmas Money.

If I had money to spend as an author what would I do?

First I would make sure I was looking at the right bank account.

Then one thing I would spend money on is a . . .

Book Cover Artist

Sure, I think I could actually make my own book cover. I’m pretty creative, have a good eye. But a really chris_graham_shadow_people_2_cover_art.jpggreat book cover takes time. That time is time I could be using writing or promoting my books or someone else’s books. I can give a book cover artist my basic idea and they will perform their magic and tweak until everything is just right. Of course I have the book cover artist for you.  Even if I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t spend it carelessly. CHRIS GRAHAM has great rates on book covers and I KNOW he works with an author to get the cover just right.  Not a stock cover but a one of a kind cover. How do I know this? He’s done covers for our very own Jo Robinson. Check his rates here.Can’t afford a Book Cover artist, even at Chris’ prices, check out Jo’s article on how to create your own book covers here.

 

Proofreader

Next, I’m a History guy. I used to teach and now I write. History, not English. That means I need help in wendy_janes_author.jpgproofing and editing. There is nothing worse than writing a great book and having it rejected because your grammar, punctuation and all of that just plain out stinks. Yeah, stinks. Give in and accept it. We all need help and I don’t care who you are. Fresh eyes are always better than your own. You will read a paragraph 100 times and read what it is supposed to say. I will read it once and find two words missing that when just annoy a publisher or agent because they expect you to put forth your best and most professional work. So who do I have for you? WENDY JANES, author and everything else I’ve mentioned. She has good rates from others I have heard but not so low you worry. Remember, you get what you pay for and I TRUST Wendy. Click here to get her rates. And she has testimonials here including those from highly reviewed books.

 

The first two people I know. I’ve interviewed them and they are great people. I trust them. Now here comes someone I haven’t met but hope to soon.

Editor

Yes, you need an editor. that person that will tell you like it is. They might make you cry as they point norma-buddenout that your favorite line in the book just doesn’t work and serves no purpose. Yeah, I’ve been there. I interviewed an author recently, read the unedited version of that person’s book and then part of the edited version. We all need editors. Just saying. A great one is the one that edited the book I read. Her name is NORMA BUDDEN. She’s also an author. I think it always helps for an Editor to be an Author as well. They get us. They understand how difficult it is for us. And they want it to be a success just as bad as we do. You can find Norma by clicking here.

 

 

Well those are the three things I would spend money on at the moment. Sure there are other things out there as well, but for now these are three things I would want to begin my career on the right foot.

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

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BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “If Love Is a Crime: A Christmas Story” @SASSEVN

Mark Sasse If Love Is a Crime A Christmas Story Colleen Chesebro
Title:  If Love Is a Crime: A Christmas Story
Author:  Mark W. Sasse
ASIN:  B00QP03GYQ
http://mwsasse.com/
Pages:  26 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Christmas Fiction

Christmas Eve, 1852 promises to be a night that Beatrice will never forget when a winter storm blows a young, runaway slave to her tiny cabin in the woods.  What results is a story that is a touching, heartfelt reminder of what Christmas is really all about.

Sasse gives a depth of character to Beatrice that makes you feel like you have known her for a long time.  This short story wrapped me in an embrace of comfort and love in just a few pages, while I was cuddled in a cozy quilt on a chilly winter night. I was filled with compassion for the young child, “Emmy,” and so thankful that she was guided to the loving arms of Beatrice, who provided a shelter if ever one was needed. The miracle of Christmas was truly evident that night.

Are you looking for a quick holiday read to put you in the spirit of Christmas?  This story will reaffirm your belief that as long as there is love anything can be overcome.

Ratings:Mark W Sasse Author
Realistic Characterization: 4/5
Made Me Think: 3/5
Overall enjoyment: 3/5
Readability: 4/5
Recommended: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.0
 
Buy it at:  Amazon
Format & Pricing: 
Kindle:  $.99

For Reviews of more Mark Sasse books and his interview here on LWI, click here.

@sassevn

Review By:
@ColleenChesebro
www.SilverThreading.com

 Colleen_Silver_Threading

 

 

 

 

The Gift of Charms @JuliaSuzuki_uk Q&A Read and you’ll want more of her.

the_gift_of_charms_julia_suzuki.jpg

“Julia has written a delightful story that touches on all the themes we were told were important when we were growing up- rising to the occasion in times of crisis, trusting yourself in times of peril, the things that make us unique are often the things that lead us to succeed, and that there is the possibility of greatness in everyone, even those that others think are hopeless.”-Brian Switzer-Amazon Review

“I have enjoyed reading this book for myself, I know my daughters will certainly enjoy it in a couple of years and until then, I can quite happily read it for them, knowing that there are no unexpected plot twists that will confuse them.”-Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) (Excellent reviewer ranking)

“This is a captivating tale for young readers, and interesting enough to feed the imagination of older fantasy readers as well.
It starts out rather slow, but once the little dragon starts training, the adventure and excitement continue through the rest of the book.
Entertaining and well written!
I look forward to the sequels.”-Amazon Review.

