Welcome to a round up of my book reviews for February – across the genres including non-fiction and all compelling reads.
My first review in February was a children’s book Teddy bears are very special toys and loved by many children… sometimes into adulthood. Barty Barton: The Bear That Was Loved Too Much by Sue Wickstead.
My review for the book February 5th 2022
A lovely story about how even when old and worn out there is still love to be given and received. Very hopeful for those of us of a certain age, who like Barty Barton the bear, are showing signs of wear and tear.
Barty and his fellow stuffed toys have been rather neglected after their young owner grows up and leaves home to start a family of his own.
Luckily his mother comes to the rescue and Barty and his collection of friends go through several rejuvenating processes. They are a delight to read about, offering useful suggestions to those who have favourite worn toys that might enjoy being pampered, and passed along to younger members of the family.
As with all children’s books that I read, I like to see the underlying messages of kindness, love and hope being embedded in the story for a young reader to absorb.
The illustrations are perfect and any child reading, or having the story read to them, will be tempted to stop and discuss in more detail.
Highly recommended.
A selection of other books by Sue Wickstead
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US – More reviews: Goodreads – Website/Blog: Sue Wickstead – Facebook: Stories Sue – Facebook: Teacher Page – Twitter: @JayJayBus – LinkedIn: Sue Wickstead
Now for my review for the biography of Geoffrey Pett, a pioneer flying boat establishment in Africa in the 1930s and during the second world war. Written by Jemima Pett from recordings made by her father, White Water Landings.
![White Water Landings: A view of the Imperial Airways Africa service from the ground by [J M Pett, Geoffrey Pett]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511+FP9Wa+L._SY346_.jpg)
My review for White Water Landings February 9th 2022
As we hop on and off planes with destinations around the globe, we rarely think further than checking the timings and paying with our credit card. Most long distance flights are non-stop and it is now something we very much take for granted.
Imagine you need to make the trip from the UK to Capetown by air in 1936. It would have required several short hops by flying boat down across Europe to the top of Africa and then to several refuelling stops set up on the coast or rivers over the 3,500 miles to the tip of the continent.
This biography of the young Geoffrey Pett is fascinating, both from a historical perspective and also because of his passion and perserverance in setting up these isolated and sometimes dangerous stations along the route.
Geoffrey was clearly adaptable and resourceful, making connections both with local residents and those from other companies and the military that passed through his care. Whilst his mandate was to establish the stations for Imperial Airways, he understood the benefits of working well with others. It was complex with very basic communications to maintain contact with aircraft to ensure safety and a rigid schedule that had to be met to ensure continuity of flights across the length and breadth of Africa.
As you read the story, it is easy to imagine you are sitting across from a natural storyteller listening to his adventures. And there are plenty of those including following hippo tracks to access suitable river landing sites, hauling barges and launches hundreds of miles across country and upriver that were virtually unnavigable. Dealing with some quirky passengers unaccustomed to rudimentary overnight facilities, dealing with snake-bites, and those who have enjoyed the hospitality a little too vigorously.
It is also a love story, and how the ingenuity and tenacity that Geoffry applied to his job, was put to good use as he masterminds a trip to reach the girl he loves in Uganda, marry her, take a honeymoon and be back by an almost impossible return to work date.
The author has done a great job in transcribing the recordings made by her father, keeping the authenticity of his narration and adding in helpful links between stories. Jemima Pett also shares her parent’s life after the war including Geoffrey’s contintued career in aviation.
Recommended for history lovers, aviation buffs, and those who enjoy finding out about ordinary people leading an extraordinary life.
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US
A selection of books by Jemima Pett
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And:Amazon UK – Blog:Jemima Pett – Goodreads:Jemima Pett – Twitter:@jemima_pett –
I was delighted to share my thoughts on Women Who Walk, a collection of stories about women who have travelled far from home to settle in Portugal… by Louise Ross.
