Rachel Bustin

#MySundayPhoto 31/05/2015

Over the next few weeks for #MySundayPhoto I would like to share with you some pictures from our amazing holiday of a lifetime to Canada 5 years ago.
I took this picture of a railway bridge as it reminded me of one of my favourite childhood films, Stand by Me.
Rachel xx
OneDad3Girls

My Word of The Week 29/05/2015

This is My Word of the Week – Tired
Tired, an adjective – in need of sleep, or rest; weary
I am linking up with thereadingresidence once again with their fabulous Word of the Week linky. I have linked up quite a few times now and really love browsing over other bloggers Word of the Week’s and seeing what they have got up to! It does seem a little nosey but sometimes you can’t help but peek into other people’s lives, as they always seem much more interesting than your own. 

So on to My Word of the Week, Tired. I have been attempting the Blog every day in May (#BEDM) challenge, and have been doing fairly well for me so far until this week……….
I think my total feeling of exhaustion and tiredness started when we went up to see Jimmy Carr’s tour at Plymouth Pavilion’s last Saturday. (I am currently writing a review on his show at the moment, which will be ready in a few days) Plymouth is 60 miles away from where I live in Cornwall so it is a really tiring journey there and back and it was Bank Holiday Weekend as well double traffic!. We didn’t get home till about 1am and I haven’t caught back up on the sleep I missed all week. 
I have always been a person who always goes to bed early and early to rise, so heading to bed at 1am does me no favours for the rest of the week…. I must be getting older!
Rachel xx
The Reading Residence

Book Review: The Bones of You by Debbie Howells

I requested to read an ebook copy of The Bones of You by Debbie Howells from Netgalley for one of my Bank Holiday reads. My initial thoughts of the cover image shown further below was that I am going to be in for a deep, dark, mystery, psychological thriller type of a book. I was not disappointed, and if you decide to read it neither would you.                                             
Book Description

When Kate receives a phone call with news that Rosie Anderson is missing, she’s stunned and disturbed. Rosie is eighteen, the same age as Kate’s daughter, and a beautiful, quiet, and kind young woman. Though the locals are optimistic—girls like Rosie don’t get into real trouble—Kate’s sense of foreboding is confirmed when Rosie is found fatally beaten and stabbed.
Who would kill the perfect daughter, from the perfect family? Yet the more Kate entwines herself with the Andersons—graceful mother Jo, renowned journalist father Neal, watchful younger sister Delphine—the more she is convinced that not everything is as it seems. Anonymous notes arrive, urging Kate to unravel the tangled threads of Rosie’s life and death, though she has no idea where they will lead.
Weaving flashbacks from Rosie’s perspective into a tautly plotted narrative, The Bones of You is a gripping, haunting novel of sacrifices and lies, desperation and love.
The book starts of with a rather creepy intro from Rosie, telling us that she is looking at the movie of her life. This suggests that she is dying and her life is flashing before her eyes. We hear Rosie’s side of the story throughout the book, and get to know her character this way.
Rosie’s mother Jo calls Kate to tell her that her daughter is missing. Kate and Jo don’t really know each other very much, but through the disappearance of Rosie and then the finding of her body, Kate becomes Jo’s rock. Jo’s marriage crumbles through the book, and she becomes a depressed pill taking alcoholic. Kate is with her every step of the way trying to make sense of what is happening while watching her own daughter Grace go off to university and her husband Angus heading up to York for work. 
I didn’t particularly like the character of Kate in the beginning, she seemed to be a bit of an interferring busy body, but as the book goes on I can see why. I am not quite sure I like the parts of Rosie telling her story from the grave either. This narative can be a bit confusing. 
I do like the author’s style of writing designed to tease the reader, drawing you in, thinking yes I know what happened, then throwing another spanner in the works changing your line of thinking. This keeps the reader very much engaged with the story.
This book is a good read for anyone looking for a mystery suspense who dunnit novel. 
I have given The Bones of You by Debbie Howells 3 out of 5 stars. 
Expected publication date 30th June 2015 by Kensington Books
Rachel xx

Disclaimer: I received this ebook free of charge in exchange for an hoenst review. All views and opinions expressed are my own. Book cover image and Book Description taken from NetGalley.com for purpose of this review only.

