Poetry For Christmas by Orna Ross - Blog Tour Review

Something a little festive on Life Of A Nerdish Mum today, my review of Poetry For Christmas by Orna Ross. Big thanks as usual to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for having me along.

Poetry For Christmas And Other Beginnings

This poetry book makes a perfect holiday gift or stocking filler. 

Whether you’re marking the Christian Christmas, the Chinese Dongzhi, the Jewish Hannukah, the Hindi Makaraa Sankrānti, the Irish Meán Geimhridh, or any other mid-winter festival, the hibernal solstice is a celebration of rebirth and renewal. 

The ever-present potential for beginning anew, as signified by the return of light, is the theme of this chapbook. In it, you'll find a poem for each of the twelve days of this season when the days start to get longer again, that will encourage you to rejoice, reflect and recharge.  

Reconnect with the wonder of the world through the powerful pleasure of inspirational poetry.

My Review

I don't often read something christmassy, so when I do, I choose wisely to make sure it's something I know I'm going to enjoy and Poetry For Christmas sounded just my cup of tea.

I loved how there are a few ways to read this collection. You can read it the whole way through like I did. You can dip in and out, reading one poem at a time. Or you can read it in the four separate sections that the collection is split up into.

Each poem is wonderfully written and the tone fits lovely for each one. Each subject fits the time of the year, from the more poignant to ones of hope.

I really enjoyed this collection and will be pulling it out each year to read and enjoy again.

I gave this book 5 stars.



About The Author

ORNA ROSS is an award-winning writer, an advocate for independent authors and other creative entrepreneurs, and “one of the 100 most influential people in publishing” [The Bookseller]. She writes novels, poems and nonfiction guides for creatives, and is Founder-Director of two popular online communities, the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and The Creativist Club. She lives in London and writes, publishes and teaches around the globe. When not writing, you'll probably find her reading.

Website : http://www.ornaross.com/

Twitter : @ornaross

Author Page on Facebook

Instagram @ornaross

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When Stars Will Shine - Blog Tour Review

Today Life Of A Nerdish Mum is extremely proud to be part of the blog tour for When Stars Will Shine, compiled by Emma Mitchell. Thank you so much to Emma for having me along.

When Stars Will Shine

When Stars Will Shine is a collection of short stories from your favourite authors who have come together to deliver you a Christmas read with a twist.

With true war tales that will break your heart, gritty Christmas crimes that will shake you to your core, and heart-warming tales of love lost and found, this anthology has something for everyone. And, with every penny made being sent to support our troops, you can rest assured that you’re helping our heroes, one page at a time.

From authors such as Louise Jensen, Graham Smith, Malcolm Hollingdrake, Lucy Cameron, Val Portelli, and Alex Kane, you are in for one heck of a ride!

When Stars Will Shine is the perfect Christmas gift for the bookworms in your life!

My Review

I wasn't sure how to review When Stars Will Shine as each and every story is as good as the last and there isn't a single weaker story throughout. Emma Mitchell had done an amazing job of picking stories that fit both the reason for anthology and the tone and time of the year. That being said this could easily be read all year round. 

So anyway, back to how I decided to review the book! I couldn't choose  a favourite so I decided to write just a few word review for each and every story! There's no surprise though that they're all 5 star reads. 

Megan's poem

Beautiful and emotive. Brilliantly written

Frederick Snellgrove, Private 23208 by Rob Ashman

Omgoodness I cried.  I hadn't noticed it was a true story before I read it so took me by surprise. Excellent writing.

Four Seasons by Robert Scragg

The story sucks you right in. It wasn't at all what I expected. Brilliantly woven tale.

The Close Encounter by Gordon Bickerstaff

Oooh made me think one thing, then another and then hit me with what actually happened! Really good.

Believe by Mark Brownless

This story was both suspenseful and terrifying and went places I hadn't dreamed of! 

What can possibly Go Wrong by Lucy Cameron

Light hearted and funny. I can just picture Geoffrey and his escapades. He was a loveable oaf.

Mountain Dew by Paul T Campbell

This story was very quiet with lovely characters and contained some good advice. 

The Art Of War And Peace by John Carson

This felt almost like a cosy mystery, which I love. I liked the are they/aren't they relationship between the two main characters, it added an extra element to the story. 

A Gift For Christmas by Kris Egleton

Such a lovely story. Shows how kind people can be no matter how little they have.