![Women Who Walk: How 20 Women From 16 Countries Came to Live in Portugal by [Louise Ross]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51yDgfpXrcL._SY346_.jpg)
My review for the book February 12th 2022
I have always considered myself to be nomadic, and have trouble at times identifying exactly what nationality I can claim. Hence stories of these women and that of the author are fascinating in many respects, and I immediately related to each and every one of them.
The accounts begin in childhood and as their lives unfold, it is evident that the reasons to leave family and culture behind are sometimes complex. We join them on their journeys as they absorb life, learn new skills, find love, have families of their own and finally lay down roots far from home.
What struck me was the bravery that was required, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s for these young women, to head into the unknown. Although some did have travel companions, it still required an enormous leap of faith. The stories also highlighted the resilience and ingenuity required when arriving in a foreign country, usually without an adequate grasp of the language, to find employment and the means to remain for an extended period.
Some of those featured spent many years travelling around the world, visiting remote regions to work within charity organisations, global companies or other organisations such as the United Nations before arriving in Portugal. Whilst these postings were by nature temporary, what comes across is that few of these destinations provided all the elements needed to call home. Be it environment, culture, people and in some cases weather, Portugal has provided many of those elements in abundance.
Apart from the individual accounts, it is also a very useful guide to living and working in Portugal. The acceptance into the tight-knit Portuguese community, bureaucratic complexities and life within the expat groups offering a wide variety of cultural and creative programmes to assist in the integration.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about courageous and adaptable people who travel the world in search of a place to call home… and anyone thinking of living in Portugal.
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US
Also by Louise Ross
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow Louise: Goodreads – Website: Louise Ross – Podcast: Women Who Walk – Facebook: Louise Ross
Now for a chilling psychological thriller – Someone Close to Home by Alex Craigie.
My review for the book February 15th 2022
This fast paced thriller plays into the fears of most of us. Those where we end up incapacitated, unable to communicate in the hands of strangers, some of whom may not have our best interests at heart. It is a page turner as the reader becomes engaged in a race against time and the danger that awaits.
The story is set in the present and the daily anquish of Megan who suffered a stroke and has been placed in an understaffed and cheap care home, where support for recovery is not on the menu. As she lies in a bed, dependent on a variety of carers, some dedicated and some sadistic, Megan also has all the time in the world to reflect on her life from a childhood marred by tragedy and manipulation, through a successful classical musical career, a love that brought light into her life and the disastrous outcome of a doomed marriage to a narcistic and violent bully.
These two timelines have converged to bring Megan to a place where past wrongs by others result in her torment and intended death at the hands of an avenging psychopath
The author has created memorable and relateable characters. Your heart goes out to Megan as she is swept through life on the whims and cruel intentions of others, willing her to find the strength to escape the chains that are used to keep her under control. The evil in both men and women who hold the keys to those chains is chilling and malignant, and the entitlement and disdain shown to her by those who should love and nurture her is heartrending.
Alex Craigie is the master of suspense and maintains a pace that is breathless with the reader turning the pages anxious to find a glimmer of hope for the doomed Megan.
Horror and fantasy novels that portray monsters and evil are easier to read as they can be dismissed as imaginary… This thriller is however definitely close to home in many respects and it makes it all the more compelling a read. I can highly recommend.
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US
Also by Alex Craigie
Alex Craigie, Buy: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US – Follow Alex: Goodreads – Alex Craigie via: Facebook
Here is my review for C.S. Boyack and the third in a great fantasy series The Wreck of the Lanternfish.
My review for the book February 19th 2022
I was looking forward to this final book in the Lanternfish trilogy and was not disappointed in the slightest.
We hit the deck running as the Lanternfish is refurbished, outfitted and crewed by favourite characters in a final effort to turn the tide of the war and free their country from tyranny.
James Cuttler has won the hearts and minds of his motley crew of friends, pirates, travellers met in previous adventures and the root monsters who bring so much humour to the stories. They would follow him to the ends of the earth and do battle with him whatever the odds.
