Tink's Book Reviews

Amelia and her friends are taking part in a competition to visit Pumpkin Paradise Park – the most bloodcurding theme park ever! All they have to do is sell as many cookies as possible. But the creatures of Nocturnia have begun to act stranger than usual . . . Amelia and friends are back at it again and on a wild adventure!  When a new teacher arrives at Catacomb Academy, the gang can't wait to get started on their new cooking classes, apart from Grimaldi and Florence - they think something isn't right, though they can't place their fingers on what it could be!  Though Amelia's friends and family can't remember her name, or theirs for that matter! What's even odder is that not a single one of them remembered Amelia's birthday party - they never forget!  Soon the gang are on a mission to find out, just what is happening with everyone losing their marbles, before it's too late and they can't even remember their own names too!  Amelia Fang & The Memo...

Pete Riley answers the door one morning to a parent's worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, who breaks the devastating news that Pete's two-year-old, Theo, isn't Pete's real son - their babies got mixed up at birth.  The two families - Pete, his partner Maddie, and Miles and his wife Lucy - agree that, rather than swap the boys back, they'll try to find a more flexible way to share their children's lives. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an investigation that unearths disturbing questions about just what happened the day the babies were switched. What could be your worst nightmare as a parent? Your child getting hurt? Them not having any friends? Or perhaps, someone telling you that your own child, who you have given birth to and loved, isn't actually yours? Theo had a traumatic entrance into the world, one that Pete and Maddie will never forget, but nothing trumps Miles Lambert showing up at their home with a private investigator and sa...

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. A weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. Alina knows no fury, she has become Sankta Alina - but at what cost?  To free Ravka and all other borders, she must fight to survive, even if it's against a former lover, to save the current one from ruin.   The Darkling will stop at nothing to find the remaining firebird and leave no one standing in his path.   She will get the last remaining amplifier, fight the strongest man in Ravka, even if it means losing the ones she holds so dear. Before it's too late. Though what if the amplifier has been under her nose the entire time?  As A...

Being a sex goddess should be my dream come true—as much sex as I want, with magic powers to heal people, too. Until I realize the enormously strong human I desire most is completely off-limits. My people will put me in prison if I’m caught with a human. But one encounter together leaves me panting for more. So I kidnap him and take him to an alien sex retreat. I soon discover not only is my big strong human a virgin, his bio-engineering might have made him the largest person I’ve ever seen, but also it made him unable to feel any sensation on his skin. Niva has a magic gift, she is the holder of the Exstare. A rare and and strong power that gives the her ability to heal her people in time of need, through Sex.  Graven shouldn't even be on the planet. He escaped the clutches of the dreaded and evil Ten Systems, a system strong enough to wipe out Niva's people. He should know, he was tested and made just for the purpose, but he fled.  Graven can't keep away from Niva, she...

This is the story of how a tall, shy youth from Weston-super-Mare went on to become a self-confessed legend. En route, John Cleese describes his nerve-racking first public appearance, at St Peter’s Preparatory School at the age of eight and five-sixths; his endlessly peripatetic home life with parents who seemed incapable of staying in any house for longer than six months; his first experiences in the world of work as a teacher who knew nothing about the subjects he was expected to teach; his hamster-owning days at Cambridge; and his first encounter with the man who would be his writing partner for over two decades, Graham Chapman.  Punctuated from time to time with John Cleese’s thoughts on topics as diverse as the nature of comedy, the relative merits of cricket and waterskiing, and the importance of knowing the dates of all the kings and queens of England, this is a masterly performance by a former schoolmaster.   "This is an ex-parrot!" National Treasure and comedian John...

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long. Meanwhile, The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. Alina is free from The Darkling, and new life with Mal in an unfamiliar town seems to be working. Though news has spread of her new gift, she just needs to find a way to keep it under wraps.  Soon Alina and Mal find themselves back aboard a ship on their way to Os Alta, much to their disapproval. The rumours say he has returned, though he is not the man Alina once knew, he has changed and not for the better.   With the fate of the Kingdom in the balance, Alina must find a way to keep everyone safe, have Mal by her side bu...

