The Forgotten Girls by Alexa Steele

Going through the books on my kindle that I haven't read yet (regular readers of my blog will know that I had over 600 books, and am now down to around 500) I decided to read this one yet, not knowing anything about it other than the title.  As has been known to happen on more than one occasion, ahem, I got hooked and ended up buying the rest of the series...

I will insert a Trigger Warning here: the main character of the books works for the Sexual Victims Unit - as such, the theme of these books is sexual violence against girls and women.

The blurb for The Forgotten Girls says:

In an elite suburb of New York City, girls are dying. That doesn’t happen in Greenvale, with its immaculate lawns, exclusive yacht clubs and multi-million dollar mansions. But behind its perfect façade, its trimmed hedges and luxury cars, a darkness lies. Girls, dependent on Adderall, outmaneuver each other to get into top colleges, while the mothers’ need to live vicariously only makes it worse.
Bella DeFranco is one of the Bronx’s top SVU detectives. At only 37, she disarms everyone with her stunning good looks, yet she is as tough as most men—and a lot smarter, too. Yet when is summoned to Greenvale, she finds herself getting lost in a case that even she can’t comprehend. She stumbles into a land of secrets, a place where husbands hide their pasts from their wives, where friends are not what they seem, and where no one wants to know too much. As she digs deeper into layers of suburban dysfunction, she comes to learn that, behind all the fake smiles, there is a subtle violence--rivaling even her crime-ridden streets of the Bronx.
With a killer on the loose, time running out, and a new partner who never recovered from his washed-up alcoholic days, the odds are stacked against Bella. She is determined, though, to save these girls, whatever the cost. Yet as she gets close, the depth of psychosis she discovers shocks even her….

When I read this book, I immediately related to Bella - not least because I also have stunning good looks and am smarter than most men...  No, what I liked was her determination, drive and ambition.  She squirrels away, determine to find the truth and bring justice for the girls.

In the second and third books of the series, the investigations are stand-alone but the character of Bella and her partner Mack develop. You learn that something happened to Bella in her childhood that is the reason why she works so hard for the SVU, but it doesn't go into details.

I read the whole series in less than a week, it was that riveting.  Alexa Steele really knows how to pull you into a story.  You enter their world and get caught up into the lives of the rich and exclusive, and the seedy and violent dark side.  At the end of the 3rd book, it does say that there will be a 4th book at some point. I hope it's soon!

Love Me Darling by Laura Burton

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review

This was my favourite of the Love Me series, not least because it involved all the couples from the previous books, but because Laura is back to her best, writing straightforward cozy romance.

Love Me Darling is a festive romp, in the days leading up to Christmas, between Lottie and Lucas.  Lottie has fancied the pants off Lucas, like, forever, and Lucas has recently started seeing Lottie in a new light, rather than the little kid he has known for years. 

The blurb says:

A short Christmas romance to warm your heart this winter.
Lottie: I hate Christmas.
The LED lights give me a headache.
I can't sing. And I get sick. Every. Single. Year.
This year is the worst. My Nan is practically on her deathbed and has planned for the biggest Christmas party this world has ever seen. Everyone will be there. Lucas Green is invited. My childhood crush. The guy I've been stuck in the friend zone for years. This is my last chance to get him to notice me. But how do I stop looking like an idiot with all the Christmas cheese at every turn?
Lucas: It's the best time of year.
Business is booming.
Ada's about to give birth any day now.
The town is full of cheer. And Lottie is coming home for the holidays.
This is it. The year I finally make a move. Otherwise, I think Ada will kill me. Problem is, every time I see her, my legs turn to jelly and I act like a total idiot. I need to woo her with lots of Christmas surprises. I mean, who doesn't love Christmas? Nothing can go wrong.

An adorable Christmas story including all of the couples from the 'Love Me' series. Laughter, tear-jerking moments and swoon-worthy romance all wrapped up in Christmas gift wrap. A British Christmas romance suitable for all ages.

 As we're coming up to Christmas in real life, I'm feeling all festive anyway, and was looking for an easy-to-read story that will get me in the Christmas spirit, and this was it.  Yes it is predictable, but it all worked out in the end and that is exactly what you want from a book like this.  I love made-for-TV Christmas movies (it's a December tradition that I aim for one a day in the run up to Christmas), and I can easily imagine this story being made into a film.  It would fit right in amongst the other Christmas romances on the small screen.

As always, the story is well written by Laura, and immediately sucks you into their world.  It took me just over 24hours to read the book, which given how busy this time of year is (and by busy I include the time I spend watching Christmas films!) is a testament to the fact I couldn't put it down.  Other than a couple of clunky sentences (which stood out in contrast to the usual high standard of Laura's work), it was very easy to read.

I would recommend to anyone wanting a festive romance this year.  Though it is the conclusion of the Love Me series, it is a stand alone book.  There are some references to the characters from the previous stories, so though you don't have to read them first, to see them in greater depth, read them too!

Weekly Update No49

My weight started to decrease this week!  Well, until I had a binge day on Sunday, and accidentally ate too much today, but the graph is still looking good.

I need to empty the freezers as we're coming up to Christmas, and I have a lot of frozen fruit and veg, so I plan to make smoothies for lunch the next few days.  Even with almond milk (I sometimes make water-based ones, but have some milk to use up), they should be a 'good' number of calories, and filling too.

However, as it is the Christmas season, I have a few meals out, drinks etc planned.  On Friday, there's a Presents and Puddings evening with ladies from my church.  We'll all be round a friend's house, sharing various desserts, and having a Secret Santa gift swap game (where you can 'steal' someone else's present, but similarly, yours can also be 'stolen').  Then Saturday I'm going to London to have lunch (and a few drinks!) with girls from uni.  I last saw them in September, so it'll be good to see them again.

