Restoration London: Everyday Life In London 1660 - 1670 by Liza Picard

The Blurb On The Back:

How did you clean your teeth in the 1600s? What make-up did you wear? What pets did you keep?

Making use of every possible contemporary source, Liza Picard presents an engrossing picture of daily life in London in the decade between 1660 and 1670: the streets, houses and gardens; cooking, housework, laundry and shopping; clothes and jewellery, cosmetics and hairdressing; medicine, sex education, hobbies and etiquette; law and crime, religion and popular belief. The London of 300 years ago is brought vividly (and sometimes horrifyingly) to life.

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The Verdict:

This is a fascinating and comprehensive introduction to the period and one that anyone with an interest in social history should check out.

Break by Hannah Moskowitz

The Blurb On The Back:

The first feeling is exhilaration. The second feeling is pain. The feeling that never comes is regret.

Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his body. Everyone knows that broken bones grow back stronger than they were before. Jonah wants to be stronger - needs to be stronger – because everything around him is falling apart. Breaking, and then healing, is the only way he can cope with the stresses of home, girls, and the world on his shoulders.

When Jonah’s self-destructive spiral accelerates and he hits rock bottom, will he find true strength or surrender to his breaking point?

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The Verdict:

A satisfying and edgy tale from a writer to watch.

What I Saw And How I Lied by Judy Blundell

The Blurb On The Back:

Some things are never meant to be revealed.

“It seemed like a dream. The world had exploded ...”

Summer’s ending. Evie’s stepfather is finally home from the Second World War, and Evie is tired of her glamorous mother treating her like a little girl.

Then a mysterious stranger appears: a handsome ex-GI who served with Evie’s stepfather. Slowly, Evie realises that she is falling in love with him – but he has dark secrets, and a strange control over her parents.

When a sudden tragedy occurs, Evie’s world is shattered. Torn between her family and the man she loves, Evie must betray someone. The question is ... who?

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The Verdict:

A complex story with a good sense of period, I didn’t quite buy into Evie’s naiveté but it’s still worth a read.

Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin

The Blurb On The Back:

Here’s a question for your secret diary. You know, the one with the flimsy little key. Is it better for him to lie, or to not say it at all?

Parker Prescott is an ice princess. Cold, aloof, a snob. At least, that’s what everyone says on Marion Henessy’s blog. And everyone reads Marion Henessy’s blog.

Parker Prescott is a middle child. She’s the good one, the dependable one, the one her parents trust. Well ... she used to be.

Parker Prescott’s parents want her to break up with her boyfriend. But she already did, two weeks ago. And then she realised it was a mistake. He came over. He had the handcuffs in his pocket. Everything went downhill from there. Sort of.

Parker Prescott’s world is changing and she no longer knows who she is. Does anyone?

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The Verdict:

The story isn’t my cup of tea, but the writing holds the interest and the voices are on the whole credible.