Review ~ Wombat Sushi - Rhonda Louise

Paperback received from the author in exchange for a honest review

ISBN: 97814666397316

Description

How to make Wombat Sushi: 
1. Take six Australian dancers and one singer who can’t seem to get along.
2. Add a pinch of stupidity, a dash of naïvety and loads and loads of alcohol.
3. Make sure the mixture contains absolutely no self-restraint.
4. Pour into a Japanese club and simmer for three months.
Caution: Definitely contains nuts!

My Opinion

This book was an interesting and fast paced chick-lit novel. The description didn't really sell the book to me as it doesn't give much detail into the plot but once I saw the reviews I was persuaded to try it as it sounded like a good book to chill out with.

In the end Wombat Sushi was a humorous book that I read in one sitting. The characters were funny, wild and easy to engage with. And some of Sam's one liners put a smile on my face. I wouldn't say it was laugh out loud funny but it definitely makes you chuckle. The crazy situations they get into only adds to the drama as well and the book was put together well in plot and structure. The setting was also different and interesting and it was nice to read a chick'lit that wasn't set in America or Paris for once.

There was one thing I had a major problem with though while reading this book and that was the language and grammar. The author continually writes the speech as it would be said for example "Jest git those bloody cosdumes down will ya," I know this is meant to represent their accents but I found it incredibly irritating to read as the accent just wouldn't come to me. I don't mind it occasionally with words like gonna, wanna etc but because it was so frequent and in long chunks, I found it very distracting as I was trying to figure out words rather than read them naturally. This also happened when the Japanese characters were introduced and it all got a bit much. 

As well as this Rhonda Louise likes to extended words and use capitals... a lot. This drove me mad, "Daaaarrryylll!!," "you were reeeeeelly good," "tiiiiiiiicccckkkk toooooccck" or "COMPLETE and TOTAL DISASTER." I'm sorry but for me it felt excessively used (as well as the multiple exclamation marks) and it really did make me want to stop reading the book. I'm not sure what the purpose of it was but I found their was very little speech description so maybe it links with the author writing how they would speak. For me I would rather their speech be described than extend words like that so frequently. It just became annoying.

Overall if you can ignore some of the issues I had with the writing Wombat Sushi was a humorous read. I did find parts irritating but in general it's an ok chick-lit novel that will make you smile.

Cover Reveal ~ The Fragile Things by V. Shaw

The Fragile Things 

by V. Shaw

Description

Two girls on the road to self-destruction.

A village upon the brink of collapse.

A past which refuses to die.

The beginning of an epic four-part horror serial.

At seventeen-years-old, Jennifer should have the world at her feet. Instead, she’s an ex-heroin

addict living in a council estate with Tony, her boyfriend and former dealer. Shunned by her

family and friends, she dreams of something greater than she’s been given.

Beautiful and strange, Ebony has moved in across the street. She’s just lost the one person

in her lonely existence to cancer. She’s also a centuries old vampire, struggling to cope with

murderous outbursts and the desire to be something more.

When these two lost souls meet, an unusual friendship begins.

But with the news of Morris, Tony’s sadistic best friend and drug-dealing partner, being

released from prison, Jennifer knows it’s only a matter of time before his path of vengeance

leads to her and Ebony, too.

With a cast of memorable characters, a village full of secrets, and a gripping story, The

Fragile Things is a layered tale of friendship, hope, survival and what it truly means to be

human.

Part I is available on 30th April, 2013.

 And will be FREE from Amazon for a limited

time.

Author Bio:

V. Shaw is the author of short fiction collection, The Lady of Chains and Other

Stories. Having reviewed horror films for FatallyYours.com, she now focuses on creating her

own monsters.

 Blog |  Amazon Page

Teaser Tuesday (17)

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
To participate you:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from...



Dark Angel by Eden Maguire




"The tall pines sighed in the wind, threads of white smoke wound down the hillside towards Bitterroot. And I was seeing ghosts, hearing voices again."

Amazon Paperback
Amazon Kindle

Review ~ Lessons in French - Hilary Reyl (ARC)

Paperback received from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review

Expected Release Date:  1st June 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins

Description
First love: first heartbreak. First job: first nightmare boss. A seductive coming-of-age tale set in the most romantic city on earth.

Fresh out of university and determined to dream big, Kate can hardly believe her luck when she lands a job as a ‘little-bit-of-everything’ to the world famous photo-journalist Lydia Schell. Better still, the job is in Paris, and her guide to the most romantic city on earth is the handsome Olivier. The Berlin Wall is about to come tumbling down, and the world feels full of possibility.

