Benidorm again (The Benidorm Series Book 2) - Jo Lyons

Benidorm again is the second book in the The Benidorm Series. Follow Connie as she embarks on her first classical tour.

Connie never dreamed she’d get the chance to follow in the footsteps of her beloved late mother, to become a classical singer. But when she attracts jealous comments from the choir, more attention than she would like from the lead tenor and some unwanted scandalous publicity involving the Royal family, she starts to wonder if she is doing the right thing.

Connie soon finds herself caught in a reluctant love triangle with a difficult choice to make - the gorgeous, moody-eyed music producer who was love at first sight, or the exceptionally talented aristocratic millionaire? Determined to follow her heart, she turns to The Dollz and her newly engaged best friends, Ged and Liam, for help, only to find they all have problems of their own.

Who knew touring with the Royal Northern Sinfonia would involve so much drama or so many Royals?

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved meeting Connie Cooper and The Dollz in Benidorm, Actually so I couldn't wait to read the next book in the series, Benidorm again, to see what happens next and I was not disappointed.  My laughing muscles got a good workout once again at the escapades and drama in this hilarious book.

It's a bittersweet moment for Connie when she is given a starring role in the Northern Sinfonia as it is her dream to follow in her mam's footsteps but her mam isn't here to see Connie shine on stage.  I couldn't feel sad for long though as Jo Lyons shakes her virtual giggle stick and instantly transforms the poignant moment of Connie stepping on stage for the first time into an absolutely brilliant laugh out loud moment that made me almost choke with laughter.  I won't be able to watch Harry Potter again without laughing now!

The Northern Sinfonia tour is filled with drama as the leading man has the chorus girls all aflutter but he only has eyes for Connie.  Connie has to admit that there is amazing chemistry between her and Luke that sets the stage alight but her heart lies with Matteo.

I loved that Connie's new romance from her trip to Benidorm is still going strong, albeit she has only known Matteo for a week before he jets off to work in LA and Connie comes home to join the Northern Sinfonia.  Despite their busy schedules, the couple make plans to meet up in Las Vegas but it's soon hijacked by Connie's friends and before she knows it, her romantic trip to Vegas has been turned into a Barbie and Ken themed group outing.

Connie's friends, Ged and Liam and The Dollz, provide much of the hilarity as their lives are a constant drama show.  I absolutely love The Dollz; their antics make the cast of Geordie Shore look tame!  I really can't wait to read about the Vegas trip so I have book 3, Benidorm Cocktail Hour, already lined up to start reading.

Benidorm again is an absolutely brilliant sequel to a sparkling debut novel.  I didn't think it would be possible to contain even more laughs and drama but Jo Lyons packs the hilarity and high jinks in once again to leave her readers clamouring for more.  A very highly recommended read filled with fun, laughter and drama.

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Mozart: The Man Revealed - John Suchet

The story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life is well known. Austrian-born to a tyrannical father who worked him - fiercely; unhappily married to a spendthrift woman; a child-like character ill at ease amid the aristocratic splendour of the Viennese court; a musical genius who died young thus depriving the world of future glories.

Yet only that last point is really true. In this comprehensive biography, John Suchet examines the many myths and misunderstandings surrounding the world's best-loved composer. From his early days as a child prodigy performing for the imperial royal family in Vienna to the last months of his short life, driven to exhaustion by a punitive workload, one thing remained constant: his happy disposition.

Through trials and tribulations, grand successes and disheartening setbacks, Suchet shows us the real Mozart - blessed with an abundance of talent yet sometimes struggling to earn a living. His mischievous nature and earthy sense of humour, his ease and confidence in his own incredible abilities; these were traits that never left him. His music has brought comfort to countless generations; his life, though brief, is no less fascinating.

What did I think?

I would not be surprised to find out that either John Suchet is 250 years old or he has a time machine, as I felt as if he knew Mozart personally whilst reading his completely spellbinding book entitled Mozart: The Man Revealed.

As a regular listener to Classic FM, I look forward to Mozart Mondays as nothing is better at setting you up for the week ahead than the jollity of Mozart's compositions.  I always find myself humming or whistling along without even realising it, completely unaware of the stories that lie behind the child prodigy and his famous works.  

I have previously read and enjoyed John Suchet's fantastic book on Johann Strauss, but this book goes one step further as we really get to know the young composer through his own words by examining letters that he and his father wrote home whilst on tour.  The young Mozart is every bit the precocious child we imagine but he also had the most amazing sense of humour, often without a filter which would place him on the autistic spectrum today.  

As well as Mozart's sense of humour, John Suchet's fabulous sense of humour comes through in his writing.  I won't spoil the whole book but there is a particular painting of Mozart and his sister, Nannerl, who has the most gigantic hair, that makes me chuckle just thinking about it.  Mozart's humour is definitely what we could call 'toilet humour' as he is very rude and just doesn't care less.  Listening to his work after reading this book seems to add a new dimension, as I feel as if I can now effortlessly tap into the feelings that are woven into each exceptional piece of music.