Free Time by Stewart Giles

This was very intense, it shows the real outcome of rolling the dice with your life or someone else's.

Died Of Wounds by Malcolm Hollingdrake

Beautiful, poignant, well written. Made me cry a lot in public.

The Christmas Killer by Louise Jensen

Really good, loved the twist. Getting a twist into such a short story is masterful writing. 

The Village Hotel by Alex Kane

Really, good, wanted more and wish it was longer. Just enough information was given to keep you wanting to know more.

A present Of Presence by H.R. Kemp

Another one to make you cry. Everyone deals with grief differently and it can be isolating.

The Invitation by Billy McLaughlin

A good story to remind you not to waste time and speak to the people you want and tell people you love them. It's never too late for forgiveness either, even for yourself.

Brothers Forever by Paul Moore

A good story about how your chosen family look out for you no matter what. It shows how close people become when they been in such terrible conditions together such as war zones.

Girl In A Red Shirt by Owen Mullen

This showed how the horrors of war bring out the best and worst in people and everyone reacts differently to what they did. One decision can change your life.

Pivotal Moments by Anna Franklin Osborne

When I saw Anna Franklin Osborne was one of the contributors I was very excited. I loved Walking Wounded! She didn't disappoint, another one that had me crying. Beautiful. Talk to people about how you're feeling as it'll help you see the whole picture not just what you're imagining.

Uncle Christmas by Val Portelli

Beautiful story about how one good deed can change a person's life right around. Made me cry (apparently I cry at least once every other story). 

Time For A Barbecue by Carmen Radtke

This showed perfectly how kids can get things muddled up and their imaginations run wild...or do they?!   

Christmas Present by Lexi Rees

This really showed how you should take chances, live your life. Also look before you cross the road!!

Inside out by KA Richardson

Everyone is broken in their own way. Take chances. Do what helps you heal. And yes I cried.

Penance by Jane Risdon

A warning about getting your priorities right. A very moving story.

New Year's resolution by Robert Scragg

There's always another way and another day. Sometimes it takes someone else's troubles to put yours in perspective.

Family time by Graham Smith

Brilliant, didn't go where I expected. Shows what people will do to make people they love happy.

And that's it! Now go buy it and come back and talk to me about what you loved.
Full Contents List And Authors

Fredrick Snellgrove, Private 23208 by Rob Ashman

Four Seasons by Robert Scragg

The Close Encounter by Gordon Bickerstaff

Believe by Mark Brownless

What Can Possibly Go Wrong? by Lucy Cameron

Mountain Dew by Paul T. Campbell

The Art of War and Peace by John Carson

A Gift for Christmas by Kris Egleton

Free Time by Stewart Giles

Died of Wounds by Malcolm Hollingdrake

The Christmas Killer by Louise Jensen

The Village Hotel by Alex Kane 

A Present of Presence by HR Kemp

The Invitation by Billy McLaughlin

Brothers Forever by Paul Moore

Girl in a Red Shirt by Owen Mullen

Pivotal Moments by Anna Franklin Osborne

Uncle Christmas by Val Portelli

Time for a Barbeque by Carmen Radtke

Christmas Present by Lexi Rees

Inside Out by KA Richardson

Penance by Jane Risdon

New Year’s Resolution by Robert Scragg

Family Time by Graham Smith

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The Poker Game Mystery by Peter Bartram - Blog Tour Review

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum I am happy to be sharing my review of The Poker Game Mystery by Peter Bartram as part of the blog tour. With big thanks to Anne Cater as usual for being an amazing blog tour organiser and Peter Bartram for having me along.

The Poker Game Mystery

Poker is a game for the dead lucky…

Crime reporter Colin Crampton discovers nightclub bouncer Steve Telford murdered. Colin can’t understand why five cards of a poker hand are laid out next to the body.As Colin investigates, he becomes entangled with three former special forces soldiers from the Second World War. All have motives to kill Telford. But Colin’s probe is derailed when a shock change at the Evening Chronicle puts the paper’s – and Colin’s - future in peril.The tension ratchets higher when the life of a young girl is on the line. Colin is forced to go head-to-head in a poker game with sinister newspaper owner Quentin Pell to save her.There are laughs alongside the action as Colin and his feisty girlfriend Shirley shuffle the cards and play the most dangerous game of all – with their own lives at stake.

My Review

It's been far too long since I last read a Colin Crampton book and as soon as I started reading The Poker Game Mystery I realised how much I missed these characters and Brighton in the 60's.

