BLOG TOUR: All Feathers and Hats: Rookscroft - Book One - Jayne Siroshton

It began one morning in late summer, when a pheasant appeared at my studio window. At first, I was startled - "but my surprise quickly turned to delight when I noticed he was wearing a top hat, pulled down quite low.

I hurried to the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of him as he fled. But to my astonishment, when I opened it, he was standing there on the mat. There was a pause. He looked me over, blinked - and then, he began to speak.

He introduced himself as Vernon Cotterill and asked if I would be willing to paint his portrait, an offer I joyfully accepted, and that, my friends, is how this whole adventure began.

 

What did I think?

What an absolutely delightful book!  All Feathers and Hats is an illustrated book that is aimed at readers aged 6 to adult and it's a book that everyone will enjoy.  If you think it looks stunning from the outside, just wait until you see inside.  The illustrations are exquisite and they seem to capture the very essence of the characters themselves.

Jayne Siroshton has both imaginatively written and beautifully illustrated the book showing there is no end to her creative talent.  Jayne is also a character in the book which adds an air of authenticity and makes you believe that it could be real...if you believe in talking animals of course and who doesn't?

Vernon Cotterill, a hat wearing pheasant, appears at Jayne's door one day asking her to paint his portrait.  Vernon is so pleased with the result that it isn't long before other animals are appearing at Jayne's door.  As well as lots of fun elements to the story, there's also a sprinkling of romance that is simply lovely.

All Feathers and Hats has the feel of a timeless, ageless classic and it's the first book in a series so there are more delightful tales to come.  Jayne Siroshton reminds me of a modern-day Enid Blyton and I wouldn't be surprised to find Rookscroft books on myriad bookshelves for many years to come.

A very highly recommended read for readers of all ages.  I certainly plan to read it again and it is going straight onto my favourites shelf. 

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the Love Books Tours blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Love Forever Lindisfarne - Kimberley Adams

Take a summer break to stunning Northumberland via the pages of this feel-good romantic comedy by award winning writer Kimberley Adams. Full of love and laughter, it will leave you yearning to visit this iconic location in person!

When a stranger appears in the middle of a very important celebration, no one can foresee the island connections that will later come to light. Kittiwake Penaluna is drawn to the island at a sad time in her life; she’s broken, but it doesn’t take long for the islanders to rally round and take her under their wing.

Ellie and Zen are busier than they’ve ever been, jumping from task to task with little time for themselves. Will they ever find a moment together away from all the drama that constantly follows them around the island?

The forthcoming arrival of nine new mini animals puts even more pressure on the islanders, but Bert is resolute, and it’s all hands to the pump to prepare for their arrival. The Mini-Fest fundraiser gets off to a great start, until a despised face from the past appears and throws everything into chaos.

Full of heart, Love Forever Lindisfarne is a story steeped in love and community. You'll reunite with beloved characters who feel like old friends and meet a few lively newcomers with big personalities! Each page will pull you deeper into island life and leave you with a wide smile and a warm glow!

 

What did I think?

I love Kimberley Adams' Lindisfarne books and couldn't wait for the tide to go out so I could cross over to my favourite island once again.  Love Forever Lindisfarne is my third virtual visit to Lindisfarne (although I am lucky enough to have previously visited it in real life) and whilst it can be read as a standalone, the whole series is brilliant and it brings so much more to this book when you have read the others.

It's like catching up with old friends when I opened the first page of Love Forever Lindisfarne and how I loved to read about Ellie and Zen, Bert and Meg and the menagerie of animals that is about to grow a lot bigger.  Those 'little hairy coos' on the front cover melted my heart before I even read about them in the book.  I've also got to take a moment to draw your attention to the stunning cover created by Sarah Farooqi and the Northumberland flag on Zen's top is a lovely touch.

Community spirit plays a huge part in the Love Lindisfarne books but it is even stronger and more evident in Love Forever Lindisfarne.  Not only does the community come together to rescue some new animals, but they also open their hearts to a visitor who is feeling very lost and lonely.  Awww man, I just loved Kittiwake and how the villagers all rally round to make her feel welcome and loved.

Love Forever Lindisfarne is the loveliest and most heartfelt love letter to Northumberland you will ever read.  There's lots of love and laughter sprinkled throughout this cracking book like magical Northumberland fairy dust.  I think everyone will want to visit Holy Island after reading these books and I can honestly say that it is as breathtaking as Kimberley Adams paints it with her beautiful words (just watch out for the tides).  Very highly recommended; unforgettable and unmissable!

