Blog No 176 – Book Review – The Island House by Mary Considine

As I have an enthusiasm for books, I’ve accepted a further offer to write a book review for Mary Considine’s latest book The Island House. Mary is a new author to me, nevertheless I was keen to commence this memoir.

The book is available in most bookstores and online retailers now. Congratulations to Mary for such a truly inspirational book.

Book Description

Mary and Patrick’s dream was to live in London, have 2.4 children, the nice house, the successful jobs. But life had other plans, and in one traumatic year that all came crashing down.

Bruised and battered, Mary finds herself pulled towards Cornwall and dreams of St George’s Island, where she spent halcyon childhood summers.  So, when an opportunity arises to become tenants if they renovate the old Island House, they grab it with both hands.

Life on the island is hard, especially in winter, the sea and weather, unforgiving.  But the rugged natural beauty, the friendly ghosts of previous inhabitants, and the beautiful isolation of island life bring hope and purpose, as they discover a resilience, they never knew they had.

It has been empty now for six years, and it is full of ghosts. Every wall is patterned with black mould, in lacy fronds or lumpy stripes; every window in the house is broken.

We pile bedding, blankets, coats on to the bed and the cats climb in with us, mourning their lost comforts. We listen to the wails of wind and the menace of waves through the broken glass and breathe in the spores and the damp, clinging together, our family, in the faint warmth of the bed.

We are entirely happy.

About The Author – Mary Considine

Mary Considine

Growing up in the flat landscape of Bedfordshire, Mary Considine fell in love with Cornwall and the sea on her first visit as a small child. Distracted by the badlands of London, she spent the 90s writing and directing plays on the London and Edinburgh Fringe, and scriptwriting. Work included Angels, Time Out Critics Choice; The Other Half, commissioned by the Carlton TV screenwriting initiative; and a short film The Hand Job, shortlisted for the Lloyds Bank/Channel 4 short film competition. The noughties were spent teaching drama in secondary schools in the hills of North Yorkshire and, in pursuit of her now husband, back in London, before realising her impossible dream of moving to St George’s Island in 2010. 

She now lives in North Devon with her husband, Patrick, and seven horses.

Book Review

I found this book to have both heart and soul, it was very inspiring indeed. This book provides an insight into Mary & Patrick’s life. Commencing in the city of London and moving onto St George’s Island, Cornwall.  Along the way, there’s moments of endearing friendships, compassionate family members and willing volunteers.

You’ll observe the evolution of pigs, ducks, dogs, and bees. The creating of being self-sufficient from the island. The restoration of an old property and the conservation of the island. The book elaborates on the history of the island and its inhabitants.

Mary & Patrick’s life does experience some personal challenges, both happy and sad moments, which you’ll learn more throughout the book

This is a beautiful written memoir, and I would recommend this book to any avid reader or book club reading lists.

Mary Considine Social Media and Random Things Tour

Advertisement

Blog No 173 – Book Review – The Orphanage Girls, Mary Wood.

Anyone who knows me or who kindly reads my blog, will appreciate that I love to read books. I have a passion for historical fiction; therefore, I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to write a book review and be included in the @RandonTTours for Mary Wood’s latest book The Orphanage Girls

The book was released on 12^th May 2022 and is available in most supermarkets, bookstores, and online retailers. Congratulations to Mary for another incredible book.

Book Description

Children deserve a family to call their own. Ruth dares to dream of another life far away from the horrors within the walls of Bethnal Green’s famous orphanage. Luckily, she has her friends, Amy, and Ellen – but she can’t keep them safe, and the suffering is only getting worse, surely there must be a way out of here? But when Ruth breaks free from the shackles of confinement and sets into east London hoping to make a new life for herself, she finds that, for a girl with nowhere to turn, life can be just tough on the outside.

Bett keeps order in the unruly part of East End and takes Ruth under her wing along orphanage escapee Robbie. But it is Rebekah, a kindly woman, who offers Ruth and Robbie a home something neither have ever known. Yet even these two stalwart women cannot protect them when the police learn of an orphan on the run. It is then that Ruth must do everything in the power to hide. Her life and those of the friends she left behind at the orphanage depend on it.

About The Author – Mary Wood

Born in Maidstone, Kent, in 1945, the thirteenth child of fifteen children, Mary’s family settled in Leicestershire after the war ended.

Mary married young and now, after 54 years of happy marriage, four children, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, Mary and her husband live in Blackpool, United Kingdom during the summer and Spain during the winter – a place that Mary calls, ‘her writing retreat’.