Others we have met along the way in the series are also working towards the same goal, often under dangerous conditions such as months undercover with the enemy to gather intelligence, or sweeping across the land destroying the often mystical evil elements intent on domination and enslavement of the population.
The author has done an excellent job of creating the fantasy world and the memorable characters who inhabit its land and seas. The battles in both these elements are masterful and detailed as you are swept along with the Samurai army and the crew of the Lanternfish as they adapt and invent ways to defeat the enemy.
Whilst this book is action packed, it also has moments of reflection on both sides that provide hope for the future. All the threads of the story come together in the last chapters to provide a very satisfactory ending to this highly recommended trilogy.
Head over to buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK
A selection of other books by C.S. Boyack
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and :Amazon UK – Follow Craig: Goodreads – blog:Cold Hand Boyack – Twitter: @Virgilante
My next review is for Linda Bradley and the first in her popular romance series – Maggie’s Way (Montana Bound Series book 1). 
My review for the book February 24th 2022
It is refreshing to read a romance story about a woman who is in her forties with a little more baggage than in many love stories. Clearly Maggie has come up against some difficult life experiences including her marriage break-up, her son moving away and the devastating diagnosis of cancer, but the author has created a fiesty and strong-willed lead character for this story.
Many of us choose to isolate ourselves when faced with deeply impacting events, and the irritation and sense of intrusion that Maggie feels when she is adopted by the new neighbour’s seven year old Chloe is understandable. As is her growing acceptance of this persistent little girl and the unnerving presence of her attractive father.
When you are not feeling at your best, and your self-confidence has plummeted. it is not surprising that Maggie feels this is unlikely to lead to anything permanent. The story develops over the course of her radiation treatment with more intrusions that force her to reassess the past, present and future. These include previously held convictions about life, love, ex wives, an unruly but lovable dog and a growing desire to let it all go.
The author did a great job in setting the mood and pace and created engaging characters.She also brought the end of this book to a satisfactory conclusion whilst still leaving the door open for the next book in the series, which I look forward to.
Also by Linda Bradley
Linda Bradley, Buy: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – Follow Linda :Goodreads – website: Linda Bradley Author – Twitter: @LBradleyAuthor
And my final review for February is for the suspense thriller by Joan Hall – Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira
My review for the book February 26th 2022
I really enjoyed House of Sorrows, the prequel to this series which really set the scene for this book and left me anticipating the follow up to an intriguing mystery.
It can be very challenging to settle in a new home, in a town steeped in history with families who go back generations. Outsiders are not always welcome, especially if they start digging around in events that some would prefer left well alone.
It doesn’t help when your husband is the chief of police, a position that appears to have been more dangerous than a small town with low crime rates might expect. Or that you live in a house with some ominous links to chilling events of the last 100 years.
Thankfully there is a welcome from well-meaning neighbours and a cat seeking companionship, although it is clear that some are also carrying heavy burdens from the past.
The author has created wonderful characters and a gripping storyline that will draw you in as you engage with the lead characters in the drama.
The story time shifts through the decades, offering nuggets of information that might or might not lead to solving the mysterious death of so many law enforcement officers. Tami has a need to discover the truth as her fears for her husband in his new role become more insistent with each passing day.
It is a race against time and Tami and those she trusts find themselves hurtling towards a precipice with surprise discoveries and secrets revealed that will shock the small town to its core.
A recommended read
Head over to read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK
Also by Joan Hall
Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Read other reviews and follow Joan: Goodreads – Website: Joan Hall – Blog: Joan Hall – BookBub: Joan Hall – Facebook: Joan Hall Writes – Twitter: @JoanHallWrites
Thank you for dropping in and I hope you will be leaving with some books… Sally.
![A Thousand Yesteryears (Point Pleasant Book 1) by [Mae Clair]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5148-xfVrzL.jpg)
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