I’m Sterling Sparrow, kingpin of Chicago. I rule the world you see and the one good people pretend they don’t. Nearly two decades ago, my father showed me a photograph—a girl with golden hair and light brown eyes—and told me that one day, if I proved myself, the girl would be mine. Seasons turn to years and years pass. Chicago is now mine. It is time to claim my queen. Araneae has been living in secret all of her adult life, from the clutches of a man and one man only, Stirling Sparrow. With no idea's on why she was forced out of the country by her own mother with the name of a strange man, Araneae must now try to piece together the clues she's been given even if the clues lead to memories she'd rather forget.  Stirling has had his eyes on Araneae for a very long time, he knows what he wants and he certainly knows how to get it. Though trying to convince Araneae this is a  little tricky. She's smart, independent and incredibly sexy - Is there more than...

Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people—whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee—instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams. I'll be honest, 'Girl, Stop Apologising' is a book that I didn't know I needed in this Lockdown garbage at the moment. But I did need it and I'm so glad I read it.   Hollis goes into all the nitty gritty on how you may be feeling, want to start a new business prospect or even just a hobby but don't know where to start? How about de-cluttering your mind or those pesky 'To Do' Lists? Or maybe even wanting to just have a bit more control on your life at t...

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free.  Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Alina Starkov isn't your average girl, she's a mapmaker for the Second Army. With her best and only friend Mal by her side, nothing can go wrong.  Until they venture into the Unsea, a place where few have returned, but when their ship is doomed and they somehow find their way home. The only person they have to thank is Alina, and her hidden gift.   Soon her old life is quickly taken away from her when she is thrust into the unknown world of the Grisha. But with the watchful eye on her from the beautiful Darkling, can Alina really be the hope for all...

Amelia Fang is the biggest hearted vampiress you'll ever meet. In this adventure, she and her friends Florence the yeti (DON'T CALL HER BEAST), Grimaldi the Death and Prince Tangine (reformed spoiled sprout), along with her pet pumpkin Squashy, must brave the journey to the terrifying Kingdom of the Light to try to find Tangine's missing mother, Queen Fairyweather. Amelia and her friends are back in a glitter filled adventure. When Amelia, Florence and Grimaldi find out about Tangine's missing mother, the gang head out on a quest to find Fairweather. Though there's just one catch, they need to venture to the scary world of The Kingdom of Light.   But when they arrive, something doesn't seem right and it certainly doesn't sit well with the little vampire. Once more,  the friends aren't used to the sun being up, let alone the glitter, unicorns, bunnies and sugar.  With time running out to save Fairyweather, the gang must find ...

Wealthy students from across the galaxy come to learn at the prestigious academy where Hugo toils as a watchmaker. But he is one of the lucky ones.  Many androids like him are jobless and homeless. Someone like Dorian could never understand their struggle - or so Hugo thinks when the pompous duke comes banging at his door.  When Dorian bursts through Hugo's attire space, demanding that he fix time travel watch. Hugo thinks it will be just another normal day in his mundane, android life.  However, when he starts takes a look at the watch, Hugo soon realises that something isn't right, and it's certainly not good.  With the surprising help from Dorian, both android and human must overcome their differences and embark on a journey to uncover who is breaking the watches and why, but it doesn't come  without a cost.  Oh, they also need to save the planet in the process.  The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James , is the first in a se...

Never stay out after the Switching Hour... never let the outside in... Amaya lives with her grandmother, her small brother Kaleb and her pet goat in a land suffering a terrible drought. Every night, the doors must be locked after twilight, the Switching Hour, because the drought has awoken Badeko, a creature that snatches people away to eat their dreams. The rules is simple; never go out after The Switching Hour, never let the Badeko in and never under any circumstances, leave the door unlocked. Amaya just did all three. When Amaya forgets to lock the door one night, her younger brother Kaleb soon goes missing and the only 'thing' that has taken him is the Badeko - The creature who feeds off children's dreams. Amaya must go on a quest to find Kaleb, but it doesn't come without a price. Leaving her home and her only remaining family behind, she must face the dark and mysterious world alone, apart from her pet goat Tau. With the heat of the sun, a stranger...