After many jobs from cleaning to catering, all chosen to fit in with bringing up her family, and boost the family money-pot, Mary ended her 9 – 5 working days as a Probation Service Officer, a job that showed her another side to life, and which influences her writing, bringing a realism and grittiness to her novels

When not writing, Mary enjoys family time, reading, eating out, and gardening. One of her favourite pastimes is interacting with her readers on her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels

Mary first put pen to paper, in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally found some success by self-publishing on kindle.

Being spotted by an editor at Pan Macmillan in 2013, finally saw Mary reach her publishing dream.

And on her web page: http://www.authormarywood.com

She is also on Twitter: @Authormary

Book Review

Oh my, I think I felt every emotion reading this book, happiness, sadness, fear, and empathy. The book focuses on Ruth’s life, starting as a 12-year-old orphan. Ruth’s life begins in an orphanage and along the way, she establishes relationships with individuals and the story is told. Initially Ruth’s life is plagued with hardship and cruelty, but she soon discovers people’s kindness and generosity in the outside world. Ruth begins to build a happier life and creates long-term and loving relationships.

Ruth is already a very compassionate person, nevertheless, she soon learns that life outside the orphanage teaches her diversity and culture. Ruth is enriched in love and along the way her life evolves. The book is very heart-warming and very hard to put down as the story captivates you to the bitter end, where you may shed a tear or two, like me.

Mary has the extraordinary gift of developing a story with an incredible imagination and dovetailed with her research. This book was awarded 5 stars from me and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Mary Wood’s Book Series

1. Breckton
2. Generation War
3. Girls Who Went to War
4. Jam Factory Girls
5. Orphanage Girls

Blog No 167 – 2020 Reading List

My goal for 2020 was to read more than 46 books. If I could beat my previous target of 46 books or more, I was going to be happy. I achieved 66 books in total, therefore I superseded my target and averaged 1 book a week.

Here is my reading list: –

1. Girls in Tin Hats – Annie Murray
2. Villa of Secrets – Patricia Wilson
3. Hold on Hope – Jean Fullerton
4. Perhaps Tomorrow – Jean Fullerton
5. Sisters of Gold – Annie Murray
6. A Glimpse of Happiness – Jean Fullerton
7. I Owe You One – Sophie Kinsella
8. The Teashop Girls – Elaine Everest
9. No Cure for Love – Jean Fullerton
10. The Secret Midwife – Katy Weitz
11. The Volunteer – Jack Fairweather
12. Permanent Records – Edward Snowden
13. The House Across The Street – Lesley Pearse
14. Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas – Adam Kaye
15. The Whitechapel Girl – Gilda O’Neil
16. Christmas With The Teashop Girls – Elaine Everest
17. Finding Freedom – Carolyn Durand, Omid Scobie
18. Royal – Danielle Steel
19. The Orphan Twins – Lesley Eames
20. The Rag & Bone Girl – Maggie Ford
21. Going Hime to Liverpool – Kate Eastham
22. The Country Bride – Dilly Court
23. Liverpool Daughter – Katie Flynn
24. A Springtime Affair – Katie Fforde
25. The Light in Hidden Places – Sharon Cameron
26. Goodnight Sweetheart – Pam Weaver
27. Memories are Made of This – June Francis
28. Pack Up Your Troubles – Anne Bennet
29. How to Make it Happen – Maria Hatzistefanis
30. Official Secrets – Marcia Mitchell & Thomas Mitchell
31. A Daughter Ruin – Kitty Neale
32. A Village Scandal – Dilly Court
33. Many a Tear Has to Fall – June Francis
34. Mothering Sunday – Rosie Goodwin
35. It’s Now or Never – June Francis
36. Walking Back to Happiness – June Francis
37. The Spitfire Sisters – Margaret Dickinson
38. Love Letters in the Sand – June Francis
39. Shadows of the Past – June Francis
40. Her Father Name – Beezy March
41. How to be British – Tim Benson
42. The Jones Family Food Roster – Alison Jones
43. The Man Who Didn’t Call – Rosie Walsh
44. An Ophran Christmas – Katie Flynn
45. Diagnosis – Lisa Sanders
46. The Orphan Thief – Glynis Peters
47. Mind Over Clutter – Nicola Lewis
48. The Prison Doctor – Dr Amanda Brown
49. An Orphans War – Molly Green
50. A Strong Hand to Hold – Anne Bennett
51. Time To Say Goodbye – Rosie Goodwin
52. The Organised Writer – Anthony Johnston
53. The Christmas Wedding – Dilly Court
54. Rag and Bone Christmas – Dilly Court
55. For Better or Worse – June Francis
56. The Winters Promise – Rosie Goodwin
57. The Orphans of Halfpenny St – Cathy Sharp
58. A Daughter Duty – Maggie Hope
59. Do The Birds Still Sing in Hell – Horace Greasley
60. Dilly’s Sacrifice – Rosie Goodwin
61. Dilly’s Lass – Rosie Goodwin
62. Dilly’s Hope – Rosie Goodwin
63. The Mill Girl – Rosie Goodwin
64. Will You Take Me Home – Julie Tottman
65. The Convent – Maria Hargreaves
66. Home Front Girls – Rosie Goodwin

