Artificial Artifacts by John Fennec

Artificial Artifacts by John Fennec
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over Feb (our first readalong)

Pages - 308

Publisher - We Are White Fox

Source - Review copy for a readalong

Blurb from Goodreads

A visionary debut collection of eleven loosely interconnected short stories explores the rise of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, revealing their profound impacts on human existence. This is not your typical sci-fi - it's an intricate puzzle. Can you solve the mystery that is Peter Byrell?



My Review

So I always say I am not overly a fan of short stories so it isn't often I will pick one up let along agree to read it. However the theme of AI absolutely drew me in, I blame Terminator and Sci Fi for getting into these types of themes. That, old horror movies and how reliant we are on technology these days like look how much our homes/lives use! Anyways back to the book. We kick off this debut meeting Peter Byrell via a memo or email to the company. Whilst Peter pops up in some of the eleven stories all have a theme linked in one way or another.

I think this would be a great book club/book group discussion as there is so much to unpack whether you go individually or as a collective whole. One that hit home was the newer type invention for a type of Fitbit if you like, no spoilers. That being said look how many of us use Fitbits, guilty here, what if we were offered something a bit more invasive, medical style. What if music and technology did more to our very beings, what if we were manipulated and didn't know the whole impact and or control?

The book raised a fair few questions, for me anyway and as I said we had a readalong with this one, our first ever doing that. The questions I posted on our Instagram so you can nosey yourself but it gave a bit more pause for thought for some of the stories. I got a wee bit Terminator vibes in some of them, others you couldn't help but question your own dependence/usage of technology. I did enjoy conspiracy themes, I love a good conspiracy theory myself so watching how characters reacted to situations, tech and even each other in these stories reeled you in!

I am finding the AI & advanced tech in stories are becoming more popular, art imitating life? A strong debut with a new take, characters woven into individual tales with some interloping - I found the last story nodding to the rest of the book was a nice touch, 4/5.

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Women Like Us by Amanda Prowse Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Women Like Us, A Memoir, by Amanda Prowse, this is a LOVEBOOKSTOUR blog tour, you can find Kelly on Twitter.

I even took the book to the ice hockey with me to read inbetween intervals.

The book is available to buy from Amazon, click HERE.


You can find Amanda on Twitter and Instagram.

Women Like Us: A Memoir by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 10 days

Pages - 396

Publisher - Little A

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

I guess the first question to ask is, what kind of woman am I? Well, you know those women who saunter into a room, immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe?

If you look behind her, you’ll see me.

From her childhood, where there was no blueprint for success, to building a career as a bestselling novelist against all odds, Amanda Prowse explores what it means to be a woman in a world where popularity, slimness, beauty and youth are currency—and how she overcame all of that to forge her own path to happiness.

Sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious and always entirely relatable, Prowse details her early struggles with self-esteem and how she coped with the frustrating expectations others had of how she should live. Most poignantly, she delves into her toxic relationship with food, the hardest addiction she has ever known, and how she journeyed out the other side.

One of the most candid memoirs you’re ever likely to read, Women Like Us provides welcome insight into how it is possible—against the odds—to overcome insecurity, body consciousness and the ubiquitous imposter syndrome to find happiness and success, from a woman who’s done it all, and then some


My Review

I have heard/read and even used warts and all used many times and I absolutely am using it for this book however it is probably the first time I am using it with actual pure felt meaning! So if you don't know who Amanda Prowse is she is an author who has written A LOT of books, I have read 3 with a few more on my tbrm and many more to buy! So about the book, Prowse takes us through her life, from a wee barra, teen, adult and authorhood.

This book took me through Amanda's life and back to quite a few stages of my own. Some of the things/experiences were so relatable I could have written them myself. Then there was some shockaroonies like the sanitary belt, I absolutely had to go and look that up. I can't imagine how you get into it let alone wear it!

The book is very open and honest and whilst I feel like you get that reading a lot of autobiographies Amanda Prowse felt it went deeper. If you have never had a battle with addiction, your weight or both then you may not appreciate just how much I imagine it cost to not only deal with that but to then commit it to paper and share it with the world. I wanted to reach out and hug her because it is a battle like no other and despite some addictions being treated more with compassion and understanding food/weight gain is still very judged/stigmatized.

The book is really interesting, emotive and takes us on many roads of the authors life and experiences, I have been struggling to read like I used to but for snippets of time I managed to loose myself. I cannot wait to read her other books and will absolutely be buying up others as I go along. If you only read one memoir this year make it this one, 5/5 for me.

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To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse. For my stop I have my review.

About the author

Amanda Prowse is an international bestselling author of twenty-eight novels published in dozens of languages. Her chart-topping titles What Have I Done?, Perfect Daughter, My Husband’s Wife, The Coordinates of Loss, The Girl in the Corner and The Things I Know have sold millions of copies around the world. Other novels by Amanda Prowse include A Mother’s Story, which won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the Year Award. Perfect Daughter was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016. She has been described by the Daily Mail as ‘the queen of family drama’. Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today. Her titles consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show, as well as featuring on numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on national and independent radio stations, including LBC and talkRADIO, where she is well known for her insightful observations and infectious humour. Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning off the bedside lamp at night, that ensure you walk every step with her great characters, and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…

Book buy link, Amazon Uk - Click HERE.

Twitter links

@mrsamandaprowse

@lovebooksgroup

@lovebookstours

To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages - 346

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

In this life-affirming tale from bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one woman built a new life to escape her humiliation. Now, can she put the shame behind her and finally find happiness?

Young and desperately in love, Merrin had the whole world ahead of her. But just as her new life was about to start, the ground beneath her feet was cruelly swept away. Devastated by the humiliation, she ran far away from the beloved fishing village she had always called home to lick her wounds and escape her gossiping friends and neighbours.

