If you were a fly on the wall..........

..........what would you do and where would you go?

It's not something which keeps me awake at night, but I often ponder this question! I would really love to know what you lovelies would do.

I'm not a royalist by any stretch of the imagination, but I've always thought, IF I could be that fly I would love to have a scout around Buckingham Palace. Just how many corgis does the Queen own and are they allowed on the priceless antique furniture in the state rooms and what the heck does she keep in that handbag?!

I've also like to have a nosey around The White House and see what really happens in The Oval Office.

Talking of Buckingham Palace what about Beckingham Palace? Does old Vicky Beckham EVER smile behind closed doors.

The list could probably be endless but enough about me, what about you?

What would you do if you were a fly on the wall?

July through the eyes of a bookworm

In Her Mothers' Shoes by Felicity Price

Three women caught in the adoption triangle - the birth mother, the adoptive mother and the daughter - are about to discover the emotional turmoil of confronting their past, when Kate Stewart traces her birth mother and finds she has a brother and sister who never knew she existed.  Based on three true stories, "In Her Mothers' Shoes" tells of the heartache of having to give up your baby for adoption without even being able to hold her; of the insecurity of adopting; and how, for an adopted child, there will always be a lifelong yearning to belong, to fit in.

My Verdict - I loved this. Having first hand experience of this situation, it had a real resonance for me. The book is broken into three parts, so you read from the birth mothers perspective, the adoptive mother and finally the adoptee. Some points were real tearjerkers. Although it is fiction, it is based on true stories so you find yourself imagining the real people behind the story. If you have ever wanted to read about the true experiences of the adoption process then give this a whirl. 8/10  

Another Man's Treasure by S.W. Hubbard

On a snowy Christmas Eve, a beautiful young mother goes out to buy a few last minute gifts and never returns.......thirty years later, her daughter picks up her trail. As the owner of an estate sale business, Audrey Nealon knows a lot about art, antiques, and the unlikely places old people hide their treasures. But the shabby home of an elderly widow holds alarming surprises: street drugs in the silverware drawer, a trunkful of jewels in the attic, and the distinctive ring Audrey's mother was wearing the night she disappeared. Believing the truth will bring her peace, Audrey relentlessly pursues clues to her family's troubled history. But each fact Audrey uncovers drags her further away from the love she craves, and puts her on a collision course with people more determined, more ambitious, and more dangerous than she can fantom. Ultimately, some truths are too awful to bear, and too terrible to share.

My Verdict - This book had me guessing left right and centre and I was never right! I'm usually pretty good at working out 'who dunnit' before the conclusion, but I didn't get it with this. If you like a bit of action and grit, with the odd dollop of romance, then this shouldn't disappoint. 8/10

Prophecy by Peter James

Non Omnis Moriar - I shall not altogether die. A young boy watches his mother die. Drunk students play with a Ouija board in a damp cellar. A sadistic man dies in agony. Can bricks and mortar retain imprints of the emotions experienced within them? Frannie is delighted when a chance meeting leads to a romance. The fact that the relationship is marred by gruesome tragedies, she dismisses as an unsettling coincidence. But eventually she can no longer ignore the fact that she is the only thing linking these horrible events. Is it a murderous practical joke? or worse...?

My Verdict - I picked this little gem up in Asda for a quid so I was pleasantly surprised. I love books which have some darkness and a bit of the occult about them, something which makes you think. Had a few twists and turns which I didn't see coming and had me on the edge of my seat a few times. Definitely worth the £1 I paid for it! 7/10

So this months reads sure made up for the disappointments of June! Have you been loving any reads this month? 

June through the eyes of a bookworm

Alexandria by John Kaden

Centuries after the collapse of civilization, in a quiet village at the heart of the redwood forest, a tyrannical cult is plotting a massacre. The adults are murdered and the children are stolen away in cages while their homes burn around them. They are taken to the Nezran Temple and taught to be like their captors. The rewards, they are told, will be endless. Two childhood sweethearts, Jack and Lia, must make a vital decision...Should they struggle to fit in...or fight to escape? A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger sets them on an unexpected course. What follows is a wild adventure down the ruins of the old California coast, through wasteland and woodland, as they go searching for the legendary Alexandria. Join them in this dark, apocalyptic saga that sets the rusted gears of history turning again.

My Verdict - such a shame as this book looked like it had much promise to it but for me it just failed to deliver. The story although not badly written was patchy in its plot. Just as I thought it was gearing up to really wow the reader, it just kind of glossed over what I would call major aspects of the story. Sorry to say I was pretty disappointed 4/10

In Loco Parentis by Nigel Bird

Joe Campion is the kind of teacher that any child would want for their class. He's also the kind of teacher that lots of mothers want to have. And some of them do. When he becomes aware of the neglect and abuse suffered by a pupil in his care and witnesses an explosion of rage from the music teacher in the school, he decides the systems in place to deal with such instances aren't fit for purpose. His impulsive nature, dedication to his pupils and his love of women lead him into a chain of events that would cause even the most consummate professional to unravel.

My Verdict - well I thought this was really gonna show a teacher who would go the extra mile to protect a child in his care, instead reading it, I was faced with a psychologically disturbed, drug taking, murdering individual who couldn't keep it in his pants, a little more than unravelling went on here. I wouldn't say Joe Campion is the kind of teacher that I would want teaching my children! At times I felt this book really drifted from reality and I did find myself at times saying out loud "OH COME ON!!!" The second book this month I was disappointed with 4/10

So all in all I was let down with my choices for the month of June, so cheer me up and tell me what has been on your bookshelf this month?