Here’s a reading Q&A

What is your favourite time of the day to read.

I tend to read when I go to bed. I can read everything from 10 pages to 100 in a night.

How many hours do you read a day.

I can read anything from 15mins to 2/3 hrs. It all depends how tired I am.

What is my favourite genre.

Historical fiction is my favourite, however I’m trying other genres.

Which author did you first get obsessed with.

I would say it was Lyn Andrews then Katie Flynn

Who are you currently obsessed with.

I would say Dilly Court and June Francis. To be fair my obsession is growing with many authors.

Can you read multiple books at one time.

Yes I can, nevertheless I think two is enough for me.

Which book/books was your favourite this year.

I did love “Rag n Bone Christmas” by Dilly Court. I also enjoyed “Will You Take Me Home” by Julie Tottman. This was a true story, which involved a Yorkie dog, therefore I brought the book for my goddaughter too as she’s a reader.

Who was your favourite author this year.

I would say June Francis because her characters in her books follow through her books, which I loved.

Which new authors did you try this year

I would say June Francis and Jean Fullerton were the most popular as I had read a few of their books.

Which book touched you this year.

It has to “The Convent” by Maria Hargreaves. The true story was about the horrific cruelty to children by a nun in a care home in Oldham, U.K.

How many books do you intend to read in 2021.

I’m not sure I’ll reach that target again but let’s see what happens.

Weekly Blog No 136 – Annual Reading List

My goal for 2018 was to read more than 24 books. My reading this year has been hit and miss. I know I did a count in September and it was 21 books and I thought this was going to be an easy target to achieve with an average of 2 books a month. I was very much mistaken because it remained at 21 books, therefore I didn’t reach my target.

Here is my reading list: –

1. Flesh and Blood – Stephen McGann
2. A Little Leaving – Anne Bennett
3. The Liverpool Rose – Katie Flynn
4. Me Life Story – Scarlett Moffat
5. The River Maid – Dilly Court
6. Fear of the Collar – Patrick Touher
7. Mothering Sunday – Rosie Goodwin
8. A Daughter Courage – Kitty Neale
9. The Soldiers Daughter – Rosie Goodwin
10. An Orphans Secret – Maggie Hope
11. Mill Girls – Tracey Johnson
12. Dancing in the Dark – Maureen Lee
13. Pie N Mash & Prefabs – Norman Jacobs
14. The Report – Jessica Francis Kane
15. A view Across the Mersey – Anne Baker
16. The Summer Maiden – Dilly Court
17. A Promise Between Friends – Carol Rivers
18. Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken – The Secret Barrister
19. No Silver Spoon – Katie Flynn
20. A Christmas Candle – Katie Flynn
21. First Man in Leading the Front – Ant Middleton

A few new authors this year and the Stories of the Law and How it’s Broken by The Secret Barrister was a very educational book into the legal system in the U.K.

A book that very educational was Flesh and Blood by Stephen McGann. A very informative book on family and medical history through the decades/centuries in Ireland and U.K. I do love to hear about people’s family history and even better if I get educated on the way. Worth a read.

As for the First Man in the Leading the Front by Ant Middleton. I think this man is misjudged by his size and chosen career. I wouldn’t make assumptions and read this book.

The most horrific book I read this year was Fear of the Collar by Patrick Touher. The cruelty to innocent children was unbelievable and was well worth the read. The eye opener.

In 2019, I will aim to read 24 books again. I will have too as my house is full of books and I need to de clutter. Let’s see how this year goes. Happy Reading.

Does anyone have any book recommendations?