Hobbies and Crafts

Please review (when you are ready) the two books for Nov/Dec.

The house on Bellvue gardens was the first choice
Then
Times Legacy
and Last one home

:-) :-) :-)

review Times Legacy by Barbara Erskine.

I always enjoy time slip novels and this one was very good, slipping easily between the 21st century and the life of a female vicar and 25AD and life in Glastonbury where the Druids trained. Conflict in 25AD is between the family of Gaius and Lydia who have fled from Damascus to Glastonbury to escape the evil younger twin brother and in the 21st century is caused by the doubts forced on Abi by the revelations that she is able to ‘see’ things that have happened having been given a crystal by her mother. Further interest in 25AD is aroused by a gentle stranger to Glastonbury, who is he could He really have travelled to Glastonbury as myths would have. And in the 21st century why is there so much antagonism from Kier, the vicar who was Abi’s boss. Then there is the perceived parallel with the 21st century to 25AD with the younger brother Justin who does not get along with his brother, who Abi is staying with. Twists and turns, convolutions, BE is so good at it.
A powerful book that really made me think and question if the myths and legends were actual truths Christian values intertwined with Druid and pagan ways. An interesting concept that the Druid (Pagan) gods were the equivalent of Christian angels and that therefore the two ‘religions’ are not exclusive of each other. It was easy to believe that the time slip could have happened and that Yeshua (Jesus) really did visit Glastonbury. (Well we don’t know for sure either way.) Barbara Erskine makes you believe that what she is writing about, seeing into the past can actually happen. Can it? Who knows?
Can crystals be programmed and then read? Maybe, think crystals in radios.
One thing I found hard to believe in was the supposition that Abi was a direct descendant of Mora from 25AD. But who am I to say it is not possible. That is the beauty of BE’s books. She makes you think anything is possible.
I have actually read this book before but only really remembered it as I was reading and it certainly bore reading a second time.
I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down, wanted it to finish, yet go on for ever.

review Last one home by Debbie Macomber

To me Debbie Macomber books are often like getting a big hug. They are warm and comforting, not too stressful and usually have a happy ending. Just right for a read curled up in a warm room on a cold day.

Last one Home isn’t a great piece of literature, it is an easy read and I read it quite quickly, mostly just before bed or in bed, relaxing. I enjoyed it, the characters are believable, although I am glad my daughter was not as ‘over the top’ as Amiee is at 12 years old. And I would restrict her diet a bit more as the child seemed to consume buckets of KFC. But the romance unfolding between Cassie and Steve was very believable given her history, and the reconciliation of the sisters too was well written. I did guess there was going to be a twist in Nicole’s story, it couldn’t remain all sweetness and light.
So I will certainly look out for more of hers to read when I don’t want my brain to be too stressed!! I bought this one in a charity shop so it was a good 99p worth.

And I reviewed the following
The girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I don’t know what I expected from this book, I really knew nothing about it except that it seemed to have been very popular when it first came out.
Written in the narrative by three different women each giving the story from their point of view. Tom’s ex wife Rachel, the current wife Anna and a neighbour Megan who has a husband, Scott..
Rachel is travelling every day on the train to Witney, where she has no need to go, and from where, at a signal, she has a view of the houses belonging to Anna and Megan. Anna is wrapped up in her ‘new’ man and new baby, and Megan is out of work and bored.
Rachel is finding it hard to detach herself from her marriage which broke up because of her drinking and Tom’s affair with Anna. She continually makes her way back to the area where she lived.
Then Megan goes missing. And is found murdered. Did Rachel see the killer? She thinks she did but she has memory loss connected to her bouts of heavy drinking.
It is a well written book, an easy read, not a fantastic who dunnit or a great psychological thriller but a good page turner and I enjoyed it. I did guess the ending though and the murderer.

