When stone birds fall from the sky no one knows what will happen next. Soon the whole human race is covered in stone with seemingly no way of getting free. 3700 years later a high school student called Taiju has managed to break free from his stone prison. While looking at his surroundings he finds his science loving friend Senku has managed to break free a few months prior. The world they once knew has drastically changed with animals and nature taking over the planet. Senku and Taiju must try to free everyone and with the use of science to rebuild the human race.

Dr Stone is a manga series of which so far there are twenty one volumes. It shows an interesting perspective on what would happen if humans just stopped. Senku uses a lot of science in each volume to produce things that they would need in order for them to keep going. They make things such as explosives, electricity and antibiotics. With each volume we meet new characters who have their own ideas on how the new society should be run.

Dr Stone is very enjoyable as it has a nice blend of excitement, mystery, danger and humour. Being a manga series it allows more development of characters and has a unique way of telling the storyline with the use of speech and thought bubbles as well as the visuality of the facial expressions of the characters.

‘My Fake Rake’ is a humorous book with a strong female lead who prioritises knowledge over getting married.

As the book is set in the early 1800’s most eligible young ladies would be searching for a man to marry however Lady Grace Wyatt is more at home at the public library than in the ballroom.

I enjoyed the reversal of roles from the play ‘Pygmalion’ by George Bernard Shaw. In ‘Pygmalion’ professor Henry Higgins takes the common flower girl Eliza and turns her into a perfect lady of society. In ‘My Fake Rake’ Lady Grace Wyatt turns the bookish and socially shy Sebastian Holloway into a dashing and charismatic rake. The reversal of roles gives power to the female character in a world where she would have little if any.

This book has interesting characters and I am looking forward to learning more about them in the rest of the series.

This is a great book with lovable and relatable characters. Kit Carrington, having spent years running away from his imposing family is forced to return when he becomes Lord Westford and head of the household.

Now forcing to have tea and parties with all the eligible ladies of society Kit encounters the intelligent and managing Genevieve Maitland.

‘A Match for the Rebellious Earl’ is filled with humour and a very enjoyable book to read.

1. The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas

2. The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

3. Persuasion

4. The Accident

5. His Countess for a Week

6. Dr Stone

7. By the Pricking of My Thumbs

8. Anne of Green Gables

9. 4:50 from Paddington

10. Austenland

‘The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas’ is the third book in the Cornish cream tea book series. The first book was a great love story, the second was a struggle to get through but this book was the best of the series.

In a time like this year when families and friends can’t be together you can lose yourself in the warm glow of this book.

Hannah Swan has to go to the Cornish village of Porthgolow just before Christmas for work. She leaves her family and friends behind in Scotland while she works to try and get back home before Christmas Day.

This book has so much to it such as a ghost story, the meaning of friendship and the joy of new love.

‘Some Desperate Glory’ is a combination of biography and poetry. Following the lives and poetry of 11 poets Max Egremont looks at what was happening during each year of the war. Each year of the First World War is accompanied by a short biography of the poets and some of the poetry they had written in that year.
The book overall shows the mortality rate of the war because out of the 11 poets Max Egremont picks only 5 survive the war.
Although the book is interesting it can feel a little disjointed with the jumping back and forth between the poets.

When Mrs McGillicuddy is visiting her friend Miss Marple after doing some shopping she is horrified when she looks out of her train window to see someone getting murdered.

The only thing is when she reports it, no body is found. Enlisting the help of her friend Miss Marple, they are determined to prove that a murder did happen. After signs point to an old family house Jane must get help herself to stop the murderer from striking again.

This is a brilliant story with a small bit of humour and with interesting characters. Miss Eyelesbarrow is an interesting character who is helping Miss Marple throughout the story.

The addition of the two children playing detectives is a stark contrast between a game and the reality of a murderer who is running around.

With a Linwood Barclay book you know you are in for a story full of twists and turns. This one does not disappoint.

When his wife dies in a drunk driving accident Glen Garber is shocked. When he gets told it looks like she was the cause Glen is unable to accept that it was an accident and searches for answers. Very soon he finds himself down a rabbit hole of deceit, blackmail and murder.

The Accident is a fantastic book which you will not want to put down. The chapters are short and quick to read but it is brilliantly written. Barclay knows how to turn the lives of average households upside down and into the world of crime.

The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes are very enjoyable. They consist of four novels and fifty-six short stories. The short stories are around twenty pages long which makes them just enough for enjoying a lovely afternoon read.

The stories range from the simple (The Noble Bachelor) to the most bizarre (The Engineer’s Thumb). Some can even be comical (The Red-Headed League). The Final Problem really tugs at the heart strings as Watson recalls the show down between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. Despite being a fictional character, you can really feel Watson’s emotions whether it is excitement, disbelief or deep in grief. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle really makes you feel for the characters and the cases that get brought to them despite only having twenty pages to convey it all in.

The characters of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are very enjoyable to read. Watson is the narrator of each individual case and although it is meant to have been written after the case has been solved. It is great to see how the case unfolds and the reader only knows new information when Watson knows it allowing for Sherlock’s big reveal at the end. The dynamic between the two works really well. Sherlock brings the knowledge and Watson bring the compassion.

Although Holmes can be abrupt and considered rude, he is not prejudiced between classes and accepts a case on how interesting it is rather then how much money the client has. In the short story The Speckled Band Miss Stoner is unable to pay Holmes until she is married for that is when she comes into her small inheritance. Holmes replies that no reward is needed and any expenses that he occurs during the solving of the case can be paid when Miss Stoner is able to. Holmes takes cases from the government and royalty who have come for his advice. Holmes also gets assistance from time to time from boys off the streets who can go around undetected due to their social background and being largely ignored by the higher classes. He does assist the police and usually gives them the majority if not the full credit of solving the case.

Overall, they are brilliant mysteries that are very enjoyable to read. Some of the novels can be a bit long but shape the story line well.

The Fault In Our Stars is a brilliant book. It’s got humour and sadness all mixed into one.

Hazel is a teenager with cancer. The book follows her through a time in her life when she meets Augustus Waters. Throughout this story you see the harsh realities of life, death and the little things that can keep them going.

It’s a lovely written book and I would recommend it along with a box of tissues. It looks at what cancer can do to relationships and to the mind.

Although it is generally marketed as a book for young adults I feel that it can be for other ages. It is a beautiful but sad story that shows how life can be so important no matter how short.