Lindsey's Literary Leanings

  Insightful, Powerful, Though-Provoking Genre: Memoir From The Shadows - Surviving the Depths of Mental Illness by E Pauline Spurrell When I spotted a post from the Author on Social Media, about this book, I immediately downloaded it to read. Having dealt with my own mental health issues (I find the term 'mental illness' difficult to equate with me, although it's undoubtedly accurate) for the last twenty seven years, I am always intrigued by other people's experiences, whether that be in written form, documentary or talking with someone, and the tools that they have put in place in the fight against it. Choosing to record it in the form of a memoir as this Author has done is quite simply, in my opinion, braveness on another level: 1. I cannot imagine anyone being remotely interested in my tussels with 'The black dog', as I choose to call it, and... 2. Writing it down, would mean recalling certain memories, which takes great strength. Especially digging deep ...

  Page-Turner, Amusing, Intriguing Genre: Mystery/Paranormal Romance 'Hidden Treasure' by Melissa Tilley Hall As she lay in the wreckage, she hoped to God that she survived this, and preferably alone, she longed for freedom, to make her own choices, to be able to make a life. After an unsettling dream and waking up in her own home, she assumes that her wish has been granted, and sets about making the most of her newly found liberty. However, she has a curious encounter with a man looking very much like a figure, infamous to the area in which she has lived for twenty-five years. He assists her to come to terms with her tumultuous past, put the present to rest and reveals and helps her to realise her future and in doing so, his prolonged misfortunes are reversed. From the cover of this book, I did think that this story was going to be set centuries ago, and although there is an element of the past running through the narrative, it is mainly set in the modern day. Either would h...

  Powerful, Poignant, Thought Provoking Genre: Literary Realism 'Laika', a short story by John Guthrie, Author Laika, a little girl in a war torn country, who desperately wants a dog, a friend to comfort her when all around her is chaos. She has no siblings and feels very alone. Food is scarce, clothes are scarce, safety is nowhere to be found. She has seen things that one so young shouldn't see. Her father's semi-serious musings on consuming domestic animals should they become available was abhorrent to her. She wanted a dog as a companion, nothing more. Laika falls ill,...Will she get her wish? This book seems very relevant, given the state of our world today. It is a story with an empathetic narrative, and at the same time, has a very grave message behind it. The beautiful imagery depicted with the text is powerful without needing to be graphic. This short tale serves as a stark reminder of what many countries and their citizens are facing today. An important on...

  Breath-taking, Emotional Heart-Breaking Genres: Young Adult Fiction/Contemporary Fiction/Romantic Fiction A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole Life is short.....Forgive Quickly.....Kiss Slowly...... Since that first meeting, in what seemed a very large area to two five year olds, combining their two gardens, Rune had been besotted with the girl who confidentally strode over to him, introduced herself, shook his hand (because that was what her Mamaw had taught her to do when she met new people), and announced that they were to be best friends for infinity! Rune, having just moved with his parents to Georgia, USA from Oslo, had not been happy about relocating, but somehow, this girl made it all better. He'd spent every day with her for the last decade.....how then, could he conceive of such a vast amount of time without her. The Girl next door....his girl....and her jar of hearts. I'd made the decision to read some, if not all of Tillie Cole's books, sometime last year, ...

  Engaging, Witty, Entertaining Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Mystery Daisy Ingle's Secret Circle by James R. Lawrence Amanda, Page and Sedona hadn't seen each other since school, and all three would have been in agreement that, that had probably been for the best. They are suddenly thrown back together by misfortune and fate when an unexpected brutal incident brings an old friend back into their lives, for which, all three girls initially think that another must be responsible for. Their mutual friend had made it her mission to bring people together, and it becomes clear that it is a mission that she also sought to become her legacy. In return her protégés are determined to locate her assailant. However, they are at a loss as to who would have possibly wanted to harm Daisy.....did she perhaps have anything to hide? This is the first of James Lawrence's books that I have read. The cover design and title attracted me, giving me the impression that this was a light hearted, f...

  Charming, Intriguing, Engaging Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Mystery Charity Shields and the Building Plot by John Guthrie, Author Charity Shields is an eccentric, nearly middle aged woman (to my mind anyway), who prefers to be left alone to indulge in her introverted lifestyle. Not in a grumpy, unsociable way you understand. She's just found no need for the company of others. Her main passion is Mystery solving, as she rather fancies herself as a 'prospective Detective', and enjoys whiling away her time attempting to solve the crimes that attract her attention, either via the newspaper, radio or television. Unfortunity no opportunity for amateur sleuthing, had ever presented itself on her doorstep.....could that all be about to change? When her unspoilt, cosy life of solitude is abruptly interrupted, and Charity is tasked with minding her friend's young son, a conversation about the whys and wherefores of her investigatory pursuits arises and she suggests that he...

  Creative, Fascinating, Innovative Genre: Literary Fiction Jo And Jim In A Weird World by John Guthrie, Author Curiosity having got the better of them, with no thought of any danger that may lie ahead, Jim and Jo climb through the flora and fauna portal, into a world where, time, destination and the changing of the seasons are of no relevance. A world with gravity defying women, a soldier who has mislaid his battalion, and a train and it's journey, neither of which have any beginning nor end. On their quest to return to their home, they encounter non-sensical and eccentric characters, and a number of ever changing environments. How do they get somewhere when they don't know where they are? Being a very practically minded person and not processing well, anything that isn't in the natural order, going by the title and the blurb, I wasn't sure how I was going to get on with this book. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and I am not one to give up on a book,. I w...