The House on Bellevue Gardens

This is the story of Leonie and her Georgian house, number 11 Bellevue Gardens, rather shabby, but home to a variety of 'lost' people rescued by Leonie. Each resident has an interesting back story, but their security is under threat, as Leonie does not have the funds to make essential repairs to her home.
Rosa has come from Poland to look for her brother Michal who came to London to look for their British father. When she cannot find either of them she ends up working in a cafe and living with Leonie whilst she works out what to do. Stef has suddenly decided to leave her controlling boyfriend, Oliver, and when she is knocked down by a bicycle, Rick, another resident, takes her back to number 11 where she seems in limbo as she tries to decide whether to return to Oliver or not. Rick himself is in a dead end job whilst he writes and illustrates an on-line adventure story. Down in the basement is Peter, a grumpy, selfish artist who 'came with the house' when it was left to Leonie. Finally there were Hari and Bela, an elderly couple who had come from Kashmir after political troubles. As the story begins all the residents seem to be marking time.
This was a gentle, easy reading book, where I felt connected to the characters. The ending was a little disappointing and slightly unsatisfying but I will look out for more books by Rachel Hore.

Off to try and get dome sleep.

Back later with my reviews.

Tess

From Perse

Killing Helen By Sarah Challis

I found this one to be a great read, a little bit different. Harriet is in a relationship with Robert .. a supposedly very charming man but actually full of himself and he expects things to be just the way he wants them. Harriet begins by accepting the fact that he will not be leaving his wife who she has already compartmentalised into someone boring. Then she finds out that Robert has been contacted by an old flame of his named Helen whose husband has died. Poor Harriet whilst happy enough playing the other woman she does not want to be the second other woman and so sets out to plan her revenge. Harriet shifts from her high flying life in London and moves to Somerset where she gets involved in the community there but still meets up with Robert and plans her revenge.. thing is there is another woman in the frame and she wants to attack Harriet. It is a little bit farcical but Harriet also has an ally in Alice who is a force of her own. The whole story is great from page one and along with Harriet's topsy turvy relationship her dress sizes fluctuate as well. The twist near the end is not what you are necessarily expecting but are glad it does.


The House on Bellevue Gardens.

The story is more or less told in the blurb on the book... We have Rosa from Poland looking for her brother, and finding her father in jail. We have Stef who has left her boyfriend, we have Leonie who was left this house in Bellevue Gardens and it seems to be a home for waifs and strays. There is a married couple living there, Rick who works in a supermarket and is trying to make his way in animated stories on the net. We have Peter who came as part of the house who lives a grotty lifestyle in amongst his paintings and baked beans tins etc in the basement and Leonie cleans it out every so often and then Rosa and Stef end up there as well plus there is a room kept for Jamie who is Leonie's grandson.

Did not really do it for me, possibly because there were too many characters each with their own story. I liked Stef probably best of all, but on the whole though it wasn't complicated it seemed to be lacking some sort of pizzazz. It does touch on the difficulties with people immigrating to another country and how they are treated as outcasts and paid a miserable pittance. This happens all over the world, NZ included, if they have nouse they do well and are a benefit to the country but if they are slotted into labour intensive or even working in restaurants run by their own people can be demoralising and degrading. I fear that our country is becoming a NIMBY and racist. Well at least I got away from the story and on to my soap box. I am not sure whether I would read another of her books but she has had good reviews for some of them so maybe I am being a bit harsh.

Time Legacy - Barbara Erskine

WOW!! How do I describe this book and the story.....Honestly so much
going on and when I say this I mean as in backwards and forwards in time.
I have to say I was captivated by this book. It did if I am honest take me
quite a while to read and that was because I needed to lierally block out
everything around me in order to keep the story going, and keep totally
transfixed. I hope I am making sense :-S :-S I say this all in the positive
sense. From recent events, back and forth to 25AD, Glastonbury,America,
druids,pagans,myths,legends, intrigue and thats just for starters......