But the oh-so-charming Lydia turns out to be the boss from hell. The ‘little-bit-of-everything’ includes collecting under-the-counter diet pills and walking a flatulent dog round the rainy streets of the sixth arrondissement. And the gorgeous Olivier? He happens to be dating Lydia’s daughter…

As the two worlds of her disastrous job and exciting flirtation look set to collide, Kate is about to get a fast education in the French approach to having it all.

My Opinion

When I got this book in the post I was really excited to start reading it. The cover looked interesting like a sweet romance, something I would like - and I really did want to like this book even though I couldn't bring myself to by the end of it. No matter how much I wished I could engage with the book and grow to love it I just couldn't.

The main thing I struggled with while reading this book was the language. The author seemed to use too many words to describe something insignificant where, for example she could have said it in four. Because of this there was massive paragraphs of description that left me bored as the story moved along too slowly. As well as this the author appeared to go from one extreme to the other in terms of description and parts I actually wanted to read about were skipped with an off the cuff comment for example "We had sex." There was no description - and I don't mean graphic detail - but there wasn't even a romantic build up and at times the author seemed to state facts rather than show the audience what she meant, allowing them to visualise it. 

Due to this fact, I did find it very hard to connect with the characters. They felt stiff and unrealistic, especially Kate who seemed incapable of being able to think for herself. I mean it took her the whole book to figure something out that really wasn't that hard. The family she lives with are shallow and just as irritating as they make her run after their every whim. I don't know if this disconnection was down to the lack of detail and jumpy style of writing but I really felt nothing for the characters - I just found myself not caring either way.

As well as this the author used random French phrases throughout the novel and although this gave the book an authentic quality I found them slightly pointless and irritating. For one, I dropped French when I was fourteen so struggling with pronunciation made me just skip the sections in French as they detracted from the flow too much. Also I did find myself questioning what their point was as it seemed at times like a way to add extra words as the author would have to translate some of the phrases after. For me it didn't make sense to have them if they just had to be translated.

The book did however pick up slightly about three quarters of the way in (a little late, but better late than never right?). The writing began to flow better and so did the speech, especially when Kate and Oliver were together. It seemed more natural and even though I was dying for there to be more romance, I was able to read these sections without skipping parts, which is why I put my rating up to two stars.

Overall I got to the end of the book and no matter how much I wanted to like it I ended up feeling I had just wasted a lot of my time. This book did sound like 'The Devil Wears Prada' from the description but it didn't really go anywhere. There was a lack of actual romance and heartbreak and the characters were impossible to engage with, especially when apart. There was one redeeming quality but for me it wasn't enough for me to wish I had stopped reading when I first got bored as it didn't pick up enough for me to change my attitude towards it.

Cover reveal - Hope's Reign by Selina Fenech

Hope's Regin

YA Fantasy

Book Two in Memory's Wake Trilogy

Date Published: May 10, 2013

Description 

Everything is slipping away from Memory. The bond of friendship between her, Eloryn, Roen, and Will, that was formed while running for their lives is tearing. In a world that doesn’t feel like home, with a mind filled with nothing but questions, Memory struggles to be true to herself… whoever that is. When her past self starts haunting her, she knows her sanity could be the next thing she will lose.

Selina Fenech


Author Bio:
Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, daughter, and an unnamed cat. During her life Selina has found ancient Roman treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, been mugged for doughnuts, made a living as a visual artist, and shared her imaginary worlds in paintings and now in her novels.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Cover Reveal & Giveaway - CHRYSALIS by Michelle Cornwell-Jordan

CHRYSALIS 

YA Paranormal Novel

Set to release Summer 2013

Add to Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15705478-chrysalis

About The Book:

After the war between Man and the Supernatural. The world settled back into a harmonious rhythm. Man and Preternatural existing side by side, building a society that was technologically advanced and beneficial to both kinds. Ruled by ThunderKins(Children of the Sun). But there was dissatisfaction in several of the Divisions one of Fire and the other Rain. (Fire) Division did not accept the rule of ThunderKin. The Thunderkin heir was targeted for destruction, believing this would cause the Thunderkin rule to be overthrown. So Chaos was birth and Chaos had a name….Ayda

Ayda Blackhawk was the beautiful, mysterious new girl at Eagle Ridge High School, in the Mountain Division of the New World, She was not there to make friends but to bring destruction. Her assignment? To kill the Thunderkin heir. But Ayda meets Adrian the ThunderKin leader, and through a twist of fate, the rules change which places Ayda, Adrian and their world at the cross roads to either destruction or redemption

