L.H. Johnson's Blog, page 5

Destiny Ink : Sleepover Surprise by Adeola Sokunbi

Destiny Ink: Sleepover Surprise by Adeola Sokunbi My rating: 5 of 5 stars Destiny is ready for her first ever sleepover but also quite freaked out about the prospect. Not only is she worried about sleeping outside (easier for the monsters to get her), but she’s worried about how dark it’s going to get, whatContinue reading "Destiny Ink : Sleepover Surprise by Adeola Sokunbi"

A deep dive into the BBC Famous Five Films

When I first heard that Nicholas Winding Refn was involved in making not one but three Famous Five films for the BBC, I was intrigued. Scratch that, I was fascinated. I have written a lot about Enid Blyton on this blog because she is an inescapable figure in children’s literature and to understand or evenContinue reading "A deep dive into the BBC Famous Five Films"

I Will Repay by Emmuska D’Orczy

I Will Repay by Emmuska Orczy My rating: 5 of 5 stars Well, this was deeply, deeply enjoyable. The third in the Scarlet Pimpernel series, I Will Repay is, perhaps, more constructively understood as a book in which the Scarlet Pimpenel plays something of a guest role. The attention is entirely upon Juliette Marny andContinue reading "I Will Repay by Emmuska D’Orczy"

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley My rating: 2 of 5 stars One of the things I like about wandering in second hand bookshops is that sometimes you get the things popping up that you know about but haven’t read and think “oh, maybe now, let’s give it a go.” Normally that works out wellContinue reading "The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley"

The Great Farm Rescue by Helen Peters

The Great Farm Rescue by Helen Peters My rating: 5 of 5 stars I always associate Helen Peters with a librarian friend of mine who told me that Helen Peters was her daughter’s favourite author (librarian daughters, the wisest of the wise) and so when I received a review copy of The Great Farm Rescue,Continue reading "The Great Farm Rescue by Helen Peters"

A Drop Of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders

A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s a point in one of my books where one character asks another if they’ve read any Kate Saunders and that’s because of two things: Beswitched, and also that everything in story is connected. At least, it is to me. IContinue reading "A Drop Of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders"

Debbie by Debbie Reynolds

Debbie: My Life by Debbie Reynolds My rating: 4 of 5 stars When I tell you that I’m not the sort of person who underlines things in books and yet there’s basically 99.99% of this book that I wanted to underline, I hope that conveys at least a little of what it means to readContinue reading "Debbie by Debbie Reynolds"

Ava Gardner “Love Is Nothing” by Lee Server

Ava Gardner: “Love is Nothing” by Lee Server My rating: 5 of 5 stars There was a point when I was reading this that I thought about that moment in Liberty Valance: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend”. That’s not to cast any aspersions upon Server’s fact-checking because this is a rigorously putContinue reading "Ava Gardner “Love Is Nothing” by Lee Server"

Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton

Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really appreciated what Bruton did in No Ballet Shoes in Syria so was delighted when the publisher sent me a copy of her new title, Bird Boy. The first thing to note is that this is a breathtakingly beautiful cover and one thatContinue reading "Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton"

The Abbey Girls by Elsie J. Oxenham

The Abbey Girls by Elsie J. Oxenham My rating: 4 of 5 stars I actually enjoyed this? I feel the question mark in the above is pivotal, so let’s start this review there, in that little seam of bafflement. I have read a fair few of Elsie J. Oxenham’s books now and found them aContinue reading "The Abbey Girls by Elsie J. Oxenham"