Loved it!!! :-D :-D




The House of BelleVue Gardens

No.11 Bellevue Gardens and Leonie who owns the building and all
the people surrounding her, including the residents that move in to
the character home. Plenty of characters who are totally different
from one another but mingle as neighbours friends and relationships.
Leonie has made a friend with a Polish girl called Rosa who herself
has lots goin on in her own life. They have an understanding and
connection which evolves and has a strength that helps each other
Loved all the characters, each with individual stories to tell.
As always I enjoyed this Rachel Hore book and such an easy read.
Sometimes I find some of her books are the same but this was
something different.

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this thread.

Times Legacy, by. Barbra Erskine..

I found this to be an interesting plot. and was particularly interested in the part played by Yeshua. It certainly gave me food for thought and made me reconsider all those things that I had been taugh.

However although I was interested in what was happening to Abi, Keir and the crystal, and wanted to know what happened next, I was far more caught up in the story of the people of the Tor, and was enchanted by that part of the story..

I didn' t relate to the modern day people, and couldn' t understand why owning the Serpant Stone/ Crystal made Abi's mother loose her faith ( and all that entailed). If she "met" the people that Abi did, through touching the stone I thought that the story of Yeshua should have strengthened rather than weakened her faith in Christianity. Perhaps I am missing something, will have to see what other people say in their reviews..

I am not saying that it is a bad story, or even that it was not a good story. it is just that I thought that it was a magnificent idea, which as the story unfolded I found interesting rather that gripping.
I wanted to be swept along by the all parts of the story, on the edge of my seat about what happened to all the people from both settings, instead of just interested in the people of the modern day, while feeling far more involved in the people from the earlier times.

Although this was a good book it just didn't work 100% for me.

( perhaps I am getting far more demanding as I get older).

I need to recharge my (tablet's) batteries before doing review for. The House on Bellevue Gardens.

Will be back later today.

I wonder whether Abi's mother actually 'met' Yeshua, I can't remember if we are told that? And it destroyed her faith by confusing her maybe by feeling that the 'gift' she had was anti her religion. I don't know. But I actually enjoyed both sides of the story while remaining a little sceptical that a crystal could transport somebody back in time. :-) Thanks Tess.

Hi Ann, somewhere in the narrative it said that Abu's mother would have "seen" the same things as Abi. ( possibly it was Justin telling Abi - but can't quite remember,).
Have to confess that I took this statement at face value.

I didn't mind that the crystal was used as a conduit between the present and the past. It could only be used by someone with "the gift,," such as Abi and her mother. Can't say that I believe that this could actually happen, but am more than happy to go along with this part of the story.

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Review of The House on Bellevue Gardens, by Rachel Bore.

This is a "modern". book, set in (almost) present day - with some of the characters looking back at previous times in their lives.
I liked the way that it changed in time and also that it moved along by telling the story through different peoples eyes.

One of the main characters, Leonie, is only a little older than me, so when she is telling her story, to Stef, I could remember the times she was talking about. Although I'm not interested in fashion, I found the details of the life of photographic models interesting and informative.

Meeting the various people who passed through the doors of the house on Bellevue Gardens was pleasing too. I loved the way that some of the residents did " ordinary " jobs, e.g. working in supermarkets and cafes.

It told a lot of stories, all intermingled, ( reminiscent of the old t.v. series Wagon Train, to me). Although it discusses serious subjects, it has some amusing scenes and also give a the people in the story hope for their future. Nothing is given to them on a plate, but they, through their own efforts, ( and a little help from their friends), "get by".

I thought that it was quite a realistic story, not too my o f a " fairy tale" . to be believed.

I really enjoyed it.

Tess I suppose it is one of those things we don't actually know. My sister believes in te spirit world and spirit guides. She tells me she has spoken to our Dad. We both had the same Baptist upbringing, my Mum was very devout. I still veer towards the Christian faith,mshe will have none of it.nwe choose to agree to disagree. But who knows who is right, who is misguided?