The cover was created by the amazing (Amy Rooney-CVWriterDesigns) 
Website: http://www.courtneyvail.com/

Photography by the fantabulous (Tiffany McDonald- Anecdote Photography)
Website: http://www.anecdotephotography.com/home.html

Big Hug and Much Gratitude to the very awesome duo</ strong> Models
Jessica Becerra - https://www.facebook.com/#! /jessica.becerra12?fref=ts
And Javier Gonzales - https://www.facebook.com/#!/javier.gonzalez.1804?fref=ts

---

Michelle Cornwell-Jordan is a Young Adult/ New Adult author.

Her titles include a co-written work with Danny Jones calledReahket, her solo young adult novella series Night School Vampire Hunter Trilogy and a contribution to the HerStory Anthology released March 08th2013(Pagans Writers Press)

She is also the producer/host of the online radio segment, IndieReview Behind the Scenes, where she and her co-host Jamie B Musings interview Indie authors and musicians.

Michelle has been married for seventeen years and has a fourteen-year-old daughter. A book lover, her favorite genre has always been paranormal adventures.

Find out more about her on her website http://michellecjordan.wix.com/author#!

Follow her on twitter at @mcjordan37

Fan her on FaceBook at IndieWritersreview YA blog http://www.facebook.com/pages/Indiewritersreview-YA-blog/243295842393117

And FaceBook at IndieReview Behind The Scenes Internet Radio

https://www.facebook.com/#!/IndiereviewBehindTheScenes?fref=ts

Website | Twitter | Facebook | IndieReview Behind The Scenes

Follow The Blast Here

---

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Book Spotlight - Healer's Touch by Deb E. Howell

Healer's Touch

Description

For Llew to heal, something must die.

Llew's problems begin when she survives the gallows. Forced to run, she persuades a group of fighters to let her travel with them. On the journey Llew faces hostile tribesmen, desperate bandits and, the enmity of her own companions should they find out who and what she is: a fugitive, and a feared Healer. One of the fighters, Jonas, possesses superhuman prowess as a warrior, and carries the knife with the power to ‘kill the unkillable’; the knife that can kill Llew. Despite being of races at war for centuries, they are drawn to one another.

During the journey, they encounter Braph the magician, Jonas’ half-brother and potential nemesis. He pursues them as they journey across the sea to the continent of Phyos and just when Llew finally feels safe, he abducts her. Now he will take what is most precious to him: her blood.

Healer’s Touch is a fast-paced mix of fantasy, steampunk and Wild West adventure – and even a dash of romance!

Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk

About the Author

Jane-of-all-Trades, Deb E Howell has dabbled in music, science, agriculture, visual art and optometry, and mastered none. All the while, she wrote–scientific reports, lyrics (other people’s), her name, and patient records–until one day some characters hijacked her brain and she never looked back.

Links:

Author Website/Blog: http://deberelene.com
Publisher: http://www.kristell-ink.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deberelene
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/deberelene

Book Spotlight - REFLECTION by Kim Cresswell

REFLECTION

Description

Florida investigative reporter, Whitney Steel, has lived in the shadow of her legendary father long enough. To prove herself she needs to find the “Big” story.
She found it.

Now it may kill her.

After Whitney receives a lead pointing to the world's first cloned human, now a small child, she vows to unravel the truth. However, sifting through the facts proves to have dangerous results, including death threats and murder.

When Whitney is nearly killed, but is saved by undercover FBI Special Agent, Blake Neely, he refuses to let her get in the way of his own objective—at least not right away.

Caught in a lethal game between a billionaire obsessed with genetic perfection, his hit man’s thirst for retribution, and a Colombian drug lord fresh out of prison determined to make Blake pay for his twin brother’s death over a decade ago...

Can they save an innocent child before it’s too late?

Faced with tough choices, with deadly consequences for many—Whitney soon realizes that sometimes a story becomes more than just a story.

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Youtube trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgczEtVwmSY

REFLECTION is available at MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and other fine retailers.

About the Author

Kim Cresswell has been a story-teller all her life but took many detours before writing full-time, including, working for a private investigator, running a graphic design business, becoming a legal assistant and teaching computer classes at a local business school.

For her, writing suspense fiction is an incredible adventure; and most of the time, she’s surprised where the journey takes her.

She’s also an avid reader who escapes the stresses of life by retreating into a good novel at the end of the day.

