My Top 10 reads of 2015

It’s been an absolute nightmare trying to choose my top 10 reads of the year, but I have finally done it and without intentionally hurting any author’s feelings, here goes……

1. A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor – I read this whilst I was on holiday in August and can honestly say it brought me to tears. Written beautifully with a gorgeous cover and the text inside is the best I have seen in a paperback with lovely drawings at the top of the pages and throughout. Utterly stunning read that will leave you wanting more!

2. The Island by Victoria Hislop – I had this book on my bookshelf for more years than I care to divulge, but again, when I went on holiday my good friend recommended I take this one. This book made me cry more than once, but it is so beautifully written that I can’t wait to read more of Victoria’s work and I hope to get to an event to finally meet her as I couldn’t make the ones this year!

3. River of Souls by Kate Rhodes – It’s not a secret that I am Kate’s number one fan and this book is the fourth in the Alice Quentin series (and in my humble opinion, her best!). It has nothing to do with the fact that my name is mentioned in the acknowledgements!!

4. All The Dark Secrets by Jennie Felton – I loved this book so much and am determined to read the second instalment soon as I just adore family sagas! I loved the characters and the way their lives turn around in the face of tragedy. I just loved it!

5. The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die by Marnie Riches – I hosted the first book on my blog as my very first Blog Tour but I think this second book in the George Mackenzie series is even better (I think this might be a trend, so can’t wait for the next instalment!!).

6. No Place for A Lady by Gill Paul – This is an historical wartime novel, again which I love! It came out during the year and one of the battles was in Gallipoli, which was very poignant as it was the anniversary of the battle in WWI.

7. The Day we Disappeared by Lucy Robinson – There is a twist, that’s all I’m saying!! Loved it and can’t wait for the next one!

8. The Piano Man Project by Kat French – This was a great read. Very funny and Hal is a character who just stays with you (mostly for all of the wrong reasons!!!).

9. Rings of Smoke by Diane O’Toole - this one scared the pants out of me with a very creepy main character, but a book that I couldn't put down!

10. Make a Christmas Wish by Julia Williams - This was the first Christmas book I read this year and by far my favourite! I will read this one again and again! Made me laugh one page and then cry like a baby on the next page! Loved it!

A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor

In 1912, twenty-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London, to become assistant housemother at Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the home has cared for London’s flower girls—orphaned and crippled children living on the grimy streets and selling posies of violets and watercress to survive.

Soon after she arrives, Tilly discovers a diary written by an orphan named Florrie—a young Irish flower girl who died of a broken heart after she and her sister, Rosie, were separated. Moved by Florrie’s pain and all she endured in her brief life, Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie. But the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.

Review

People say "Don't judge a book by it's cover" - well I disagree! I loved the cover of this book when I very first saw it and Hazel Gaynor very kindly sent me a copy for a review. 

Not only is the cover gorgeous, but the whole book is just beautiful. The text is like no other book I have read, it is set out spaciously with the title of the book on each page and pictures of flowers at the beginning of each chapter. It is definitely a keeper for my bookshelf!

The book is about a young woman called Tilly Harper who heads to London to become an Assistant Housekeeper in a home for girls who have been orphaned or disabled. They make paper flowers as a way of making money to earn their keep, but the homes are sponsored by a Mr Shaw and his family, who take pity on the girls who have had hard lives in poverty stricken London.

Tilly stumbles across a diary written by a girl called Florrie. She becomes so engrossed in the heartbreaking things Florrie writes in the diary about losing her sister Rosie, that she sets out on a quest to find out what happened to the girls.

The author does an amazing job of bringing the story of Tilly, Florie and Rosie together. The book is written in such an exquisite way as the author tells of how the girls are connected, but things don't always turn out the way you want!

I loved this book and cannot wait to read another by this author, in fact I have already bought the next one! If you read one book this year, make it this one!

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About the Author

Hazel Gaynor's 2014 debut novel THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME (William Morrow/Harper Collins) was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and winner of the 2015 RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year award. Her second novel A MEMORY OF VIOLETS was selected by WHSmith Travel as a 'Fresh Talent' title and was also a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Hazel is one of nine contributing authors to the anthology FALL OF POPPIES - Stories of Love and the Great War, which will be published on 1st March, 2016.