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

Kim writes heartwarming romantic comedies which are set in glorious Northumberland on the iconic Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Kim is an award-winning writer and her books are amongst the highest rated romcoms on Amazon. Kim’s beautiful book covers are bespoke artwork by a Northumbrian artist and a representation of a scene within the book!

FACEBOOK Kimberley Adams-Writer or Love Lindisfarne
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INSTAGRAM love_lindisfarne

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Three Bags Full - Leonie Swann

On a hillside near the quaint Irish village of Glennkill, the flock gathers around the dead body of their shepherd, George, who lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George cared deeply for the sheep, reading to them daily, and as a result they are far smarter than your average flock.

Led by Miss Maple, the sharpest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George's killer. With an assortment of woolly investigators on the case, there are furtive missions into the village and a collection of two-legged suspects to chew over.

Dazzingly original, Three Bags Full introduces a band of detectives who are a breed apart.

What did I think?

As soon as I heard that Hugh Jackman was starring in Three Bags Full, a movie about sheep detectives, I just had to read the book that the film is based on and it is every bit as fun and unique as I thought it would be.

I do love a cast of characters in a book and Three Bags Full starts with a 'dramatis oves' to introduce the reader to all of the sheep characters in the book.  I loved this - it adds an element of fun to the book but also reminds us that animals have their own quirks and characteristics too.

The flock love George their shepherd, who reads to them every night and has promised them a trip to Europe, so they are completely distraught to find him dead one day.  There are lots of clues for them to follow to identify the murderer, starting with the spade that has been stuck in him and the hoofprint on his chest.  When the villagers gather round, they don't realise that the sheep are listening...

Oh I did enjoy this book, it is so much fun and I loved all of the sheep characters.  The sheep don't think like humans so I did sometimes struggle with what on earth they were talking about and I still don't know what 'the thing' is but I've had fun trying to work it out.  The mystery of George's death is very well plotted and I would never have worked it out in a million years, so well played Leonie Swann, well played indeed.

Highly original and impossible to predict, Three Bags Full is an unusual, fun and surprising murder mystery.  If you love cosy mysteries and you're looking for something different to read then I would highly recommend Three Bags Full.  I can't wait to see the movie now, even though I know whodunnit.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Read the book before you see the film and buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

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BLOG TOUR: Love Lindisfarne - Kimberley Adams

LOVE LINDISFARNE…Take a Christmas trip to magical Northumberland and find love amongst the stars in this feel-good novel, which will transport you to iconic Holy Island where dreams really can come true!

Dumped at the office Christmas party, Ellie is about to vent her spleen on social media when a photo of a cute little dog advertising a charity catches her eye. Her world suddenly changes dramatically when she is offered a month’s stay in Northumberland to help look after rescue animals.

Ellie isn’t too sure where Northumberland is, but accepts, eager to start a new life away from London. Her destination is Lindisfarne, and her arrival on the small island in the North Sea is terrifying, fearing for her life on the causeway as the tide comes crashing in.

Ellie finds herself living in a hilltop castle, and far from the cats and dogs she expected she would be looking after, she is faced with all kinds of furry and feathery animals - and she doesn’t have a clue about any of them!

Welcomed to island life by the warm-hearted residents, she quickly embraces living in this special place, and from the moment she spots the mesmerising Zen with the gorgeous coffee bean eyes, her plans to stay single and mingle begin to fade fast.

Thanks to a severe storm, Lindisfarne is cut off from the mainland, and the islanders work together to salvage the planned Christmas events. Ellie is kept so busy that she hasn’t much time to think about her future when her time on the island ends.

Will the universe give Ellie its blessing? Will she find her happy ever after on the enchanting island of Lindisfarne? If it’s in the stars, then it’s in the stars…

 

What did I think?

Love Lindisfarne is an absolute joy to read; it's like a romcom coupled with a visitors' guide to Holy Island and I loved every second of my virtual visit to Northumberland.  Although Northumberland is actually on my doorstep so I could just as easily go there in real life too and Holy Island certainly beckons after reading this fabulous book.

Ellie is very brave to up sticks from her life (and her amazing friends) in London and venture north to Lindisfarne to help look after a collection of hilariously named animals.  The names of the animals still have me giggling but I'm not going to share them as they're best discovered for yourself.  I'm surprised my kindle wasn't feeling hot with the amount of welcoming warmth and community spirit that's woven into the story.