Follow:
Website
Fan Page - Facebook
Blog

Cover Reveal - Blue Lines by Toni Aleo

Blue Lines - Cover Reveal

Toni Aleo

Contemporary Sports Romance

Title: Empty Net (Assassins #4)

Date to be Published: August 13, 2013

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis: 

Opposites do more than just attract in Toni Aleo’s latest Nashville Assassins novel about a very bad boy and the good girl he can’t resist.

The instant Piper Allen sees Erik Titov, she wants him—wants his rock-hard body, sure, but the strength and mystery that lies behind that superstar hockey jock demeanor, too. So when he sidles up to her at a bar and slinks his arm around her waist, she’s lost. What follows is the wildest night of her life . . . followed by inevitable heartbreak the next morning. And then, a few weeks later, a very big surprise: two blue lines on a pregnancy test.

Only a check to the head could make Erik fall for a nice girl like Piper. But since their crazy-sexy night together, he’s been trying to forget about her alluring body by falling into bed with every woman in Nashville, and it’s not working. So when Piper shows up at his house with a baby-bomb to drop, it doesn’t take much for Erik to suggest the nuclear option: marriage. While it’s supposed to be all for show, the second they say “I do,” the ice between them starts to melt into sizzling steam.

About the Author:

My name is Toni Aleo!
I am a wife, mother, and hopeless romantic.
I have been told I have anger issues, but I think it's cause of my intense love for hockey!
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena's glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn't pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son's hockey games, my daughters dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, and reading the latest romance novel.
I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, and did I mention I love hockey?

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Get the first 3 books in the series:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Spotlight - Promise Cove by Vickie McKeehan

Promise Cove

Description

Stuck in backwater Pelican Pointe, California, Jordan Phillips is still trying to recover from the loss of her husband, Scott, who died in Iraq. She’s left with a baby daughter to support and Scott’s dream of turning the old Victorian family home into The Cove Bed and Breakfast, something he’d wanted to do before leaving for Iraq. But Jordan faces formidable odds at every turn. Facing foreclosure is the least of her problems. Pelican Pointe, Scott’s hometown, has never really accepted her. The hostile town treats her like an outsider. Feeling isolated and lonely, the odds of success are heavily stacked against her until a stranger arrives. 

Nick Harris is battling survivor’s guilt, leftover from the war. Haunted by an unwitting promise he made during the heat of battle, Nick has come to Pelican Pointe in hopes of simply unburdening his guilt to Scott’s widow and moving on. But that all changes when he realizes Jordan is in way over her head. Facing an uphill battle, the two of them try to overcome every obstacle the townspeople throw at them.

As Nick and Jordan struggle to come to terms with the loss of Scott, each in their own way, they discover a promise kept, sometimes changes lives.

Buy Link: Amazon

About the Author

Vickie is the author of six novels, including The Evil Trilogy and the Pelican Pointeseries. She's a hardcore lover of books who grew up listening to her mother tell fascinating stories about ghosts and other tales full of characters she wasn't sure ever really existed.
A self-proclaimed beachgoer and ocean-lover, she lives in Southern California with the love of her life. When she isn't working on her next manuscript or screenplay, she loves to be outdoors.
In her spare time she tries to grow things which other people commonly refer to as gardening. She loves reading all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction, loves to play video games, and enjoys watching football with the hubby. If you've ever read any of her books, you know she's a die-hard Raider fan, which means she has the patience of Job.
She lives for chocolate, but then who doesn't? She'll kill for a cup of coffee in the morning. She's convinced the best food on earth is French fries. And she could easily be a vegetarian if it wasn't for bacon.

Follow:

Facebook

Website 

Teaser Tuesday (16)

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from...

Ringmaster (Darcie Lock #1) by Julia Golding





"Darcie paused, then took the offered palm in her own. Before she knew what had happened, Gladys's feeble grip turned to iron."
Page 44


Amazon Paperback
Amazon Kindle

Book Spotlight - Just Evil by Vickie Mckeehan

Just Evil

Description
Kit Griffin has finally overcome a painful childhood at the hands of her mother, former actress Alana Stevens. No longer living in the grasp of the cold, tyrannical woman, Kit's life is finally on track. That is, until Alana is found brutally murdered on Mother's Day, pulling Kit back to the dark horrors of her past. To make matters worse, the police consider Kit the prime suspect.

