Michael Morpurgo: The Butterfly Lion

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again, but it is the butterfly lion which ensures that their friendship will never be forgotten.

Michael Morpurgo is very popular with reading in schools and so I actually wanted to know what his books are about. I had read "Waiting for Anya" a long time ago, but I really enjoyed this story with its twist in the end. It was also lovely to be able to discuss the book with my son.

Sarah Rayner: The Two Week Wait

After a health scare, Brighton-based Lou learns that her time to have a baby is running out. She can’t imagine a future without children, but her partner doesn’t seem to feel the same way. Meanwhile, up in Yorkshire, Cath is longing to start a family with her husband, Rich. No one would be happier to have a child than Rich, but Cath is infertile. Could these two women help each other out?

Some time ago I came across Sarah Rayner's first book and when I discovered that there is another one of hers out, I was keen to get it. The first twenty or so pages I found a little slow, but once the characters were established the storyline really was gripping. I could empathise with all the characters. I also enjoyed the fact that some characters of the previous book were brought into this story. An easy escapist read with feeling....

J L Carrell: The Shakespeare Curse

A brutally murdered body is discovered on a remote Scottish hillside - with a mysterious ancient knife beside it. The victim was a beautiful young woman, throat slashed by an unknown assailant. The circumstances of the murder suggest ancient Pagan sacrifice. Then a trench on that same hill is found filled with blood. The shocking discoveries all seem to be linked by the ancient curse of Macbeth. From the streets of New York to the twisting corridors of Hampton Court Palace to a remote loch in the Scottish Highlands, the race is on to stop a deadly modern serial killer who will do anything to uncover priceless ancient treasures....

Having read the Shakespeare Secret I was looking forward to this book, too. However, I found the storyline by far more confusing and less plausible than the Secret. I was a little disappointed with it, and if there ever is a third book I will probably not stick with it to the very end.