 

Why today’s guest? Why not, right? The book subject is just right. I can’t wait for my son to read it, hopefully over the holidays. British. Well, I do seem to be that British magnet. Serious about work and getting an author career off in the right direction. Well I can’t say much more without revealing . . .

Author

Julia Suzuki

julia_suzuki_author.jpg@JuliaSuzuki_uk

RW: You told me about two other famous authors, other than yourself, that come from the place in which you live. Share with my friends who they are and where that is.

JULIA: Erasmus Darwin; the philosopher, and Samuel Johnson; who invented the dictionary. I live in Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is in fact the smallest city in Europe but has many enchanting places to visit including a stunning Cathedral.

RW: And yes, the Historian in me just geeked a little bit there. Now what is your background in writing, what makes you a writer?

JULIA: I studied Creative Writing in my degree at University, and also took exams with The London School of Music in ‘Speech and Drama’, which included a lot of literature recital.

RW: Why do you write in the fantasy/adventure genre, what is appealing about it to you?

JULIA: I am really comfortable writing in a fairly simplistic tone and I find I engage with children easily. I absolutely adore fairy tales and adventure and feel at home in this genre.

RW: Why did you pick The Gift of Charms as the title of your book?

JULIA: The Gift of Charms is the first release in the series ‘The Land of Dragor’. This title just came to me — suddenly — and I felt it sounded magical and mystical which is exactly fitting for Dragor.

RW: Tell us a little about your your first adventure into ‘The Land of Dragor’.

JULIA: ‘The Gift of Charms’ is the introduction to the Land of Dragor series. Dragor is an epic place where the world’s remaining dragons are hiding from us humans and the dragsaur beasts. The novel is based around the main character Yoshiko, who undergoes many challenges at Fire School, and then discovers a hidden talent that leads him on a great mission and a new destiny…

RW: Tell us about Yoshiko and what you think will make him connect with readers.

JULIA: Yoshiko is tormented for being different and I believe many of us can relate to a time like this in our lives, when we may have felt we do not fit into a situation. Yoshiko is kind and has a huge heart, but because he is so sensitive he takes everything personally. However, underneath this soft exterior he has deep determination and grit. This zeal helps him to overcome obstacles and go from zero to hero. Many readers have stated that they enjoy sharing Yoshiko’s journey of development — that it is empowering when good wins through and to witness his hard work paying off…

RW: You said that relationships and personal challenges were the main catalyst for your The Gift of Charms, what other things were involved? And please don’t tell me it was because you mentioned that Tom Cruise would make a fab voice Yoshiko.

JULIA: I had been thinking back to the wonderful vintage books I had read and wishing there were more like this — but with unique and modern edge and interactive web presence. I knew first hand what parents were looking for when purchasing a book for their children, yet more than that, I knew also what they sought themselves. They wanted gripping action, loads of adventure — all the classic aspects of heroes and villains, mystery and magic, quests and suspense, and the hope of happy endings.

My desire was to create books with universal appeal, that were fantastical and ‘out there’ and yet still felt somehow real; to fulfill the expectations of book lovers and also hook non-readers back into reading. For me this had to be in the form of a series set in a place we would all be excited to visit and so the Land of Dragor came to be.

The most beautiful places that I had seen on my international travels were integrated into the setting of Dragor: the amazing mountains of Colorado, the great deserts of Palm Springs, California, the vast waters in the Lake District, and the seaside caves of Cornwall  — not forgetting the enchanting wilderness of Scotland. Dragor would be my ideal place to live — full of magnificent scenery, bursting with animals and nature’s magical trees, flowers and plants. Dragor is a place full of adventure, excitement and promise.

RW: Describe your book in one word.

JULIA: Enchanting.

To connect with Julia:

 @JuliaSuzuki_uk

Julia Suziuki-Author on Facebook

Register for the newsletter at www.juliasuzuki.com

Visit the dragor interactive cave www.thelandofdragor.com

 Julia Suzuki on GoodReads

RW: Who are your favorite authors?

JULIA: CS Lewis, Charlotte Bronte, Enid Blyton.

RW: What is your favorite beverage to drink, any kind?

JULIA: That has to be coffee — from Starbucks!!!

RW: What is your escape from writing when you are at that about to explode point?

JULIA: Movies — I love the cinema!

RW: What book are you reading at this time?

JULIA: I am reading Martina Cole’s latest thriller, which is about a guy who takes revenge on a man who upset his daughter. It is actually titled ‘Revenge’. Martina is one of my favourite authors. Her work is very hard-hitting;  this is definitely not a book you would find put you to sleep!