An absolute must-read for any classical music fan, where you can really get to know the man behind the music in Mozart: The Man Revealed.  It is so authentic and fascinating that it could easily be called Mozart: In His Own Words.  Think you know Mozart?  Think again!

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

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The Classic FM Musical Treasury: A Curious Collection of New Meanings for Old Words - Tim Lihoreau

There are all sorts of people, events and sounds that exist in the musical world for which there are no words. We have been sadly bereft of a satisfactory way to describe the contortion of a singer's mouth when reaching for the high notes; the audience member who leaves a concert halfway through the grand finale; or that person who places one finger in their ear and raises their eyes heavenwards when they sing.

Tim Lihoreau neatly solves this problem in The Classic FM Musical Treasury. Having scoured the UK for place names with a musical bent, he has created a charming collection of humorously inventive, musically themed meanings. From choral singing to rock concerts, opera and orchestras, this quirky book will delight music fans everywhere.

What did I think?

I listen to Tim Lihoreau on my short drive to work each morning and I love puzzling over his carpe diem clues, so I was delighted when I received a copy of his new book to review.  The Classic fM Musical Treasury looks like a book you could dip in and out of but as soon as I started to read, I knew I didn't want to miss a thing and ended up reading it cover to cover in a 24 hour period.

If somebody had told me I would read a dictionary, I would have laughed my socks off but this treasury is more like a dictionary than a book, albeit a very readable dictionary.  I continually laughed out loud, desperately holding onto my socks at times, and found myself sharing excerpts with my family.

There is something for every music lover in this book, from finding out a name for Freddie Mercury's famous second-skin jumpsuits to the hilariously named hole on the back of a recorder.  As a one-time violin student, I almost spat out my cup of tea when I read about the contents of the fidder's hamlet, although I have to say that I kept fruit polos in mine!  As a regular listener of Classic fM, I've also been known to play a solo game of kedlock feus and I bet many others do this too.

I have so many favourites from this book that I couldn't possibly list them all, but I remember fondly the carfury in my old Yaris who wasn't as much of a Bryan Adams fan as I was but probably jumped out of its skin like I did by the odd chidden on the CDs it chose to let me play.  Think I'm talking gobbledygook?  Take my word for it, you need this Classic fM Musical Treasury in your life!  Don't read it in public though, as you are liable to have involuntary outbursts of laughter.

Read it in one go, or dip in and out, this is a Musical Treasury to be treasured and referred to again and again.  Amaze your friends at the pub when you tell your friend to stop that annoying tapnage as you describe walking the cadger path on a visit to town, before your return to jingle street.  Great fun and a fabulous gift for the music lover in your life.

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

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The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame: The Greatest Classical Music of All Time - Darren Henley, Tim Lihoreau, Sam Jackson

The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame celebrates classical music's unique ability to stir the emotions of a listener - whether it's the haunting melodies of Gorecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs or Purcell'sDido and Aeneas; the passionately charged opening bars of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5; dramatic operas such as Puccini's La boheme; the moving sounds of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mozart's Clarinet Concerto; beautiful ballet scores from Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky; or blockbuster film soundtracks composed by John Williams and Howard Shore.

This new edition of the Sunday Times bestseller celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Classic FM Hall of Fame. With a fully updated chart of the nation's 300 favourite works, based on votes cast by millions of listeners over the past twenty years, a revised introduction and beautiful new illustrations, this definitive collection encompasses a rich variety of classical greats, contemporary masters, lesser-known treasures and outstanding British composers to provide a fascinating insight into our relationship with the music we love.

Darren Henley, Sam Jackson and Tim Lihoreau guide us through the world of classical music and the people responsible for creating and performing it. Combining fascinating histories and biographies, recommended recordings and the ranking of the 300 pieces themselves, this book is as relevant to a new listener discovering the joys of classical music as it is to long-time lovers of the genre. The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame is a beautifully illustrated testament to the enduring power of classical music to inspire, entertain, relax and invigorate us.

What did I think?

I admit it took me quite a while to read this cover to cover, but once I did I found that it will be a book I refer to time and time again.  It's almost like an encyclopedia of composers' best works - I just have to think of a composer and I can turn to their entry in the Hall of Fame to find out all about them.  To accompany the entries, there are some absolutely beautiful artistic depictions of some of the most well-known pieces of music.

Each piece of music has a little narrative describing it and its inspiration, along with where you might have heard it (such as Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet being the theme tune of The Apprentice and also the music that Sunderland, my football team, play when they run on to the pitch during home games).  The recommended recording to fully appreciate each piece is also stated along with the chart position.

There are so many interesting facts to learn in The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame - all of the best known classical composers have a dedicated page with their own mini biography and a 'Did You Know?' fact.  The most jaw-dropping moment for me was discovering that George Frideric Handel, of Messiah and Water Music fame, was a British citizen.

The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame is a stunning companion to the Easter weekend top 300 chart and a book to refer to again and again.  It has reawakened my love for classical music as I remembered long forgotten pieces and found some new favourites.  Thanks to The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame, I now tune in to Classic FM for my daily commute.

I received this book from the publisher, Elliott & Thompson, in exchange for an honest review.

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