Tishylou's World

  Like so many others, I can't wait to see the back of this year. We've all struggled, we've all been isolated and missing loved ones. Our worlds have been turned upside down and it looks like this is our new normal for the foreseeable future. It sucks, but hopefully it will prove to be worth it. So I won't bang on about our Covid year. I will tell you about MY year.  We began with Dad's funeral early in January, after his passing on December 27th. It wasn't a funeral as such. He wanted no send off but I couldn't quite comply with that. I held a celebration of life for him and it was lovely. Life then carried on as normal for a while. In March, Steve ended up in hospital with what they called a chest infection, but we now believe was actually Covid. He was in for almost 3 weeks but eventually came home to me. Then lockdown began and things changed for everyone. May was the worst month for me. Steve went back in hospital due to his kidneys failing. I was al...

Well, it's that time of year again! My Books of the Year list is here and I'm excited to share it with you! I have read 57 books (as of today, 09/12/20) but there will be at least a couple more to add, I'm sure. Find me on Goodreads to see the full list of books I've read this year. I chose my Top 15 books Plus a few special extras, as I read so many awesome books! 1 5. Pretending - Holly Bourne 14. The Gin O'clock Club - Rosie Blake 13. The Storm - Amanda Jennings 12. Flying Solo - Zoe May 11. Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop - Ali McNamara 10. The Secret Admirer (DI Natalie Ward Book 6) - Carol Wyer 9. Strangers - CL Taylor 8. The Secret Seaside Escape - Heidi Swain 7. In Case You Missed It - Lindsey Kelk 6. My One True North - Milly Johnson 5. My Pear-Shaped Life - Carmel Harrington 4. What We Leave Behind - Anna Mansell 3. Just My Luck - Adele Parks 2. The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke - Caroline Smailes 1. Invisible Girl - Lisa Jewell Favourite N...

Oh I love Brooklyn James! Her books are so full of heart and music and they just sweep you away!  Shelby, Ace and their families are so engaging and captivating that I instantly warmed to them. I wanted the best for all of them, I wanted to know more. I wanted the story to unfold a certain way and I wasn't disappointed. This story is dramatic, sweet, sad, funny and romantic. It's heartbreaking in parts, uplifting in others. Just beautiful! Brooklyn has a way of storytelling that is uniquely hers. The settings and language she uses are perfect and her characters are so believable. It all just leaps off the page and transforms into a movie in front of your eyes. It's truly incredible. Thank you for another gorgeous story, Brooklyn!! 9/10

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for The Boy Between by Amanda Prowse and Josiah Hartley.  What They Say: Bestselling novelist Amanda Prowse knew how to resolve a fictional family crisis. But then her son came to her with a real one… Josiah was nineteen with the world at his feet when things changed. Without warning, the new university student’s mental health deteriorated to the point that he planned his own death. His mother, bestselling author Amanda Prowse, found herself grappling for ways to help him, with no clear sense of where that could be found. This is the book they wish had been there for them during those dark times. Josiah’s situation is not unusual: the statistics on student mental health are terrifying. And he was not the only one suffering; his family was also hijacked by his illness, watching him struggle and fearing the day he might succeed in taking his life. In this book, Josiah and Amanda hope to give a voice to those who suffer, and to show them that help c...

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke by Caroline Smailes! This is my most anticipated book of the year! What They Say: Theodora Quirke has no reason to be merry. It's bad enough that she has to work on Christmas Eve but now there's a drunk bloke dressed as Santa and claiming to be St Nick hanging around outside her flat. Given he's professing to be the giver of Christmas miracles and nearly 2000 years old, she's wary. Things get even more weird when St Nick insists he's there to save Theo. And with the next St Nicholas Day somehow fast approaching, he's even got a plan that'll change her life forever. It all seems pretty straightforward, apart for one awkward fact: Theodora Quirke doesn't actually need saving. #TheodoraQuirke What I Say:   First off, everyone should read Caroline Smailes books! She's incredible and so undervalued as an author. Everyone should know her name.  The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke is ...

Welcome to my stop on the Blog tour for the incredible new novel,  What We Leave Behind by Anna Mansell. What They Say: I magine you get home one day… and waiting for you on your doorstep is a gift. It is wrapped beautifully, and inside is a notebook, its pages empty. There is no message. But its sender has a story to tell. About a secret. About the little girl you once were. About everything you know about your family. The gifts keep arriving. But when tragedy strikes – leaving your beloved only daughter fighting for her life – the person who has been sending the gifts will have no choice but to come forward. And to finally tell the truth… A heartbreakingly beautiful novel about motherhood, loss and family secrets, for fans of Kerry Fisher, Susan Lewis and Jodi Picoult. What I Say:  I am completely at a loss for words! This book is incredible from start to finish! Anna Mansell is so good at this type of novel. Characters that you truly bond with and a gritty, captivating st...

Hi there! I know it's been ages since I've done a personal blog post.      Things have been... weird. I know the whole world has struggled getting used to this new normal and the new measures we have to follow. So many people have lost so much to COVID and my heart breaks for them. And while the virus itself hasn't changed my life very much, this time of lockdowns and self-isolating has been really hard for me too.      When it all first started to change, Steve was taken into hospital with a bunch of different symptoms. COVID wasn't really a thing then, so he wasn't tested for it, but looking back, we're pretty sure that's what it was. While he was in hospital in March, an inspector from the RSPCA came to check on the welfare of our dogs as they'd had a report that Sky, our GSD, was too skinny. She is petite, a slim girl who didn't have a good start in life but is spoilt rotten now, along with our other 2, Bella and Minnie. They had no concerns and ...

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Our Story by Miranda Dickinson!! What They Say: Otty has just landed her dream job. She's about to join the writing team of one of the most respected showrunners in TV. And then the night before her first day, she's evicted from her flat. Joe has been working with Russell for years. He's the best writer on his team, but lately something has been off. He's trying to get his mojo back, but when his flatmate moves out without warning he has other things to worry about. Otty moving into Joe's house seems like the perfect solution to both their problems, but neither is prepared for what happens next. Paired together in the writing room, their obvious chemistry sparks from the page and they are the writing duo to beat. But their relationship off the page is an entirely different story, and neither of them can figure out why. And suddenly the question isn't, will they, or won't they? It's why won't they? ...