Book Review: Felicity at the Cross Hotel by Helena Fairfax

Last Updated: 16 October 2021

AD* | A quaint hotel in the Lake District. The Cross Hotel is the perfect getaway. Or is it?

Felicity Everdene needs a break from the family business. Driving through the Lake District to the Cross Hotel, past the shining lake and the mountains, everything seems perfect. But Felicity soon discovers all is not well at the Cross Hotel...

Patrick Cross left the village of Emmside years ago never intending to return, but his father has left him the family’s hotel in his will, and now he's forced to come back. With a missing barmaid, a grumpy chef, and the hotel losing money, the arrival of Felicity Everdene from the notorious Everdene family only adds to Patrick’s troubles.

With so much to overcome, can Felicity and Patrick bring happiness to the Cross Hotel... and find happiness for themselves?

Book Review: The Cold War by Dr Norman Friedman

Last Updated: 16 October 2021

AD* | Twenty years ago, the Berlin Wall fell and Communism in Europe began to collapse. The Cold War celebrates that anniversary with a graphic account of the long-running global drama that played from the end of World War II until the era of Gorbachev and glasnost. During that time, such high-tension events as the Cuban Missile Crisis brought us to the brink of Armageddon but both sides always drew back. Follow the development of each important stage in the long, chilly conflict that divided the world into two spheres of influence. 

5 Travel Books to Inspire Your Future Adventures

AD* | Lockdown and the current situation may have left your immediate travel plans a bit up in the air, but there’s nothing stopping you from daydreaming about the places you might visit in the future! Plus, what better way to satisfy your wanderlust than by getting lost in some inspiring travel books from the safety of your home? Try these five books to get you started.

Book Review: Let the Dead Speak by Jane Casey

Last Updated: 16 October 2021

AD* | When eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home she finds her mother missing, the house covered in blood. Everything points to murder, except for one thing: there’s no sign of the body.

London detective Maeve Kerrigan and the homicide team turn their attention to the neighbours. The ultra-religious Norrises are acting suspiciously; their teenage daughter and Chloe Emery definitely have something to hide. Then there’s William Turner, once accused of stabbing a schoolmate and the neighbourhood’s favourite criminal. Is he merely a scapegoat, or is there more behind the charismatic façade?

As a body fails to materialise, Maeve must piece together a patchwork of testimonies and accusations. Who is lying, and who is not? And soon Maeve starts to realize that not only will the answer lead to Kate Emery, but more lives may hang in the balance.

Personal and Professional Benefits of Audiobooks

AD* | Travelling can not only be stressful but it can also be incredibly tiring. Long airport waits, short-haul flights with no in-flight entertainment, train journeys that seem to last a lifetime, bus or coach rides that get stuck in traffic every fifteen minutes, or those car journeys where you're perpetually longing for the next coffee stop. Having a travel companion is always important if you're in need of a little 'me' time for those non-stop travels when you need a little break but still want to pass the time productively.

Even during quarantine, sitting on your own reading a book outdoors could be a welcome break for you. Similarly, on those restless evenings when nothing will get you to sleep, a little bit of relaxation is key.

Book Review: Queen Elizabeth II by Rod Green

Last Updated: 16 October 2021

AD* | She has reigned for more than a half-century: this is the story of Queen Elizabeth II, the dramatic world events she’s witnessed, and the people she’s encountered.

Throughout her 66-year reign - the longest of any British monarch, and the longest of any current monarch in the world - Queen Elizabeth II has become a symbol of stability in a rapidly changing world. Her life has borne witness to the fluctuating fortunes of the Windsors, from the dramatic abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, when she was just 10 years old, to the scandal surrounding Princess Margaret’s doomed love affair and the tumultuous relationship between Prince Charles and Princess Diana. 

Rod Green explores the personal and political intrigues that have dogged the House of Windsor, including the Queen’s fascinating relationships with prime ministers from Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden to Margaret Thatcher. Set against the colourful backdrop of key events - such as the Great Smog that brought London to a halt in 1952, the IRA murder of Lord Mountbatten during the Northern Ireland Troubles, the crisis triggered by the death of Princess Diana, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the recent marriage of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle, and the changing face of world politics - this is the story not only of the head of a dynasty but also a history of our times.