Recent Reads Reviewed #23

The Girl With the Lost Smile by Miranda Hart - 5/5

I’m an avid fan of Miranda, both the comedian and TV show so I was curious to see if I would enjoy her first children’s book. Some of her other books have been a bit hit and miss for me but the premise of this book sounded like just my sort of thing.

The girl with the lost smile, is a moving story about a girl called Chloe Long who has lost her smile. She is a courageous, positive spirited and imaginative girl. As we step into her world, we discover why she has lost her smile, and with the help of her imagination, she finds hope.

I suppose you could say this book was classed as magical realism, as we learn about Chloe’s magic land and I thought this aspect was beautifully written. Chloe’s journey through the book, was quite emotional from time to time, and found a special place in my heart. One of my favourite reads of 2020 so far!

The Invincibles: The Hamster Rescue by Caryl Hart - 5/5

In this children’s book we meet Nell and Freddie, who are the best of friends. The story cleverly portrays what school children can be like at that age as Nell is invited to two birthday parties on the same day. While Nell is keen to go to Freddie’s birthday, she makes the mistake of turning up at her much more popular classmate’s party. She soon realises she would much rather be spending time with Freddie and his family.

I absolutely loved this book, the storyline felt very current, and the humour was witty. Each of the side characters added something to the story, in particular Nell’s older brother and his band. The book on the whole was fun, and could appeal to many. The yellow and grey two tone illustrations were done well, but the storyline was outstanding.

Colour Me Younger by Veronique Henderson - 4/5

In this book, we learn how to look younger in your 40’s and above through the power of colour. Follow short quizzes to find what colours in clothes and make-up work best for your complexion. I found the advice, to be very well researched, and insightful in many ways. The photography of everyday women, looking there best through clothes and make-up in the right colours was quite inspirational.

I don’t meet the target audience, I’m a little too young, but appreciated what the book has achieved. There’s another book by the same author called Colour Me Beautiful which I think would be more suited to me that I hope to get to.

Hello, Horse by Vivian French - 5/5

I could tell this was going to be a wonderful read as soon I flicked through. The illustrations, using watercolour and pencil are just so beautiful. The story follows a little boy, as he meets Shannon the horse for the first time; he feels nervous around this big animal, but soon realises Shannon is a gentle giant and they become firm friends. I found the story touching, and I think many children after reading will want to go horse riding for the first time too.

Moods of Hadrian's Wall by Tony Hopkins - 4/5

I picked this book up on impulse at my local library, and was so glad I did. Hadrian’s Wall is a Roman defensive wall across northern England, and we follow its history along with atmospheric photographs at different times of the year. It’s more of a coffee table book really, with an image on each page with a small snippet of information.

I did read it cover to cover, and found it a very enjoyable read. There’s a whole series of these books, in which different places in Britain are photographed in different ways according to the weather and mood. I can see myself continuing, and reading a few more.

Handmade Christmas by Unknown - 5/5

Okay so you may think it’s rather early to be planning my Christmas crafts, but I wanted to get a head start, as I always run out of time for things like this. I was looking for a few simple, yet effective projects, and this book provided me with some really helpful ideas.

The projects range from a large variety of mediums: baking, cards, decorations and gifts. I actually already make handmade cards, and found inspiration from those ideas featured. The projects range in difficulty throughout the book, but I appreciated the easy to recreate ones the most.

I was happy to see many of the projects were environmentally friendly, for example, using recyclable gift wrap, and stamping onto it for decoration. The book is beautifully presented, particularly the festive photography.

Paint Yourself Calm by Jean Haines - 5/5

I previously looked at watercolour as being a hobby for the very skilled, but after reading Haines approach of keeping it simple, enjoying colour and the process; I now really want to get into watercolour. Her philosophy is infectious, and I can see this book being a great source of calm with people of all walks of life.

The book teaches us how to be mindful through simple watercolour exercises and some self-help mantras. I’ve not come across something before in that niche that felt this accomplished. It’s a strong contender for one of my favourite non-fiction reads so far this year.

Do you feel inspired to read any of these books?

Do you have any book recommendations for me? :-) Xx