Fast paced and brilliantly written, I thoroughly enjoyed joining Colin on his escapades. There is always a good balance between suspense and quirky quips to keep the story moving.

I still enjoy Colin's relationship with Shirley, I wanted them to get together the minute they met. There did seem to be a lot more "Australia- isms" in this book than previous books, it wasn't an issue, just something I noticed. It fits with the time and style of writing though.

The story was complex and well planned out and I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout.

Another cracking read from Peter Bartram and I'm already looking forward to the next installment.

I gave this book 5 stars.


About The Author

Peter Bartram brings years of experience as a journalist to his Crampton of the Chronicle crime mystery series. His novels are fast-paced and humorous - the action is matched by the laughs. The books feature a host of colourful characters as befits stories set in Brighton, one of Britain's most trend-setting towns.

You can download Murder in Capital Letters, a free book in the series, for your Kindle from www.colincrampton.com.

Peter began his career as a reporter on a local weekly newspaper before editing newspapers and magazines in London, England and, finally, becoming freelance. He has done most things in journalism from door-stepping for quotes to writing serious editorials. He’s pursued stories in locations as diverse as 700-feet down a coal mine and a courtier’s chambers at Buckingham Palace. Peter is a member of the Society of Authors and the Crime Writers' Association.

Follow Peter on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/peterbartramauthor.

Twitter @PeterFBartram


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Fairy Rock by Stephen Watt - Blog Tour Review

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum I'm pleased to share my review of Fairy Rock by Stephen Watt. The concept sounded so different and exciting, I jumped to be a part of the blog tour, so thank you to Kelly at Love Books Tours and Red Squirrel Press.

Fairy Rock: A Crime Novel In Verse

In 2017 Andrew Smith, then Director, now Chair of the Scottish Writers’ Centre, came up with a dynamic idea to run a Twitter campaign inviting poets to pitch an idea and the winner would have a poetry pamphlet published by the SWC’s publisher partner, Red Squirrel Press. Poet, critic, essayist, editor, designer and typesetter Gerry Cambridge, poet Sheila Templeton, writer, musician and Editor of both Postbox Press (the literary fiction imprint of Red Squirrel Press) and Postbox International Short Story Magazine, Colin Will, and myself took part in a panel at the SWC, ‘How to get published’ in October 2017. Andrew received many entries, a shortlist was drawn up, Stephen Watt subsequently won and persuaded me to publish a full-length collection.

— Sheila Wakefield, Founding Editor, Red Squirrel Press

Glasgow is correctly lauded for its wonderful characters and hospitality but at the turn of the Millennium it was dubbed the ‘Murder Capital of Europe’ with sectarian divisions and organised crime rife in the city. Four of its natives have been raised around the city’s Bridgeton area, cultivated by its ill-omened beliefs, and now have to separately find a way to subsist. But one crime family firmly believes in the tradition of torture and a novel way of disposing of its detractors. Who will emerge smelling of roses—or end up pushing the roses up from the earth below?

My Review

Though I absolutely love the idea of a crime novel in verse, I really wasn't sure what to expect or whether I would be able to follow what was happening. Well, safe to say I thoroughly enjoyed Fairy Rock and ended up reading it in one session as I just could not put it down!

The story was fast paced, the characters clearly defined and the prose used was both beautiful and intense. I raced through each verse to find out what happened next.

There was so much more darkness than I expected and I lapped it up! Though it covered the more typical crimes of drugs and murder, both rape and incest were brought into the story, though hard to read about, it fit into the kind of atmosphere and world a crime family belong in. The mix of gore and violence with the beauty of poetry fit together so well.

I don't know Glasgow very well, but I felt that I could easily picture Bridgeton and the kind of places the book takes place in, so good was the description. It was dark and grimy and not the kind of place you want to wander into by mistake.

I honestly am struggling to express how much I enjoyed the reading experience. It was so different and exciting, I want to recommend it to everyone! I love discovering new experiences and sharing them with people and Fairy Rock is definitely one of those things I will be sharing with other people.

I gave the book 5 stars.

About The Author

Stephen Watt was born in the Vale of Leven in 1979. His awards include first prize in the Poetry Rivals Slam, the StAnza International Digital Poetry Slam, and the Tartan Treasures award. Notable collections which he has curated include the Joe Strummer Foundation collection Ashes To Activists (2018) and the James Watt bicentenary booklet Horsepower (2019). He is Dumbarton Football Club’s Poet-in-Residence and was appointed the Makar for the Federation of Writers (Scotland) in 2019. He lives in Dumbarton with his wife Keriann and pug Beanz.

