I really wanted to read this to try to get a better perspective of sexual abuse in an era so complicated by hype. I was not disappointed. The author has put great effort into getting balance and in so doing has captured the incredible complexities.

These felt like real characters, you can understand them and at the same time be perplexed. This is how I am about people in general. This book highlights how flawed we all are, constricted by history and convention, to ready to slap on labels without proper understanding.

It makes you think a lot about your own attitudes and how you might react in the same circumstances. Unfortunately, the answer is a little uncomfortable to face.

I'd mark this as an essential read for anyone but be warned. It challenges your assumptions and there is no simple, happy conclusion.

The idea behind my book 'Seven Days' started when I decided to set myself the challenge of creating a gripping tale in a short timescale after the near century I covered in the previous book.

I also wanted the story to centre on one small community to add to the intensity.  I opted for a strong, young female lead who blamed themselves for the crisis and had an interesting mix of confidence and naivety.

If you want to find out more this is the link to the book. 
https://www.chriscloake.co.uk/seven-days

Stephen Fry takes us on a colourful journey through the tales and myths of ancient Greek heroes. Some of the stories I knew, or thought I knew. Others were an incredible surprise.

The text is lifted by his superb grasp of the English language. At no point does the book drag or merely seem to be telling us stuff for the sake of it. I will admit to getting confused and have trouble remembering all the names and places. He alludes to the problem himself and has included a comprehensive list of characters at the back.

There appears to be nothing the gods and heroes weren't capable of. Incest, infanticide, murder, bestiality come at you thick and fast.

I would recommend this for entertainment alone but is also a great source of ideas and inspiration for your own stories. And so much of what went on has been carried down in names and sayings into our media fixated society. Long live the legends!

Everyone at some point has stood under the stars and wondered about our place in it all.

This book helps with that journey. The universe is incredible and our fascination since we first began to evolve has grown. Now we are discovering more and more, opening doors held closed by outdated theories and the constraints of religion.

I loved how the harder scientific aspects were made easier by great graphics and photographs. A companion to the tv series, I would recommend watching the matching programme after each chapter.

A must in these radical times of personal focus. It's a big universe. Look up from the phone and search for some answers.

Anybody with a blog, Facebook page and Bookstagrammers are more than welcome to join - the more the merrier!!

https://www.silverdaggertours.com/tour-sign-ups/the-dominion-trilogy-tour-sign-ups

I was completed fascinated by this masterpiece of story telling. It is historical by nature and to experience the emotional journey of a young girl in such different times. There are some remarkable surprises and many reminders of how certain things haven't changed.

Tess is vulnerable. The opposite sex is omnipresent and driven by their own needs. The tale revolves around her attempt to to remain true to herself. The reaction of the men she encounters says a lot about how misdirected society was.

Being able to survive the threat of genuine poverty is central to events. This is a different kind of hardship to today's standards. Expectations are far lower and more realistic. Enough food and roof is all that matters. The richer man sees her as an easy target. Her true lover is all too hung up on moral standards influenced by the religious fanaticism of his father and destroys the joy he finds.

Our heroine wishes to help her family financially and this leads her into a world all too ready to take advantage of her loyalty. The detail that Hardy gives us of rural life is absorbing. You can read this book to learn if nothing else.

I loved how the writing drew you close to Tess and you wish so much for her to find the happiness she deserves. Hardy's narrative voice is perfect and he makes you think long after reading.

Great fun. Made me laugh out loud.

I wanted to give this three and a half stars. I love the subject matter and the easy way we can enter the world of the norse gods. The language is uncomplicated and the book avoids the sprawl of other tales of this nature. The pace is keen and engaging throughout.

Herein lies my dilemma. As a writer myself I was aware of the lack of depth in the descriptions. I'm not sure if this work is aimed at adults or a younger audience. It can work for both (as can most books!).

I got a little tired of the over use of Yours Truly and Humble Narrator phrases. Perhaps I was supposed to. Loki is an anti-hero to like and loathe in equal measure.

I was confused by Loki's motives. Again, maybe he was too. Did he seek acceptance or destruction? I wondered if the author really knew. And if Loki is such a child of chaos, why is he so scared of it at the end?

A wonderful, colourful trip through a British year. I learned while I loved. It makes you want to get out there, see and hear for yourself and generally appreciate all four seasons.

Infinitely better than phone scrolling, this is a book in all its glory. Read on.

A story of a small community in the days of genuine hardship when one man is affected enough by what he sees to try and make a change.

There was an emphasis on routine, on things being kept like they always had been. With that comes the outdated religious views that should never apply to a modern and caring society.

This book achieves great depth through simplicity, no mean feat. Hopefully it can act as a stimulus to most readers and get them to examine their own lives and ensure they aren't stuck on return and repeat.

Besides all that heavy stuff, it is an enchanting insight into a small community in a time before image and self obsession became so dominant.