1945. They have survived the Blitz, but when Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry step through a mysterious library door, it is the beginning of their most dangerous adventure yet. They discover the magical world of Folio, where an enchanted kingdom of fairy knights, bears and tree gods is under threat from a sinister robot army. The many stories of the Library are locked in eternal war, and the children's only hope is to find their creator - a magician who has been lost for centuries. What they discover will change not just their own lives, but the fate of the world, for ever... When four siblings venture to a library through the attic door of an old country home, they can't believe what they're seeing.  Simon, Patricia, Evie and Larry have come to Hatfield Hall to live over the school holidays after the most recent war.  Though none of the children envisioned getting caught up in a war of their own, especially a war between robots, bears and other mythical creature...

Meet Amelia Fang. She loves playing Goblin Tag and cuddling her pet pumpkin, Squashy. She hates going to her mum and dad's boring Barbaric Ball. Oh, and one more thing - Amelia is a Vampire .  When the spoilt prince of Nocturnia captures Squashy, Amelia must plan a daring rescue. But things in the Kingdom of the Dark may not be all they seem... It's time for the annual Barbaric Ball again and for the young vampire, Amelia Fang. It's the worst time of year! Though when there's talk of a new boy starting school and not just any boy, but Price Tangine, Amelia and her friends can't wait to meet him. Though not all is what it seems. He's rude, unpleasant and a downright spoilt sprout. But when Amelia's pet pumpkin, Squashy is stolen away from her, the little vampire has an idea on who may be behind it. Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball by Laura Ellen Anderson , is the first book in the Amelia Fang children's series and I loved it so much. I feel ...

Miranda is thrilled when she meets Greg at a cocktail party. He's gorgeous, he's funny - and he's very keen. Just what a girl needs to put some sparkle in her life. Heavens, he's practically perfect! Greg likes Miranda a lot. She's young, she's pretty, and she never talks about babies.  Of course he hasn't told her everything about himself - even the sweetest girls can be a bit funny about a man who's just left his newly pregnant wife. But there's no way she's going to find out - or is there? Miranda can't believe her luck when she gets stopped by a homeless man. She's already late for work, has forgotten her lunch and in desperate need of a sit down. But here she is promising a sandwich to the local man whilst standing in the pouring rain, could her day get any worse?  Chloe is on cloud nine. She's madly in love with her husband Greg and she's about to tell him that they're expecting their first child. Greg isn't ...

The Fen is a liminal land. Real people live their lives here. They wrestle with sex and desire, with everyday routine. But the wild is always close at hand, ready to erupt. This is a place where animals and people commingle and fuse, where curious metamorphoses take place, where myth and dark magic still linger. So here a teenager may starve herself into the shape of an eel. A house might fall in love with a girl. A woman might give birth to a, well, what? In a town, where a girl wastes away into something peculiar. A woman gives birth to something inhumane yet feral. Where one woman wrestles with the conspiracy theories and prophecies of her fisherman husband, and where a young girl becomes infatuated with a wall - is anything reality for much longer? Where hope, fear, love and sexual desire all become mingled into one. Where life ceases to live and hardly exist at the same time. Where chaos and beautiful, wonderful things come together as one, and then nothing all at the same...

We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python - from the  Flying Circus  to  The Meaning of Life .  Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. "Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it. Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true" We all know him, wether it be from The Life of Brian, The Holy Grail or plain old Python sketches. He has become somewhat of a national treasure, Eric Idle, in his own words.   From a young boy growing up in boarding school, to a cheeky teen doing as he pleases and finally, to one of the most well known comedic's in British history and member of the well loved Monty Python.  Written and narrated by the Python himself (which makes it ten times better)  Alw...