Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Apr 17

10

Minger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark: Review

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on April 10, 2017
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2017 • England • Memoir • My Past Giveaways  | Tagged With: , , | 3 Comments

Minger`s Tale by R.B.N. BookmarkMinger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark

Publisher: Create Space (Mar 18, 2016)
Category: Satirical Biography, Humor, Memoir
Tour Date: Mar & Apr, 2017
ISBN: 978-1517428396
ASIN: B01DJAXURM
Available in: Print & ebook,  278 Pages

A Minger's Tale

British slang definition: “ A minger is a male or female who fell out of the ugly tree at birth and hit every branch on the way down.”

A Minger`s Tale is not so much of a biography, but more of a “Boyography”.

It is a humorous account of growing up in the back streets of Manchester, England during the 1960`s and 70`s.

“Do pastures greener exist for the colour blind –and how would they ever know?

This is the conundrum Bookmark is faced with and the results are akin to a dog looking for a lamp post in a blackout.

Bookmark does indeed find some of lifes lamp posts, but more often than not he just winds up getting his feet wet.

My Thoughts Minger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark

Wow, I thought I had a rough time as a kid.  What I endured was not much compared to what R.B.N. Bookmark (Ribban) endured.  First, it’s important to know the definition of a “Minger”.  “A minger is a male or female who fell out of the ugly tree at birth and hit every branch on the way down.”  When I read that, I envisioned the old ‘Road Runner’ cartoons.  That poor Coyote always got hurt in the end.  He hit every rock, fell off cliffs, exploded, etc.  It was funny!  The different was that Coyote got what he deserved for going after Roadrunner.  Ribban did not usually go looking for trouble but it found him.  He was born into it.

With humor, Ribban tells his story of growing up in one of the poorest parts of England, Manchester. Life was hard and the people in it did not make it any easier.  The entire neighborhood seemed like one big dysfunction from the way Ribban describes it.  I laughed so much at his expense and antics, he wants the reader to.  He lightens the load while still telling his truth.  Sure, there were times he got to laugh as a kid but not as much as I laughed reading his story.  I felt sad for what he had to go through.

It takes a lot of talent to make comedy out of tragedy but that is just what Ribban has achieved.  I admire his courage and his ability to make a better life as an adult.  ‘A Minger’s Tale’ is well written, full of humor, and tragic.  It reminds me somewhat of ‘Running With Scissors’ by Augusten Burroughs. I highly recommend ‘A Minger’s Tale’!

5/5

I received the ebook version for my honest review.

About R.B.N. BookmarkMinger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark

“Hindsight & perforated toilet paper
are what sets us apart from the apes”: rbn bookmark

Originally from Manchester in the UK, R.B.N. Bookmark left the damp north of England behind him and exiled himself to the frozen north of Scandinavia where he has remained these last 25 years.

He began writing 3 years ago, urged on by family and friends
A Minger`s Tale-Beginnings eventually saw the light of day in March 2016.

The books quirky humour portrays the flipside of life in northern England during the 1970`s through to the mid 1980`s.

Website: http://www.rbnbookmark.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RBN-Bookmark-988776994541136/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rbnbookmark

Buy Minger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark

Amazon.com
Amazon UK
Barnes&Noble
IndieBound
Book Depository

Giveaway Minger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark

There is still time to enter the giveaway to win a copy of ‘A Minger’s Tale’ for your very own!  This giveaway is for the winner’s choice of one print or ebook. Print is open to Canada, UK, and the U.S. only however, ebook is open worldwide.  This giveaway ends on April 28, 2017 at midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
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Follow Minger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark

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Second Book to the Right Mar 13 Excerpt & Giveaway

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Cate Amazon Reviewer by Apr 5 Review

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Minger`s Tale by R.B.N. Bookmark

May 14

26

Review: The Mountain of Light by Indu Sundaresan

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 26, 2014
Posted in Books Read in 2014 • England • Historical Fiction • India  | Tagged With: , , | 4 Comments

Mountain of LightBook Description:

From the internationally bestselling author of The Twentieth Wife, a novel based on the tumultuous history of a legendary 186-carat diamond and the men and women who possessed it

As empires rose and fell and mighty kings jostled for power, its glittering radiance never dimmed. It is the Mountain of Light;the Kohinoor diamond;and its facets reflect a sweeping story of love, adventure, conquest and betrayal. Its origins are the stuff of myth, but for centuries this spectacular gem changes hands from one ruler to another in India, Persia, and Afghanistan. In 1850, the ancient stone is sent halfway around the world where it will play a pivotal role in the intertwined destinies of a boy-king of India and a young queen of England;a queen who claims the Mountain of Light and India itself for her own burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown.

