Sandra Says Blog

  The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene Where I live when you come out the library (In the middle of the high street) I have the choice of 2 routes home. I picked the longest hill but the less steep one, this route took me passed a charity shop and in the window was this book. I walked past and around the corner, thinking all the time what an intriguing title. I then turned around went back and bought it. I wasn’t disappointed once I had read it. Three women are at a car boot sale in Sussex, Jenny, Maggie and Alison, they are all at the same stall at the same time, you could say fate has bought them all together, just one small problem they all love the same vintage teacup set for different reasons. This book gets the 3 of them talking and socialising as women would naturally do and they come up with a plan. Women can be good at getting organised a nd this is a great example of that . Jenny wants to use it as part of her themed wedding, Maggie wants it for a work event sh...

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham I know you shouldn’t judge a book by the name on the cover but I love pizza and have been to N orthern Italy. Rick Dockery played football in America in a top club as quarterback, but after a bad game , he was booted o ut of the team, which lead to him having an unwanted reputation with other teams and they didn’t want to know him. W ith help of his agent , he ended up travelling to Italy where he secured a position in a smaller Italian football team where they paid the team in free meals, although Ricks agent negotiated to get him a salary as well. It was a job playing football and he loves playing the game, but it didn’t come close to that of the US football league . However, his love for the game isn’t the only thing that keeps him in Italy. He meets a girl, Livvy, and they talk about exploring Italy. When the football season is ending, he gets an offer to play for more money but because of injury and a fter Livvy and Rick ha...

  First Episode So the house, so many rules. It is a strange house, it is something that reminds me like something out of ‘Doctor Who’ Created by Sydney Newman cross meets between ‘Grand Designs with Kevin McCloud. It is weird, not your normal house viewing and vetting tenants. I am glad that the reasoning behind 1. Wanting to move in and 2. Why the house and the rules have come out. With such an intriguing idea this shows/highlights how a trauma(s) can affect people. Oh, I thought it was the other way around. Wow, what a revelation. I know what the trailer implied, but I forgot about that whilst watching, so to be reminded was a surprise, to me. Now the relationship idea sounds interesting. Second Episode It is a good point about a ‘Stair rail’. The parallels are so smooth it could be hard to keep up with who is who. This is not a bad thing, just very cleverly done. The likeness is uncanny. But we all know grief can bring out all sorts of issues in a person. The house reminds me o...

  I know over a month after Valentines but I hope you had a lovely day with your Valentine My Sweet Valentine by Annie Groves The first chapter in the book, sets up the storyline for the whole book, it is too long and in some places, goes on a bit and repeats itself, to the point where I was thinking ‘Yes I get the point, Olive doesn’t want her daughter, Tilly to marry Drew while she is still only 18 years of age, and while there is a war (World War 2) on’. This chapter can be cut down a bit and still have the same effect, for us the reader, to know what is happening. The book is very well researched and gives a really good, in-depth view on, what happened during the blitz, the bombed out buildings/homes and what the firemen, of the time were up against. We only, normally hear, just about the bombs, this is insightful, as I read about, a group of people living through the war and witnessing the destruction all around them. Chapter 3, in part gives us an insight into the vario...

  17 th Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro This is already a fast paced book and I already think I know what happened or who should have been shot. However, it is still very very early on in this story/book so I could be totally and utterly completely wrong, but this story does make you think and try to work out who and why very quickly. I already don’t want to put this book down to see if my theory is right or wrong. as I have said early days. It turns out my theory is wrong. there are two different stories in this book, I would like to read on and find out if and/or how they are connected. In this modern times of the internet including social media, I can see how a case can create a frenzy of people’s opinions. The downside to all this, and not just on the c ase in this book, but real life, I can see that finding an unbiased neutral jury could be difficult. It is good that this book high-lights the difficulty of a court case in this day and age. It is heart-warm...

  I don’t want to sound picky under the tragic circumstances but I do think there would have been a certain amount of red colour/blood shown on her white outfit than what was actually shown. Ok, so now in piecing together who is who and what is going on/happened, although I could be wrong, it is all a bit sketchy so far, intriguing, yes, but there are a few holes in this film. I like the ‘Talking heads’ scenario paragraphs, one at the beginning and during this film. However, you have to concentrate and listen to everything to keep up. Although this is a slow paced film. I can’t seem to get into this film. 1. Partly not knowing exactly what is going on and 2. It is a little, to me, boring. I like films that you can get absorbed by and a clear and exciting element of mystery. This film sadly, is neither, to me. Even the supposed element of humour of ‘Need more clothes’ was ridiculous, as there were so few items. It is sad about the ‘Dog’. I feel for her. I don’t like the nurses' resp...