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When Stars Will Shine: Helping Our Heroes, One Page At A Time - Cover Reveal

Most of you will have already seen the cover reveal for When Stars Will Shine: Helping Our Heroes, One Page At A Time yesterday, for anyone who missed it (as my day didn't go as planned) I'm sharing again today!

When Stars Will Shine: Helping Our Heroes, One Page At A Time

When Stars Will Shine is a collection of short stories from your favourite authors who have come together to deliver you a Christmas read with a twist.

With true war tales that will break your heart, gritty Christmas crimes that will shake you to your core, and heart warming tales of love lost and found, this anthology has something for everyone. And, with every penny made being sent to support our troops, you can rest assured that you’re helping our heroes, one page at a time.

From authors such as Louise Jensen, Graham Smith, Malcolm Hollingdrake, Lucy Cameron, Val Portelli, and Alex Kane, you are in for one heck of a ride!

You can pre-order now by clicking here

The Reveal

How absolutely stunning is that!?

I cannot wait to read When Stars Will Shine and I am honoured to be taking part in the blog tour on the 16th of December.

More About The Book - A Note From Emma Mitchell

As the blurb tells us, When Stars Will Shine is a multi-genre collection of Christmas themed short stories complied to raise money for our armed forces and every penny made from the sales of both the digital and paperback copies will be donated to the charity.

Working closely with Kate Noble at Noble Owl Proofreading and Amanda Ni Odhrain from Let’s Get Booked, I’ve been able to pick the best of the submissions to bring you a thrilling book which is perfect for dipping into at lunchtime or snuggling up with on a cold winter’s night. I have been completely blown away by the support we’ve received from the writing and blogging community, especially the authors who submitted stories and Shell Baker from Baker’s Not So Secret Blog, who has organised the cover reveal and blog tour.

When Stars Will Shine is available for pre-order now and will be published on 9 December 2019.

There isn’t anyone in the country who hasn’t benefited from the sacrifices our troops, past and present, have made for us and they all deserve our thanks.

It has been an honour to work on these stories and to create this anthology and I hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as I have.

North by Lucas Ehrenhaus - Blog Tour Review

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum I am sharing my review of North: A Tale Of Yore Per The Burden Of Dwarves by Lucas Ehrenhaus. Something a little different, so big thanks to Faye at Authoright for having me along.

North

After one of the most decisive warring campaigns in European history between Barbarians and Romance, the sheer possibility of a full-scale Roman invasion into Barbarian lands launches a lifelong recruitment process, which drives to the re-discovery of old mighty forces in the long forgotten North. The most apolocalyptic pan-tribal conflict amongst central and northern European natives will ensue.

My Review

North is really well researched and presented. I like the use of story to tell the history and facts while mixing them with conjecture as to what really happened.

I enjoyed the illustrations and family trees, which I felt really added depth to the book and the maps, well everyone loves a book with a map.

It was a really nice change to read about Norse mythology, as a lot of the books I've read have been based on Greek mythology. I'll be passing this onto my step daughter too as I'm sure she'll find it fascinating.

The writing throughout was vivid and brought both the story and the characters to life.

There is a nice interactive feature as part of the book. I won't spoil it, but it really added a certain something to the reading experience.

I gave the book 4 stars.


About The Author

Lucas Ehrenhaus was born in Belgium. Raised in Argentina, lived in Spain for fifteen years, travelled western Africa, Scandinavia, and the north- west of South-America.

Growing up his primary education took place at a Scottish school in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Struggling with secondary studies he started working in a vending company as a driver. Illustration was a constant throughout this period. In Spain there were a series of odd jobs in ten years whilst experimenting with photography and graphic design; two years after the economic crisis hit Madrid, he became an In-Company English Teacher in several big companies for five years during which his passion for northern European history took over. An urge to help other people drove Lucas to travel to Scandinavia in order to go through a programme for volunteering. This took him to western Africa, north western South-America and back to Scandinavia, living mainly in Norway and in Denmark on & off. This added to a broader insight to Northern Scandinavian culture where the finishing of the book North took place. 

He currently lives in the U.K.