Of course Ellie didn't plan to fall in love but Zen is her knight in a campervan who rescues her from the incoming tide on the causeway.  Silly Ellie didn't realise Lindisfarne was an island that's cut off twice a day at high tide.  Both Ellie and Zen have been hurt in the past so it was lovely to see their relationship develop from a firm foundation of friendship.

Funny, festive and romantic, Love Lindisfarne is as warm as it is witty and I feel rather bereft now that I have left the characters behind on the island.  There's only one thing for it...I'll just have to read the book again soon.  It's a hugely entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable read that I really can't recommend highly enough.  I loved it so much that I've already bought a paperback to place on my favourites shelf.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Purchase links:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

Kim might be new on the writing block, but she was first published as a teenager writing happy ever after stories for other teens! She progressed to women's magazines before life and work got in the way. Kim began writing again seriously a few years ago and during that relatively short time has won and been placed in several well-known writing competitions. Love Lindisfarne started off life being shortlisted by Penguin Michael Joseph which gave Kim the impetus to finish it, and Kim turned down the opportunity of traditional publishing because she wanted to keep the cover and content she had dreamed of since the book's concept!  

Like buses that take forever then two come along at once, Kim will also be traditionally published this year too, with just one month between the books. Kim was a finalist in this year's Comedy Women in Print competition, and her prize was to see her work (this time based in Newcastle) in the Book of Witty Women to be published by Farrago in September.

Social Media links:

Twitter:  @kim_adamsWriter 

Instagram: @love_lindisfarne 

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Taking Flight: The Evolutionary Story of Life on the Wing - Lev Parikian

This is the miracle of flight as you’ve never seen it before: the evolutionary story of life on the wing.

A bird flits overhead. It’s an everyday occurrence, repeated hundreds, thousands, millions of times daily by creatures across the world. It’s something so normal, so entirely taken for granted, that sometimes we forget how extraordinary it is. But take that in for a moment. This animal flies. It. Flies. The miracle of flight has evolved in hugely diverse ways, with countless variations of flapping and gliding, hovering and diving, murmurating and migrating.

Conjuring lost worlds, ancient species and ever-shifting ecologies, this exhilarating new book is a mesmerising encounter with fourteen flying species: from the first fluttering insect of 300 million years ago to the crested pterosaurs of the Mesozoic Era, from hummingbirds that co-evolved with rainforest flowers to the wonders of dragonfly, albatross, pipistrelle and monarch butterfly with which we share the planet today.

Taking Flight is a mind-expanding feat of the imagination, a close encounter with flight in its myriad forms, urging us to look up and drink in the spectacle of these gravity-defying marvels that continue to shape life on Earth.

 

What did I think?

Taking Flight is as stunning on the inside as it is on the outside; the cover actually shimmers with the image of a mayfly spread over the front and back cover.  I think it is one of the most accessible and enjoyable non-fiction books I have ever read.  Lev Parikian could be a comedian; I don't think I have ever laughed so much when reading and I'm including humorous books in that statement.

There is a lot of information covered in the 14 chapters and it's a book you could dip in and out of, but it is so entertaining to read (especially the hilarious footnotes) that I couldn't help but read 'just one more chapter'.  I learned so much about flight and I have never felt more insignificant as a human being when reading about these fascinating species.

The chapters cover: mayfly, dragonfly, beetle, fly, bee, butterfly, pterosaur, archaeopteryx, penguin, goose, hummingbird, albatross, pigeon and bat.  Every single chapter is fascinating and I learned something new in each one from the amazing journey of the butterfly to the best way to catch a fly (it really works - thanks, Lev!).

Informative, entertaining and engrossing, Taking Flight is simply magnificent and I can't recommend it highly enough.  It's an easy five stars and it's a book that is going on my 'to be read again' shelf, which doesn't happen often with non-fiction.  

Many thanks to Elliott & Thompson for sending me a beautiful hardback that I chose to read; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Needlemouse - Jane O'Connor

Time to come out of hibernation...

Sylvia Penton has been hibernating for years, it's no wonder she's a little prickly...

Sylvia lives alone, dedicating herself to her job at the local university. On weekends, she helps out at a local hedgehog sanctuary because it gives her something to talk about on Mondays - and it makes people think she's nicer than she is.