Weekly Update No48

Oooh, it's been a full week since I last posted,  I can't remember the last time that happened (holidays excepting).  Actually, it's been longer, as I'm two days late posting this.  Oh well.

I have kept up tracking for a second week!
My average has stabilised, and my weight has flattened out.  Considering we're coming up to Christmas, and I'm not stopping what I'm eating, it's no bad thing that it has.  Now it's December, I'm watching Christmas films and eating mince pies; enjoying myself, but tracking.

I probably should try and do something to kick-start the weightloss again.  Even if I lose weight one week and stabilise the next, over time I could lose a lot of weight, and that is a good thing.

Weekly Update No47

So, last week I started again (again, again...) and was motivated to change some habits.
The first habit I'm trying to change, rather than my eating, is my tracking.  And, I have kept it up a week - yay!

Ok, a week isn't very long, but it's a start.  And it has had an impact on my weight, which is quite impressive since I haven't modified what I've been eating, and have been out for out for a night with a friends, and a meal out with other friends on a different day.

Looking at the numbers, there's only a kilo or two lost in the extremes, with some daily fluctuation in between, but for zero effort, I'll take that.
Just need to keep it up another week.

The Overcoming Life by D L Moody

D L Moody is one of those names who are renowned for their writings and preaching as an evangelist.  Though I don't know much about him as a person, I know the name is considered one of the greats of olden times (yes, I know so little that before reading the wiki link I had no idea what era he lived in!) and that as a Christian, I should at least read some of his works.

The blurb for says:

Are you an overcomer? Or, are you plagued by little sins that easily beset you? Even worse, are you failing in your Christian walk, but refuse to admit and address it? No Christian can afford to dismiss the call to be an overcomer. The earthly cost is minor; the eternal reward is beyond measure.

Dwight L. Moody is a master at unearthing what ails us. He uses stories and humor to bring to light the essential principles of successful Christian living. Each aspect of overcoming is looked at from a practical and understandable angle. The solution Moody presents for our problems is not religion, rules, or other outward corrections. Instead, he takes us to the heart of the matter and prescribes biblical, God-given remedies for every Christian's life. Get ready to embrace genuine victory for today, and joy for eternity.

This book is very straight-talking.  Moody pulls no punches when talking about sin and how it affects us.  He does use humour and anecdotes to explain and help convey his meaning, so though it is a blunt book, it didn't feel like he was being accusatory or holier-than-thou.

Being written in the 19th Century, it is written in old English, and all Bible references are from the King James Version, so though it is updated, the language isn't.  The other thing that stood out to me, was Moody's damnation of alcohol, and drinking at all.  I'm guessing that is part of the social context, as reading about prohibition on wiki, there was a societal movement against alcohol before prohibition became law in the early 20th century.  As a Christian who does drink alcohol, I don't agree that we need to abstain entirely, but if it is a problem to you as an individual, then it is certainly wise to not drink.

Overall, though, I'm glad I read the book, and am more inclined to read other books by Moody, or other evangelists of the time (eg Spurgeon).

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

I remember this book being read to me in Primary School.  Being sat on the carpet, and the teacher reading a chapter a day.  We'd then have to go away and draw a picture for something we heard.

I was wondering about reading it with DD2, so thought I better read it myself first, in case my mind was playing tricks and there were things that are not suitable.

I needn't have worried.  The 'worst' thing about this book is the language. Not swear words or anything like that, but it being old-fashioned, so may be difficult for a 9yo to understand.

The story itself is just as I remember.  A man called Christian has to travel a long way to get to the Celestial City, and encounters many friends (and foes) along the way.  It isn't an easy route, there is always temptation just around the corner and choices to make.

Normally, at this point in my reviews, I copy and paste the blurb from Amazon.  In this case, different versions (kindle, paperback, hardback, audio etc) have different descriptions! so I am going to combine them in a way that I hope makes sense:

The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been out of print.It has also been cited as the first novel written in English. Bunyan began his work while in the Bedfordshire county prison for violations of the Conventicle Act of 1664, which prohibited the holding of religious services outside the auspices of the established Church of England.

The Pilgrim’s Progress is an engaging allegory of the Christian Life which has instructed and entertained countless adults and children over the past three hundred years.  As befitting a highly imaginative work, its style is simple and accessible.  

The story follows the spiritually tormented Christian on his difficult journey from the sinful City of the Destruction to the the Celestial City and its promise of salvation. Along the way Christian encounters a cast of characters who threaten his progress with temptation, imprisonment, and torture, while also finding support in the fellowship of other pilgrims and his own growing faith. Bunyan’s simple Christian allegory was written to inspire the faithful, but has since been recognized by scholars as a great novel in its own right. 

As I was reading this book, I was reminded of a hymn that was sung during assemblies at Secondary School: He Who Would Valiant Be.  The lyrics are:

He who would valiant be 'gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There's no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound - his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I'll fear not what men say,
I'll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.

 I had a 'duh' moment, when I looked the hymn up (as I couldn't quite remember all the words) and discovered that not only was the hymn written by John Bunyan, it actually appears in Part 2 of the original Pilgrim's Progress.  Learn something new every day!

So yes, I enjoyed this book very much.  Though I read the Youth Version, I think the language is still too difficult for my daughter, so I have since purchased a Children's Version of The Pilgrim's Progress (arriving today!) which may not be as poetic as either the original, it will be understandable for her, and hopefully she'll have some cherished memories of the book too.