  WARNING SPOILERS Overboard (1987) When this film begins we see, an obnoxious Joanna Stayton (Goldie Hawn). This is a little forced and seems out of Goldie Hawn’s comfort acting zone. Which is good to see, I wouldn’t want being obnoxious to come naturally, so we can forgive the beginning. However, it works for the film and allow for the , no nonsense carpente r Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell), to voice his opinion of her to her face. Although if you didn’t ask for cedar you get oak. I thought it looked nice. Once Joanna had fallen overboard and is in the hospital, we find out that her amnesia can work for her husband as well as Dean the carpenter. Dean’s reason not a crazy one, just a little revengeful. One of the funny parts, is when Joanna now called Annie (Because Dean told her that was her name), is landed with 4 b oys, she faints. I think anyone would. The film is also very good in being realistic, just because Annie has amnesia, it doesn’t stop her dreaming of her...

  A Week in Paris by Rachel Hore This book starts off as an ordinary story, only to become strange, when Fay, as a school pupil, in her reaction to the bell ringing in the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Next it suddenly changes direction with Fay’s mother Kitty in a hospital back in England, continuing to suffer from a breakdown. This maybe the result of keeping information from Fay about her past as well as losing her husband, Fay’s father during the war. Fay is an adult now and is going back to Paris to play in an orchestra, Kitty has a change of heart and tells Fay where she can find something that will help with Fay finding out what Kitty is trying to hide, or keep to herself. Although it isn’t easy to admit things, Fay has a right to know something if it is for her benefit . I wanted to read on, to find if it was, or not. If Fay learning the truth, makes Kitty feel better and aids her recovery, it can only be a good thing, however, it depends on what Fay finds out and...

  Before taking on this book it is a long one, you have to commit to reading it a while/in it for the long haul. This starts as a good strong read. However, I do believe that it should have been written into the story that the authorities were informed of the ‘Red clock’ sooner. At the beginning of chapter 5 it isn’t clear as to the point of it, just people living their lives. However, by the end it does become clear and I believe I know what the ‘Catastrophe’ could be. This is so well written that you should be aware that you really get to know and even possibly like the characters before, by the nature of this book, the tragedy strikes them. The real life aspect of this book is brilliant. I love it. It is a shame that there is this awful horror and sadness in the background. This I believe is what makes Stephen King a great horror in real life author/writer. This book is really well written. It is like a collection of short stories put together under a common theme of the disease...

  Murder Games by James Patterson and Howard Roughan This book has an interesting start to it, that is if you find information on personal and impersonal ways to murder someone and how to do the laundry afterwards interesting. I also like the initial teaching method as well. What the late comer, non-student, delivered, before she left, the message was certainly not what you would want to hear. This book is fast paced; in other words, it hits the floor running. I like how the students reacted, well some of them. Sadly, inevitably some people will only think of themselves and their grades, even when a life could be at stake. The best advice was ‘Go after her’. Dylan and Tracy’s life is busy. It is sad to read about prejudice. I am already intrigued how this is all going to play out. It is sad to say that it is actually a genius idea of where the next victim was injected, the reasoning is well worked out but I hope this isn’t the norm and the puncture mark is found. The playin...

  Mother London by Michael Moorcock The start of the book describes David Mummery taking a very interesting bus journey through London. This is written well and gives a fascinating insight into London life. One part where he mentions tourist routes through the city and where the tourists don’t often know where they are going, the author writes that we that we would also be at a loss if we were in New York or Baghdad. Knowing what it is like to navigate around New York, as I have visited there, it was easy with yellow taxi cabs that were easily hailed in the street  in 2005 but not so much in Feb 2022 and a subway system that is well set out on maps, I don’t agree with this reference, however, not having been to Baghdad I cannot comment on their public transport system. This book is a brave story to write and seems/could have been, somewhat complicated to write. It is about a group of patients going for, what can only be described as ‘Group Therapy’. Writing about each ...