#MySundayPhoto 24/05/2015

         
A selection of desserts from an amazing all you can eat buffet. From Green tea cheesecake, to Carrot Cake, Double Chocolate Brownie, and Strawberry Mousse.
Rachel xx
OneDad3Girls

Book Review: Asylum by Isobel Blackthorn

I was given the chance to read and review Asylum by Isobel Blackthorn by Net Galley. My initial thoughts were that the cover seemed a little bland, but I always go by the saying, ‘Never judge a book by it’s cover’. I did like the thought of reading a very strong character driven book, and this is what the book is.
                   

Book Description and Cover Image

‘Seeking asylum from the wreckage of her life, Yvette Grimm arrives in Australia on a holiday visa. She applies for permanent residency with no hope of success. Resisting advice that she marry to stay in the country, Yvette invests her hopes in a palm-reader’s prophecy that she will meet the father of her children before she’s thirty.
She’s twenty-nine.

Set in the excoriating heat of an endless Perth summer, against the backdrop of asylum seekers locked in detention, Asylum is a gripping tale of loss and belonging that is dark, absurd and hilarious by turns’ 

The story starts off with Yvette Grimm finding herself back in her childhood bedroom at her mother’s Leah’s house in Australia. She is on a holiday visa at the moment, but Leah has sent off her permanent residency forms. Yvette had to leave her old life in Malta. As you read through the book, you discover what Yvette’s life was like with her boyfriend Carlos through little snippets, and why she had to leave. I love this little quote. The author uses a fantastic style of writing throughout, to the point and very clear.
‘Yvette was seeking refuge from the wreckage of her life’
Yvette’s mother tells her that she must get married to stay in Australia, but Yvette is a sort of a hopeless romantic and believes that you marry for love not convenience. 
The story follows Yvette through her struggles of belonging no-where. Yvette takes you to a cockroach infested flat, to a cute little house to singing in a choir and a life changing event. It was a beautiful journey that the author took me on. Laughing in places, crying the next.
I loved the character of Yvette, she never let anything get her down, she was always expecting the worst, and this made her a much stronger person. I didn’t like her mum Leah, she seemed very cold towards Yvette, and always going on about her sister Debbie, which made Yvette feel alone at times.
I think the main idea of the book is to inform you about the difficulties that people have in gaining residencies. Even though Yvette’s mum and sister live in Australia it doesn’t make her a definite case to live their permanently, just because she stayed with her dad in England when her mother and sister moved back when they were children. I find the topic on political asylum quite fascinating and this book does question that. 
I would love to read other books with a similar topic to this one, it was a fascinating read. I would recommend to anyone looking for a strong female character lead.
I gave Asylum by Isobel Blackthorn 4 out of 5 stars.
Rachel xx
*Disclaimer: I was given this ebook to review free of charge. All views and opinions expressed are my own. Book cover image and  book description taken from NetGalley.com for purpose of this review.

My Word Of The Week 22/05/2015

This is My Word Of The Week – Opportunity. 
Opportunity, a noun – ‘a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something’

This week has been full of opportunities for me. I was asked at work if I wanted the opportunity to develop further with them to become a manager. My first thought was why? A couple of months back I was demoted from a Team Leader as part of the companies management restructure and now they want to use my knowledge again! 
I did on this opportunity turn them down, because I’m very happy with what I’m doing at work and I have my family, blog and all my books outside of work to keep me busy enough without putting in lots of hours training and what not. 
That was my first opportunity of the week, my second came from being approved as a Bookbridgr blogger. My blog is a mixture of books, competitions, gardening and all sorts of lifestyle things as you may know, so being given this opportunity with Bookbridgr to review books is amazing. I can’t wait to get started on browsing books to request for reviewing. 
My third opportunity has come from being contacted by a company to write a post for them. I am so excited about this, that they chose little new blogger me! Baring in mind I have only been blogging just under 3 months, I found this opportunity to be just what I want for my blog. I hope it leads to many more opportunities in the future. 
Lastly I just want to say thank you to all of you who are making my blog a success so far, and giving me the opportunity and inspiration to write more posts.
Rachel xx
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The Reading Residence