Show up, warts and all, cracks and all, every blemish, every wrinkle, every scar tells a story if you’ll let it… Will you? Sonia, thanks for giving some insight to the challenges you face with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. This is one of those books that took me a long time to start reading, and then, it wasn't at all what I was expecting.

A much-used word, karma is loosely understood Some books you just speed through because you can't wait to see what happens next and you're just so caught up in what excitement is bubbling up that you just blow through it. Since it was a freebie, and I suspect that much of my dislike is personal rather than functional, I'll be passing it along to a friend who doesn't mind the cussing at all. I admire your state of mind and wish you any remissions that can give you at least a modicum of relief.The project, a collaboration between Dr Bobby Baker’s pioneering Stratford-based arts organisation Daily Life Ltd, the Bethlem Gallery, and Outside In aims to showcase extraordinary artwork and to lighten up the darkness some feel at what can be a bleak time of year.

The only thing I can say, that some may find a downside (though I sincerely hope they don't) is that this is a book full of adjectives which though a requirement of writing (occasionally too many to allow the story to flow properly). As ever, Philip, you have a developed knack for stating things in clear terms, for saying what should be said. After all, it held most of my favorites - set in small village in England, had a couple of interesting male protagonists, had a great house and a great female protagonist. you go slow and by taking your time, the entire plot is really enhanced because it's almost as if you're on this journey with the characters and not just watching it from afar. This tells me, no matter how disabled I become, there will be bells I can ring, my voice will still be heard, I can be useful.I loved all the characters in this, and their stories were so worth reading - I've barely put it down today, until I finished it. All the way back to his first, original story, discovering along the way an uncommon spirit and humility. It came as a free Goodreads-sponsored giveaway, but within the first 1/8th or so of the book, when I'd said for the third time that I'd give it a last chance, I decided my time is more valuable to me than being kind to a freebie. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this story of friendship, forgiveness and unexpected romance reveals the lies we tell to hide dark secrets—and what can happen when we let in a little light. There is a beauty in being broken and it’s not the end of the world if your imperfections are visible .

I heartily endorse the earlier comment that ” No one goes through this life without being broken somehow “.

As one of the exhibiting artists states: ‘This piece symbolises that there is a way out of the depth of despair into the world above, where there is light and hope. The odds might have been stacked against her, but Edith had persevered and done her utmost not to let Benedict’s betrayal quell her spirit and ruin her life. Having said that, it works fine as a standalone, and the gap in my reading shouldn’t stop you enjoying it. I cannot wait to find out what happens next to these characters' Sarah's Vignettes'A delightful historical saga which is so beautifully woven together that from the very start I was enchanted' Jaffa Reads Too'Rich in detail, full of passion this is a delightful and fascinating read' Book Literati From the award-winning author of The Apothecary's Daughter, Letting in the Light is the next book in the Spindrift Trilogy, a beautifully evocative, multi-generational family drama set at the turn of the century and perfect for fans of Elizabeth Jane Howard, Santa Montefiore and Lucinda Riley.

Thankfully the other characters are more interesting but as the children are now adults there's almost too many people to focus on and occasionally the story feels like rushed melodrama. She becomes the matriarch to whom all the young people turn while she is tormented by the presence of Benedict. The song opens with the female singer wanting to “pick [him] up at a quarter to three” and also “wake [him] up… at a quarter to one” in the middle of the night. The two main characters Ellie Hesketh and Will McKennan are very interesting, caring people however also fallible with each having their own baggage and even some dark secrets. The vivid descriptions make it come to life really well and it's one of my favorite fictional settings now.In the grips of a car accident, a person trapped as badly as she was wouldn't be so lighthearted with their humor and communication. In one paragraph just as I decided to stop reading, for example, almost every sentence began with "I this" and "I that. I was drawn into the story so quickly, having started reading it, that I, despite knowing that my eyes were almost closing, continued reading.