Only Sylvia has a secret: she's been in love with her boss, Professor Lomax, for over a decade now, and she's sure he's just waiting for the right time to leave his wife. Meanwhile she stores every crumb of his affection and covertly makes trouble for anyone she feels gets in his way.

But when a bright new PhD candidate catches the Professor’s eye, Sylvia’s dreams of the fairy tale ending she has craved for so long, are soon in tatters, driving her to increasingly desperate measures and an uncertain future. 

Sylvia might have been sleep walking through her life but things are about to change now she’s woken up…

What did I think?

To say Sylvia Penton, the protagonist of Needlemouse, is prickly would be an absolutely massive understatement.  What amazes me is how Jane O'Connor manages to get the reader to open their hearts to Sylvia when in reality if we came within 10 yards of her precious 'Prof' we would get the cold shoulder and the death stare from her.

I really wanted to give Sylvia a stern talking to; wasting her life mooning over her boss and thinking that they were meant to be together.  It's almost like she is a love struck teenager and I suppose she is quite innocent and inexperienced in matters of the heart.  As her story unfolds, it is quite heartbreaking at times as it appears that life has passed her by and people have taken advantage of her.  At one stage she talks about 'normal people' with 'proper lives' as if there is something wrong with her because she is a single 52 year old woman.  There's nothing wrong with being single but, having met the love of my life in my mid-forties, I know that it's never too late for love.

Jane O'Connor completely hit the nail on the head with Sylvia's character being shocked at children who were now grown up; there's something about being single that seems to make time stand still.  It's almost like you are still a youngster yourself and you can't believe that the 2 year old little girl that you use to babysit is now a grown woman with a family of her own.  It's amazing how many times this has happened to me and I still continue to be gobsmacked when I find out people's ages...how can they be 40 when I'm just a young whippersnapper...oh wait a minute!

Although Sylvia would rather stay indoors with a good book (I mean, who wouldn't?) she volunteers at a hedgehog sanctuary.  She initially volunteered to make people think she is nicer than she is but she is thought of as part of the family by Jonas and his daughters.  I think amongst her prickly friends at the sanctuary, Sylvia can be who she really is and we soon see her soft underside.  Many years ago, we had a hedgehog nest in the garden and I've been a fan of these strange creatures of the night ever since, so I really liked the seasonal updates from Jonas' book 'The Hedgehog Year', reminding us to be careful when raking piles of leaves or digging under sheds.  Needlemouse is actually the Japanese term for a hedgehog and I loved how the use of this word came about in the book.

Needlemouse is an absolutely stunning and completely flawless debut; it's both a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of life, love, family and friendship and a reminder that it's never too late to start living.  I am in no doubt at all that this book is going to be a HUGE success.  Fans of Eleanor Oliphant definitely need Sylvia Penton in their lives!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Click below to buy it from Amazon:
Needlemouse: The uplifting bestseller featuring the most unlikely heroine of 2019



About the author:

Jane O'Connor is a former primary school teacher turned academic and writer. She was born and brought up in Surrey and lived in London until she moved to the West Midlands in her mid-thirties. Jane's PhD was about child stars and she is now a Reader at Birmingham City University where she researches children's experiences of celebrity, media and everyday life. Jane lives in Sutton Coldfield with her husband and two young sons in a house full of pirates, dinosaurs, superheroes and lots of books. She really likes all animals, especially hedgehogs. Needlemouse is her debut novel.

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Nici's Christmas Tale: A Troubadours short story (The Troubadours Quartet Book 5) - Jean Gill

A stand-alone short story in the multi-award-winning Troubadours Quartet series

1157: Aquitaine. The wolves are coming! At midnight on Christmas Eve, while the blizzard blasts snow through every crack in the castle walls, Nici the Shepherd's Dog stands guard in the sheepfold.

Beside him as usual are his pack and the flock they protect but this night is not usual at all. A small boy braves the snowy night, seeking the protection of his great friend while he is banned from his parents' quarters in the castle.

Nici recalls other times and other dangers, his trials and failures, the reasons why he ran away with a young girl, now the little boy's mother. He would still give his life in a heartbeat for Lady Estela. And yet, on this snowy night, he cannot help her. So, while he waits and comforts Estela's son, he tells his own puppies the story of a dog's life.

What did I think?

