Saturday 17 March 2018

Dancing feet by Tabitha Ormiston-smith

If read a few novels and shorts by this author and I do like her easy and entertaining style. She does write a female character well and this short is no exception. Unlike some of her other work this one is aimed at young adults. As it is the reworking of the fairy tale Cinderella it would suit the younger YA too. 5 stars



This reworking of the Cinderella story is a fun, modern, YA short. Ashley is a plucky heroine who always sees the good in people despite being treated appallingly by her new stepmother. She is single minded in her desire to go to the Melbourne dance academy. When one dream is shattered she picks herself up and explores another avenue, helped along by her fairy godmother in the shape of a big hairy Deer hound. Recommended.

Friday 16 March 2018

Book review of two horror shorts



This time you’re getting two reviews for the price of one. Both horror shorts and both excellent, with a good blend of gore and comedy. And both by women writers.  


Christ on a Bike! by D.J. Doyle

I loved the title of this book; Christ on a bike. It is an expression which is used a lot around the British Isles. I liked that the Irish writer has used her native language throughout and has created some great characters. It reminded me somewhat of ‘Father Ted’ with its flawed priests and the use of the word ‘feck’. It was a series I loved and I rather liked this book too. Tense horror, but also very funny.




Necrozmancy: A Short Horror Story by Lucretia Stanhope


This one was a horror reworking of the wizard of Oz. All the characters were there but Dorothy has a knack of raising the dead, aided by her familiar Toto. The bringing to life of a squirrel was as funny as it was gory. Some strong language which I didn’t mind as it fitted with the story. Witty, gory and strictly for an adult reader.

Wednesday 14 March 2018

The English Sombrero: The Little White Ball by Doug Goddard and Anthony Randall

It's been a while since I've read the fist book in the series; Nothing to do but run. But it certainly was a book that stayed on my mind and I wanted to go back to. Second books are always difficult, the writing in the follow up was good and the dialogue funny, but I found myself a bit less engaged with the story. Maybe because I'm not a mad football fan and used to run myself. Maybe it was a dislike for people throwing money about. Anyhoo a 4 star plus.



I loved the first book in the English Sombrero series, where we met the brash but lovable character of Don Simmons. There he set himself the seemingly unattainable task of running the marathon. Here he buys, after a rather large windfall, a struggling non-league football club. Armed with a squad of semi-professional no hopers he sets out to win the FA cup; the highest price in English football. You have to love and admire Don as he sets about building a winning squad, deals with the press and the football authorities. Don is a self-made man who does things in his own way, which wins him as many friends as enemies. I still found this book hugely entertaining and some of the problem solving inspired. Where it lost me a little was that it was just a bit too beyond the realms of possibilities and that a lot of the problems were solved by just throwing huge amounts of money at it. Would I read the third book if it was released? I probably would and if the writer is in the process, I’d say to make it more about personal struggle and less about the money. Well written and great fun, especially if you like English football.