Jake Boston is an old family friend and the man Kit has loved since she was a teen. He's fighting his own demons as a suspect in his wife's murder two years earlier. Despite his past, he's determined to win Kit over once and for all. But before that can happen they need to convince the police there's a killer working his way down a list with cold-hearted vengeance in mind.

Forced to delve into Alana's dark past, Jake and Kit uncover a forty-year-old double murder leading them straight to the door of a legal dynasty. Soon they find out just how far the heirs will go to keep the past buried.

Buy Link: Amazon

About the Author

Vickie is the author of six novels, including The Evil Trilogy and the Pelican Pointeseries. She's a hardcore lover of books who grew up listening to her mother tell fascinating stories about ghosts and other tales full of characters she wasn't sure ever really existed.
A self-proclaimed beachgoer and ocean-lover, she lives in Southern California with the love of her life. When she isn't working on her next manuscript or screenplay, she loves to be outdoors.
In her spare time she tries to grow things which other people commonly refer to as gardening. She loves reading all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction, loves to play video games, and enjoys watching football with the hubby. If you've ever read any of her books, you know she's a die-hard Raider fan, which means she has the patience of Job.
She lives for chocolate, but then who doesn't? She'll kill for a cup of coffee in the morning. She's convinced the best food on earth is French fries. And she could easily be a vegetarian if it wasn't for bacon.


Follow:

Facebook

Website 

Book Spotlight - The Lambsridge Wolves by Chrissie Parkes

The Lambsridge Wolves

Descriptions

“The girl stares at the church door, unsure how she has ended up in this place. Above, the clear night sky is black as fear, while pale mist curls between the trees, low and sinister. It snakes around her ankles, as if to pull her back into the darkness from which they are coming. Clouds gather overhead to hide the awful truth of what is to come. Turning slowly, the girl’s mind empties as she prepares for their arrival.”

Hazel’s family history is firmly rooted in the tiny, Welsh farming village of Lambsridge. She dreams of a life of excitement in the outside world, but when the old traditions begin to threaten the lives of her family, she can no longer deny the dark and menacing danger waiting for her in the woods at the top of the hill.

It’s called ‘The Reservation’ – a place where wolves roam wild behind a secure wire fence. Shunned by the town kids and bullied at school, Hazel desperately tries to uncover the secrets lurking within and save her family. But will she get to the truth before it destroys them all?

The Lambsridge Wolves chronicles the first dramatic episode in Hazel's life, revealing the family heritage that will forever alter her future. Fans of suspense, mystery or paranormal stories will love this tale of secret traditions, loyalty and betrayal, all set against the realistic day-to-day backdrop of secondary school life.

Buy Links: Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu

About the Author
Chrissie Parkes writes real stories for young adults. Inspirations come from nature, families and, of course, wolves.

Even though you think you can spot them, wolves are masters of disguise. They use stealth and camouflage to pass undetected through our world. Although they choose to avoid humans at all costs, beware. Sometimes they take an interest in one or two special people. But then again, as we’re all finding out, it’s not the wolves you need to be afraid of...
Website

Review ~ Wait for You (Wait for You #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout (ARC)

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Expected Release Date: 25th April 2013

Publisher: Harper Fiction

Description
Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for

My Opinion

Wow where do I begin with this book, I just absolutely loved it. I fell in love with the characters, their stories and couldn't put it down! This book is a perfect relaxing read to just chill out with.

The thing I loved most was the characters. They were believable and I was able to connect with them easily. They just made the book realistic and their reactions to the situations they were in made the novel believable. You couldn't help but fall in love with Cam, I mean for one who doesn't love a hot, sexy guy next door but he was also so sweet with Avery. As well as this the characters really played with my emotions as the novel progressed. I fell in love with them so much I was nearly in tears during some points.

The secrets that Avery and Cam keep, although the reader is able to figure it out through the hints given, I like the way the author dragged out the process of admitting the truth to develop the relationship. As well as this the resolve in the book was great. It tied up all the loose ends and left the reader on a happy and good note.

This book made me smile, laugh, cry and probably a few other emotions. I had everything you want from a romance novel, sweet dates, passionate moments, hot guys and mixed in with college life and a few traumatic experiences it gave the book a twist and a way to test the relationship. The balance struck between the happy, playful moments and the serious ones was well done as it never appeared too much, just kept me turning the pages.

Overall this was a great read that I would highly recommend! It's a brilliant romance that draws you in and keeps you turning pages. You can't help but fall in love with the characters and it was a romance that seemed real. The characters actually felt like they were moving from friends to more. It was just a really great read, one that I'm going to have to get in paperback and definitely re-read!