The Mountain of Light is a magnificent story of loss and recovery, sweeping change and enduring truth, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the worlds most famous diamonds.

My Thoughts:

First, sorry for the lateness of this review.  Time slipped away from me and now I am trying to catch up.

When offered the ebook for review, I jumped at the chance!  I loved Indu Sundaresan’s The Twentieth Wife!

The Mountain of Light hops around from century to century, so instead of getting into the many characters and period of time, I am just going to give you my opinion.

Some centuries and the character’s within them were captured more fully than ever.  To me, it read more like a book of linked short stories than a novel.  The beginning was glossed over very quickly.  I would just start to get settled in the story and then it jumped. Some parts were more vivid and detailed.  It was the later centuries I that I liked best.

The Kohinoor diamond was really the central character.  Yes, of course it was the plot too.  It was about it’s captivating beauty and worth.  People possessed it and people fought over it.

I love books with settings in India and The Mountain of Light was worth the read, just for that alone.  It did not disappoint.  I would have like to have gotten to know some of the characters better.  I really like character studies but because The Mountain of Light centered around the jewel, it’s self, it was not character driven enough for me.  However, because of the other assets of the book, I still recommend it, especially for those who love settings in India and other Asian lands close to it.

4/5

I received the ebook for my honest opinion.

About Indu Sundaresan:Indu Sundaresan

Indu Sundaresan was born in India and grew up on Air Force bases all over the country. Her father, a fighter pilot, was also a storyteller—managing to keep his audiences captive and rapt with his flair for drama and timing. He got this from his father, Indu’s grandfather, whose visits were always eagerly awaited. Indu’s love of stories comes from both of them, from hearing their stories based on imagination and rich Hindu mythology, and from her father’s writings.

After an undergraduate degree in economics from India, Indu came to the U.S. for graduate school at the University of Delaware. But all too soon, the storytelling gene beckoned.

Dec 11

30

The King’s Grace by Anne Easter Smith

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on December 30, 2011
Posted in Books Read in 2011 • England • Historical Fiction  | 5 Comments

Book Description:

The bestselling author of A Rose for the Crown and Daughter of York takes a young woman that history noticed only once and sets her on a quest for the truth about the murder of two boys and a man who claims to be king.

All that history knows of Grace Plantagenet is that she was an illegitimate daughter of Edward IV and one of two attendants aboard the funeral barge of his widowed queen. Thus, she was half sister of the famous young princes, who — when this story begins in 1485 — had been housed in the Tower by their uncle, Richard III, and are presumed dead.

But in the 1490s, a young man appears at the courts of Europe claiming to be Richard, duke of York, the younger of the boys, and seeking to claim his rightful throne from England’s first Tudor king, Henry VII. But is this man who he says he is? Or is he Perkin Warbeck, a puppet of Margaret of York, duchess of Burgundy, who is determined to regain the crown for her York family? Grace Plantagenet finds herself in the midst of one of English history’s greatest mysteries. If she can discover the fate of the princes and the true identity of Perkin Warbeck, perhaps she will find her own place in her family.
My Review:

I love books that are written around a little know person in real life, such as Grace Plantagenet.  The book is rich in historical detail and character development.  Smith writes a more sympathetic view of Elizabeth Woodville, which seems a bit more realistic to me than other books she has appeared it.  She is not all good and not all evil, like most people, including historical figures.

As many of you may know, I don’t like a lot of romance in my books.  I don’t mind it if it’s just a part of a book but not the entire book.  This book hit a pretty good balance between historical detail, plot, and romance for me.  However,  I could have done with a bit less romance.  I also loved how Smith portrays Perkin Warbeck.  She adds a lot to the story about him and his claim to be Richard, duke of York.  

I listened to the audiobook version which, I downloaded from my library.  This was a very enjoyable book to listen to.

4/5

Did you review this book? Please leave your link in the comments.


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