What better book to get me in the mood for Christmas than a festive short story from Jean Gill's fantastic Troubadours series.  Jean Gill has such an amazing talent for transporting the reader back in time to the the 12th century and what better hero for this story than Nici, a beautiful white dog, who has been at Estela's side throughout the series.  I have read all of the previous books but this reads so well as a stand-alone that you can most definitely jump into the series at this stage. 

The opening paragraphs gave me goosebumps with their resemblance to the biblical story of Christmas and I could feel the magic in the air as our loyal and brave canine friend, Nici, was finally given a voice.  Through Nici's strong and powerful voice we learn how he came to be by Estela's side, with Estela's own story having a fairytale edge that reminded me of Snow White.  Both of these resemblances gave the story such a magical feel that I forgot that I was listening to a dog's story, although being a Troubadours fan I know that Nici is not just any old dog.

I'm not usually a fan of short stories but Jean Gill has won me over with this perfect length story that gives us a glimpse into the history of Estela and Nici in what I think of as a prequel to Song at Dawn.  This is a book for historical fiction fans and animal lovers alike but I do urge you to pick up the previous books in the series for the full 12th century experience.

From its beautiful festive cover to the magical story inside, Nici's Christmas Tale charms and delights, making it the perfect read for the festive season.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Dan Knew - F.J. Curlew

A puppy born to the dangers of street life. A woman in trouble. An unbreakable bond.

A Ukrainian street dog is rescued from certain death by an expat family. As he travels to new countries with them a darkness grows and he finds himself narrating more than just his story. More than a dog story. Ultimately it's a story of escape and survival but maybe not his.

The world through Wee Dan's eyes in a voice that will stay with you long after you turn that last page.

The animals in this book are all real, as are their stories. The people's names have been changed to protect their privacy. Fact or fiction? Well, dogs can't talk, can they?

What did I think?

I've read a lot of books in my time from many different perspectives, but never from that of a dog.  Of course, we welcome dogs into our families and they often become our very best friend, so wouldn't it be lovely to hear what they were thinking?  Wonder no more, as we get into the head of a tough, but cautious, little guy as he finds his feet in the world and becomes a beloved member of a slightly unconventional family.

As a puppy, Dan is separated from his mother and siblings when they are captured by a dog catcher.  Dan remains hidden and escapes the searching eyes of the dog catcher, but is left alone, hungry and scared.  When he goes out searching for food, he is picked up by a human after he wanders into the path of an approaching car.  He is taken home and welcomed into the family of humans and two other dogs: Ceilidh and Lada.  They all take to Dan immediately but it's 'Mum' with whom he has a special bond from the start.  I loved reading about Dan's orientation into the family - he is so inquisitive and of course everything is new to him.

As well as Dan's story, there is the story of his new 'parents': Mum and HIM.  The pair have a tempestuous relationship as 'HIM' always smells of the nasty stuff and shouts a lot.  They struggle for money, although 'HIM' always finds money for a visit to the pub, and they move around a lot looking for work.  As we follow their journey across Europe, we also follow Dan's journey as he grows from an inquisitive young pup into an old dog who knows all the tricks.

With stories that made me laugh and cry, Dan Knew, is a book that is filled with so much love for Wee Dan that you can't help but love him too.  His unique voice will be forever immortalised in print and what a fitting tribute to a truly wonderful dog.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:
Fiona dropped out of school aged 15, because being the consummate rebel, she hated it! After becoming a single parent she decided to return to education, graduating in 1996 with an honours degree in primary education. Ah, the irony!

As soon as she graduated she packed everything she owned into her Renault 11, including her daughter, two dogs and a cat, and headed off to Estonia to become an international school teacher. After fifteen years of teaching, predominantly in Eastern Europe, she returned to the UK.

She now lives on the east coast of Scotland with two Scottish rescue dogs and a disgruntled Portuguese cat.



Fiona is the author of two books:

To Retribution – A love story/political thriller set in times of turmoil.

Dan Knew – A fictionalised account of her travels told through the eyes of Dan, her rescued Ukrainian street dog.

Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/FJCurlew

Twitter @fjcurlew

Website

https://fjcurlew.com/

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The Holiday Swap - Zara Stoneley

Two women, two very different lives – one perfect solution to escape festive heartbreak!

Tucked away in the idyllic English countryside, Daisy Fischer’s cosy little cottage has always been her safe haven. But when her completely dependable boyfriend issues her an ultimatum, Daisy realises there’s a whole world out there she’s missing out on.