RW: What is your biggest tip for someone to getting published?

JULIA: Be professional and follow guidance of the top people. Read books and articles that other have printed about getting published. Always stay true to your overall vision. Shut your ears to the nay-sayers.

RW: If you could have written any book that exists, other than your own, what would it be and why?

JULIA: ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne, because it has positive impact on millions of people’s lives — helping to eliminate negative thinking patterns can only be a good thing

RW: What is your favorite word?

JULIA: Eloquent!

 
http://youtu.be/uMPsWoJR4jI

Now you see why I asked Julia for an interview. She is really in to her story. We all write with some inspiration but some go that bit beyond and Julia has done that. I’ve checked out her sites and followed her everywhere. The idea of an interactive site is just, pardon this, awesome! Some very good ideas there. I can’t wait for her next book to come out. If you want a sneak peek, check out her newest Author photo. That isn’t The Gift of Charms cover from above and that’s not the same hair style we saw from Julia from above. Whichever book and whichever look she brings us, always remember . . .

Read a Book, Write a Review.

To Order The Gift of Charms

An important thing to note is that the books are only available to pre-order in America at Barnes and Noble.
However, it is available for INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING to the Untied States from the UK here: http://bit.ly/DragorChristmasGift 

julia_suzuki_author_new.png

Much Respect

Ronovan

Ron_LWI

 

 

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Book Review by @RobertHughes05 of “Lost Christmas” by @loganwriter

 

Lost Christmas

Title: Lost Christmas
Author: David Logan davidloganwriter.com
ASIN: B005W0ARII
Published: 27 October 2011 by Quercus
Pages: 289
Genre: Young Adult/ Adult Fiction
Format: Kindle Edition
Price: £2.37 includes VAT & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
File Size: 1898 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0857387359
Language: English
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Sold by: Amazon

Welcome to the world of Richard Thornhill, better known as Goose throughout most of the book.  Little does Goose know, as he wakes up one Christmas Eve morning, that his whole world is about to change.  Going downstairs after hearing some unusual noises, he comes face to face with his parents and his Nan, all of whom are trying to hide something from him.  It is not long before the secret is out, and Goose becomes the happiest boy on earth but, shortly afterwards, his whole world comes tumbling down and he meets up with a stranger named Anthony, who is about to take Goose on a long journey which neither of them will ever forget.  ‘It’s a Wonderful Life” meets “A Christmas Carol”, Lost Christmas will take you on an incredible journey through the streets of Manchester, England, where the lives of several people are about to become connected in a way no one could have imagined.

Logan writes in such a friendly way, that I never had to turn back any pages to reread anything.  I was able to follow the story very easily to the end.  At the beginning I thought I was reading a children’s book but, as I got deeper into the story, I realised this was a book aimed more at young adults and families.  As I read the story I felt contented and peaceful, always wanting to know what was going to happen next.  There were no huge cliff hangers at the end of any of the chapters, but that did not matter because Logan’s style of writing kept me interested, wanting to know more.

The characters were very easy to follow and I admire Logan for including a character with Alzheimer’s in the story. Most of us during our life will encounter a person with Alzheimer’s and it is good to read a book, I consider to be aimed at younger adults, where living with a person with the condition is included.

I was overcome with sadness, humour, and disbelief amongst other emotions while reading the book, but what I really enjoyed about it more than anything else, is that time travel is included in the story, which makes it a part of the science fiction family.  When I started reading the book I  would never have imagined a book I thought was going to be about a young boy’s search for happiness and looking for answers about why certain events happened one Christmas Eve, would also have an element of time travel in it.  I thought that most of the main characters in the book all seemed to be leading their own separate lives, but how very wrong I was.  Logan was brilliant in the way he connected up each character in the book, all of whom have a connection with Goose.  Very often I would raise my eye-brows and gasp at how another character was connected to the others, which I never saw coming.   Goose is not only the centre of the whole story all the way through, but also the centre of the circle of life which connects the main characters.

There is not much I disliked about the book.  Some of the minor characters did not have any impact on the story at all and could have been left out, but that did not spoil the enjoyment of the book and its story for me at all. This most certainly is a book to read on the run up to Christmas.  Had I read it during the summer, I’m not entirely sure I would have got as much enjoyment out of it.

Although the book is aimed at young adults, I think anybody reading it would have a thoroughly good read.  It dips in and out of being a children’s book to an adults’ book, but this means anybody can read it and get involved and follow what is happening in the story.  I was so pleased after reading the book to hear that the book has been made into a movie, one I certainly will look forward to seeing.

Ratings
Realistic Characterisation: 4/5
Made Me Think: 4/5
Overall Enjoyment: 4/5
Readability: 5/5
Recommended: 4.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Review By:

Hugh Roberts

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@RobertHughes05

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