It hasn’t been easy, but six years later Merrin has forged a new life for herself far from the sea, burying the impulsive girl she once was. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to return to the village she swore she’d never set foot in again.

Reluctantly back in the arms of her community, Merrin begins to realise what she’s been missing out on all these years. As she begins to remember the person she used to be, she is forced to make choices about her future, and to question the past. What does she want from her life? Who is important to her? Who is to blame for everything that went wrong? And can she forgive them, let old wounds heal and finally be her true self again?


My Review

Merrin is a small town girl from a working class family, when she falls for Digby Mortimer, old money but the attraction and love is mutual. The big day should be everything she ever wanted and more....the day takes a turn and Merrin has to run, from heartache, embarrassment, small town gossip. Six years later Merrin is still scarred by her heartbreak - tragedy strikes and Merrin must come home, will she finally be able to face her past and move on with her future?

This isn't my first Prowse book, I had bought a few after reading some in 2017 but this has been my first in a while. I forgot how she weaves a story and pulls you into the pages, invested in the characters, love or hate you want to know more about them and what dramas unfolding next.

Aw Mirren I so felt for her, when reading this book I thought a perfect song for her and her predicament is absolutely Paloma Faith Only Love Can Hurt Like This. God love her, I did feel for her, loving her small town, super close to her family but having to move to protect herself.

The book covers so much, love, betrayal, loss, friendships, family, recovery, personal growth - I don't think anyone hasn't been burned by love yet we all respond differently. It was like sinking into a soap opera and following those you loved, didn't like so much, drama's that never really change despite the years because it is a small town and some things stay the same regardless of time passed.

I will be bumping up my other books by this author, if you just want to leave your own issues, worries and life behind for a wee while then I can't recommend this enough. We are having a rough time just now and my reading has absolutely suffered as a result yet I sank into this and despite having a million distractions and jobs to do I read this in two days, 4/5 for me this time!

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Thunder on the Moor by Andrea Matthews Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for the final stop for book, Thunder on the Moor by Andrea Matthews.

Twitter handles for the author and tour organiser.

@AMatthewsAuthor

@lovebooksgroup

@lovebookstours

Author Bio Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science, and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. She is the author of the Thunder on the Moor series set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Border, and the Cross of Ciaran series, where a fifteen hundred year old Celt finds himself in the twentieth century. Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America.

For my stop I have my review, enjoy.

Thunder On The Moor by Andrea Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2.5 days

Pages - 476

Publisher -

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Maggie Armstrong grew up enchanted by her father’s tales of blood feuds and border raids. In fact, she could have easily fallen for the man portrayed in one particular image in his portrait collection. Yet when her father reveals he was himself an infamous Border reiver, she finds it a bit far-fetched—to say the least—especially when he announces his plans to return to his sixteenth century Scottish home with her in tow.

Suspecting it’s just his way of getting her to accompany him on yet another archaeological dig, Maggie agrees to the expedition, only to find herself transported four hundred and fifty years into the past. Though a bit disoriented at first, she discovers her father’s world to be every bit as exciting as his stories, particularly when she’s introduced to Ian Rutherford, the charming son of a neighboring laird. However, when her uncle announces her betrothal to Ian, Maggie’s twentieth-century sensibilities are outraged. She hardly even knows the man. But a refusal of his affections could ignite a blood feud.

Maggie’s worlds are colliding. Though she’s found the family she always wanted, the sixteenth century is a dangerous place. Betrayal, treachery, and a tragic murder have her questioning whether she should remain or try to make her way back to her own time.

To make matters worse, tensions escalate when she stumbles across Bonnie Will Foster, the dashing young man in her father’s portrait collection, only to learn he is a dreaded Englishman. But could he be the hero she’s always dreamed him to be? Or will his need for revenge against Ian shatter more than her heart?



My Review

Maggie is a modern day girl, from her time but her da, Robert, is from the sixteeth century, I hear you "whaaaaaaat?" Her "uncle" Eddie met her dad when he time travelled twenty five years ago and brought him to our time. Now they have they chance to go back to the sixteenth, Maggie thinks it is a joke, time travel isn't real. The four, Robert, Eddie, Maggie and her bestie Dylan, travel back to Robert's time, clan and we enter a very authentic time/trials and auld rivalry between Scottish and English.

I don't overly love historical fiction (although as I get older I am finding I am liking it or maybe just choosing ones more relevant to my tastes) but this historical romance with a slash of time travel. The lingo, the issues of that time, betrothals, promises made by tribes, wars, the Border Reivers and at the end of the book a glossary of the terms used and what they mean.

Maggie is a plucky character, she is obviously used to the freedoms women of our time have so having to go back to such a different way of life was really interesting. Imagine hearing centuries old, falling in love with characters and then finding yourself actually living in that time, facing/meeting/arguing with them. I thought that was really cleverly done by the author and enjoyed the interactions with Maggie and the "enemies". As of that time period there is a lot of brutality, murder, women being used/hurt by men, promised into marriage for the sakes of their clans rather than love.

Such a different way of life, I loved how head strong Maggie was at times and other times I wanted to shake her, look what is right infront of you. Engaging, shocking, emotive, family, love, lies, relationships, so so many themes covered. Don't be put off by the time travel if it isn't something you would normally read - it really only comes into it for the transport of that time period really. I thought this was really different to a lot of the books I have read (of which there are many!) and I really enjoyed it. 4/5 for me this time, I would absolutely read this author again, this is her debut and I think possibly book one in a series, I would love to read more about these characters!

Out to buy NOW, treebook and ebook, click HERE from AMAZON UK.

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