Florence Cortes’s life couldn’t be better – gorgeous apartment right on the beach, fabulous job and dreamy boyfriend, or so she thought. Suddenly, Flo’s life isn’t so perfect after all.

When the girls house swap for the holidays, it’s not long before Daisy is being distracted by sun, sea and sexy Javier while Flo finds herself snowbound for Christmas with only handsome neighbour Hugo and a house full of animals to keep her company.

Love actually does seem to be all around this Christmas, but in the places Flo and Daisy least expect to find it…

What did I think?

I just knew from the cover of this book that it was going to be great fun and indeed it was.  I have never read a Zara Stoneley book before so this was my first visit to the fictional town of Tippermere in Cheshire.  It is actually a dual location book as it is part set in Barcelona so it was fun to flip back and forth between wintry Cheshire and sunny Spain.

Daisy, Flo and Anna are old friends.  Daisy is in a humdrum relationship with Jimmy and Flo thinks an important question is on the horizon when her boyfriend, Oli, whisks her to Paris for their anniversary.  Out of the blue Daisy gets a proposal she doesn't want whilst Flo wants a proposal that she doesn't get, leaving both girls considering their future.  Anna comes up with the idea of Daisy going to Flo's place in Barcelona for a long weekend and Flo coming back to England and staying in Daisy's cottage.  The girls jump at the chance so they pack their bags and arrange the swap.

Flo falls back into village life a lot quicker than she thought she would.  She has hilarious escapades with Daisy's dog, Mabel, and she is surprised to learn that Daisy's neighbour is an old acquaintance, Hugo.  As Flo tries to forget about Oli, she sees Hugo in a different light but is he just after another notch on his bedpost?  Meanwhile in Barcelona, Daisy meets Flo's friend, Javier.  Javier certainly makes Daisy's heart beat faster, which is something Jimmy has never done.  With Daisy only in Barcelona for a short time, how can she risk starting anything with Javier?  Hugo and Javier are such deep and mysterious Darcy-esque characters, they'll certainly warm you up on a cold winter's night.

The Holiday Swap is one of those books that you should read curled up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate.  It has just the right amount of festive feeling so as not to feel out of place as a summer read, but it would be perfect to read as the snow is falling outside and you can escape to the sunny city of Barcelona.  It's a funny light-hearted book filled to the brim with romance and hilarious escapades.  I look forward to visiting Tippermere again in the future.

I received this e-book from the publisher, HarperImpulse, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Holy Cow - David Duchovny

Elsie Bovary is a cow and a pretty happy one at that. Until one night, Elsie sneaks out of the pasture and finds herself drawn to the farmhouse. Through the window, she sees the farmer's family gathered around a bright Box God - and what the Box God reveals about something called an 'industrial meat farm' shakes Elsie's understanding of her world to its core.

The only solution? To escape to a better, safer world. And so a motley crew is formed: Elsie; Shalom, a grumpy pig who's recently converted to Judaism; and Tom, a suave turkey who can't fly, but can work an iPhone with his beak. Toting stolen passports and slapdash human disguises, they head for the airport ...

Elsie is a wise-cracking, slyly witty narrator; Tom dispenses psychiatric advice in a fake German accent; and Shalom ends up unexpectedly uniting Israelis and Palestinians. David Duchovny's charismatic creatures point the way toward a mutual understanding and acceptance the world desperately needs.

What did I think?

This was a really fun book with some crazy illustrations that made me smile.  Elsie is quite an impressive cow - after seeing animals being slaughtered on the TV, that she calls the Box God, she decides to make a run for it.  Where better for a cow to go than India, where cows are worshipped, not eaten.

Calling the TV a Box God was actually quite a sobering thought.  For those of you who worship at the altar of Sky Atlantic, perhaps you should read Holy Cow instead and learn from the animals who decided to break from the herd and be heard.

I really liked all of the characters but I think Tom was my favourite.  He wants to go to Turkey as he thinks that he will be safe in a country that is named after him.  The only problem is his fellow traveller and escapee Jerry is a pig and will not be welcomed in a muslim country.  Tom is a bird who can't fly but in this book nothing is impossible and Tom does fly!

This was a really quick read and David Duchovny really brought the characters to life through his narrative writing style.  It had a nice mix of humour but at the same time showing respect to different cultures.  I was pleasantly surprised.

I received this book from the publisher, Headline, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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