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50 Dinosaur Tales by Sabrina Ricci - Blog Tour Review

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum, I am sharing my review of 50 Dinosaur Tales by Sabrina Ricci, with thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for having me along on the tour.

50 Dinosaur Tales: And 108 More Discoveries From The Golden Age Of Dinos

"Gualicho takes a bite out of the ornithopod’s back as it runs away from her, causing it to stumble and fall. She jumps on top of the body and rips open its neck with her teeth. The ornithopod becomes still and limp.

Satisfied, Gualicho begins to feast. But, after only two bites, she senses something is wrong. She lifts her head and sees a Mapusaurus making its way toward her."

Blending fiction with fact, 50 Dinosaur Tales imagines the way 50 newly described dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous lived in their natural habitats.

Also included is a list of fun facts for each dinosaur story, and facts about 108 additional dinosaurs.

If you want to hear more about new dinosaurs as soon as they are discovered, listen to the weekly podcast I Know Dino.

My Review

What an interesting book. We're a fan of dinosaurs in this house, so this book was right up my street. I though that it was really well thought out and organised, the book was sectioned into continents and then the dinosaurs that lived on each continent etc. It felt smooth to look at and made sense.

I liked how the language used wasn't "dumbed down" and that proper terminology and names were used, though it did give me a challenge at times trying to pronounce some of them!

Each story gives a brief intro into possibly what the lives of the dinosaurs discussed would be like and the other animals/dinosaurs they would have met along the way. These lead into facts about the dinosaurs which I found fascinating. I'm a big fan of fact lists.

I was originally going to get Mini Nerdling to read this along side me, but I think it's just a tad too old for him just yet. He's going to absolutely love it when he reads it though!

Overall a well written, interesting and fact filled book that I'm going to be recommending to others. I gave this book 4 stars.

About The Author

Sabrina is a writer and podcaster. She loves nerdy things, like technical specs and dinosaurs, especially sauropods. When she’s not writing, she’s podcasting with her husband at I Know Dino (iknowdino.com), a weekly show about dinosaurs.

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Don't Get Involved by F J Curlew - Blog Tour Review

I was incredibly honoured when F J Curlew contacted me to see if I'd be interested in reading her new book. I have previously read and loved Dan Knew, so I immediately said yes. Thank you so much for having me as part of the blog tour.

Don't Get Involved

A missing shipment of cocaine.
Three street-kids fighting for their lives.
A mafia hit-man intent on killing them.
A naive expat who gets in their way.
Who would you bet on?

My Review

Don't Get Involved is a huge step away from Dan Knew and F J Curlew proves that she's just as talented in this genre. The writing is really well done and the world building is brilliant. You can really tell that the author lived in the Ukraine as it all felt so authentic.

The story is told from more than one perspective over a period of time and the story unfolds slowly before coming to a fast paced ending. I enjoyed following the street children and "watching" as they survived in ways that wouldn't cross your mind if you'd never been in that situation.

I would normally say that books containing, mafia or gangs wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I'd say Don't Get Involved is more based on the people than the gangs etc and so I really enjoyed it.

Overall a really well written book and one I enjoyed. I gave this book 4 stars.

About The Author

Fiona spent fifteen years working as an international school teacher, predominantly in Eastern Europe. Much of her inspiration comes from her travels. Her writing has been described as, “Human experience impacted upon by political situation, interwoven with a love of nature.”

She now lives on the East Coast of Scotland with Brockie the Springer, and Fingal the rescued Portuguese street-cat. Her days are divided between dog-walking in beautiful places and working on her stories. Not a bad life!

Don't Get Involved is her third book.

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#Sonnets by Lucien Young - Blog Tour Review

Life Of A Nerdish Mum is closing out the blog tour for #Sonnets by Lucien Young with a review of this hilarious collection.

#Sonnets

'I thought I could, with verse iambic, pry

Some sense from nonsense, and our modern scene 

Depict and mock, while using "thee" and "thy" 

In pages fit to rest by thy latrine.'

Lucien Young

Shakespeare's sonnets are among the great achievements in world literature. Alas, the immortal Bard never used his command of iambic pentameter to explore such themes as porn, Snapchat and Austin Powers.

#Sonnets is a collection of hilarious and inappropriate poems complete with illustrations of Elizabethan RoboCop and Snoop Dogg in tights. Musing on everything from Donald Trump to Tinder, comedy writer Lucien Young offers a Shakespearean take on the absurdity of modern life.

My Review

When I first heard about #Sonnets, I absolutely knew I had to check it out as it sounded so absurdly brilliant! I was right.

There are 167 sonnets in #Sonnets and there is absolutely something for everyone. The topics are incredibly wide ranging and random, jumping from auto-correct to Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I haven't read in iambic pentameter since I think secondary school, which was *mumble mumble* years ago, so it took me a couple of sonnets to fall back into the reading rhythm, but once I was there it flowed really well.

I chose to read #Sonnets by jumping in and out and reading one or two at a time, taking my time to enjoy each one as the small masterpiece it was. I had to google a couple of things as I had no idea what they were and I haven't watched Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, so though those sonnets probably had slightly less impact on me, I could still appreciate the quality of the writing and the humour within.

I liked the fact there were some sonnets dedicated to the man himself, Shakespeare, it was a nice touch at the end of the book. I have three absolute favourite sonnets though, Darth Vader, Liam Neeson, and Batman. Both Vader and Batman are from my top fandoms and so they really made me laugh.

I've picked up #Sonnets a few times since finishing it and re reading some of my favourites. I really feel it's a book that can be enjoyed over a long period of time and more than once. It's also just a really pretty book with some really brilliant illustrations throughout.

I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

"Thy poet was in Northern England born,

Upon the Geordie Shore in '88.

He spent his adolescent years forlorn,

Bereft of hope that he might find a mate.

But reading Shakespeare's verse, it did occur

To him that he should master sonnetry

And write some stanzas to a fancied her,

Escaping thus his cruel virginity!

Of course, that did not happen: they were shit

And, filled with shame, the lad set down his quill,

Then left his teens with naught to show for it,

Beyond a new and truly pointless skill.

So now he doth, in quasi-comic guise,

Attempt his wasted youth to monetise."

(Lucien Young is a comedy writer who has worked on various TV programmes, including BBC Three's Siblings and Murder in Successville, as well as authoring three humour books, Alice in Brexitland, Trump's Christmas Carol and The Secret Diary of Jeremy Corbyn. He was born in Newcastle and read English at the University of Cambridge, where he was a member of the world-famous Footlights Club).

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Ring The Hill by Tom Cox - Blog Tour Review

Today Life Of A Nerdish Mum is extremely happy to be sharing my review of Ring The Hill by Tom Cox. I fell in love with his writing in Help The Witch and when Anne Cater, of Random Things Tours asked if I'd be interested in reading his next book I'm pretty sure I answered before she finished asking I was so excited!

Ring The Hill

Ring the Hill is a book written around, and about, hills: it includes a northern hill, a European hill, some hills from East Anglia that can barely be called hills at all. Each chapter takes a type of hill – whether it be knoll, cap, cliff, tor, bump or even mere hillock – as a starting point.

These hills can leads to an exploration of an intimate relationship with a beach, a journey into Cox's past or a lesson from an expert in what goes into the mapping of hills themselves. Because a good walk in the hills is never just about the hills; it will take your mind to many other places.

My Review

I don't feel any review of Tom Cox's books would be complete without talking about how beautiful the books themselves are! Ring The Hill has a gorgeous illustration of Glastonbury Tor on the front and Tom's traditional hares are scattered around. Then on the end pages are more hares on a background of soft yellow. Honestly stunning, I'm always proud to display his books.

I'm not sure what you'd expect when someone says they're reading a book about hills, but Ring The Hill is a sometimes whimsical, sometimes joyous, sometimes sentimental take on different kinds of hills and their connections to the town, people and world around them.

The language used is beautiful and almost poetic and the book made me feel gentler and reflective. I live in a very hilly area (if you're ever lost where I live, head downhill and you'll end up in town) and I walk A LOT and I'd never really thought much about hills before other than cursing them when I'm tired and on my way home.

There are gorgeous photos throughout as well as some illustrations. They all match the tone of the book and I could picture myself on adventures, or in the case of the cow, scratching it's friendly nose.

I feel like this is a book I'll return to again and again and one I'll be sharing with both friends and family.

If you haven't read anything by Tom Cox yet, I recommend that you do! I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

Tom Cox lives in Norfolk. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling The Good, The Bad and The Furry and the William Hill Sports Book long-listed Bring Me the Head of Sergio Garcia. 21st-Century Yokel was long-listed for the Wainwright Prize, and the titular story of Help the Witch won a Shirley Jackson Award.

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