Julia Quinn,  No 1 bestselling New York Times author of the bestselling Bridgerton novels,  set for release as a hotly anticipated TV adaptation Bridgerton by Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy) on Netflix on Christmas Day, has revealed her favourite Historical romance novels in an exclusive reading list on Bookshop.org together with top recommended reads from Bridgerton stars Adjoa Andoh (Invictus, National Theatre Live; Les Liaisons Dangereuses), Phoebe Dynevor (Dickensian, Younger) and Claudia Jessie (Vanity Fair, Line of Duty) as Bookshop.org, Netflix and Little Brown partner to encourage Bridgerton fans to support indie bookshops this Christmas, and beyond.

Nicole Vanderbilt, MD at Bookshop UK, said: “With Bridgerton fans looking forward to seeing this beloved series of novels brought to life onscreen, and so many more about to discover Julia Quinn’s world, we’re delighted to be working with Netflix and Little Brown to encourage readers to support independent bookshops when making Bridgerton-inspired book purchases online.”

To date over 2,500 affiliates – spanning authors, publishers, bloggers and influencers – have shared reading lists on the site since it launched at the start of November, with books available from over 350 independent bookshops.

Julia Quinn’s Top Historical Romance Novels:   Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long.   Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase.  One Good Earl Deserves A Lover by Sarah MacLean.  Slightly Married by Mary Balogh,  The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas.  The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare.  The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson.  The Trouble With Dukes by Grace Burrows.  What Happens in Scotland by Jennifer McQuinston

Adjoa Andho’s Recommended Reads:  Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston.  Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje.  Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.  Eventide by Kent Haruf.  Gorilla My Love by Toni Cade Bambara.  Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe.  Beloved by Toni Morrison.  The Glass Room by Simon Mawer. My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.  Easy Rawlins series by Walter Mosley.  Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr

Phoebe Dynevor’s Recommended Reads:  A Little Life by Hanya Yanaghihara.  Figuring by Maria Popova.  Letting Go by David R. Hawkins.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  M Train by Patti Smith.  The Road by Cormac McCarthy.  The Secret History by Donna Tart.  Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Claudia Jessie’s Recommended Reads:   Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.  Natives by Akala by Akala.  Sabbath’s Theater by Phillip Roth.  The Buddha, Geoff and Me: A Modern Story by Edward Cantor-Dumas,  The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.  This Is Not A Drill – Extinction Rebellion by Extinction Rebellion

Bridgerton is  romantic, scandalous, and quick-witted  celebrating the timelessness of enduring friendships, families finding their way, and the search for a love that conquers all.

The series also stars Golda Rosheuvel, Jonathan Bailey, Luke Newton, Luke Thompson, Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan, Ruby Barker, Sabrina Bartlett, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh, Polly Walker, Ben Miller, Bessie Carter and Harriet Cains and Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown.

The series is inspired by Julia Quinn’s novels.

See more at Bookshop.org

Frost previously featured eczema-sufferer Camille Knowles and her products, which are kind to any skin but specifically formulated to help eczema. Let me remind you of her Vlog and books – very useful and give hope if you’re losing the battle with this painful and distressing affliction.

Last time we featured Calming Cream and Pamper Me Bathing Oil which contain numerous plant oils and, amongst other things, small amounts of crystals – reflecting Camille’s spiritual, holistic approach.

But I’m itching to tell you about two other fabulous products – Skin Warrior Wash and Salty Soother – sadly, itching being an appropriate word when talking about eczema.

Skin Warrior Wash contains Sweet Almond Oil and Oat Kernel Oils – important to hydrate your skin, plus a fermented sugar ingredient which protects and soothes – and if your eczema makes showering a painful experience, a number of reviews comment that this product really helps.

Salty Smoother is a bath salts with pink Himalayan, Dead Sea & Epsom salts, but also Omega 3 & 6, Oat lipids and other plant oils.

It’s worth mentioning that a cornerstone of treating eczema is hydration, as the dryness can damage your skin, weakening its key role as a protective barrier. High quality plant oils, and plenty of them can really help, and The Beauty of Eczema products all contain oils – even the bath salts, which is perhaps unusual. ‘Balanced’ Omega 3 and 6 are used in some of the products in the range. Omega 6 and 3 refer to fatty acids (components of oils), usually found in our diet. Western diets tend to have far too much Omega 6 compared to Omega 3, which can lead to inflammation, and it’s good to balance them by increasing Omega 3 and reduce Omega 6, for example by eating more oily fish and less animal fats. It’s interesting that Camille has balanced these two fatty acids in her products, and to be honest I’m not aware of research on the benefit of balancing the two for direct skin application, but skin certainly absorbs oily products and local benefit is theoretically possible.

She also uses prebiotics in some of her range. Prebiotics are substances which encourage ‘good’ bacteria, which can help fight the ‘bad’ bacteria which contribute to infection and inflammation – again I’m not aware of any studies on this but they may help and worth a try.

However they work, Camille appears to have gained control of her eczema by a mixture of life-style, diet and skin products so why not take a look? They’re really lovely to use, I promise you. All products are available from her website.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

until 1st January 2021

A star-studded West End and Broadway cast sing festive songs and perform brilliant sketches – all in aid of charity: for Shelter and Crisis At Christmas.

If you’ve never heard Kevin Clifton sing – then you’re in for a treat. But don’t worry, he dances as well!

Simon Callow and Maureen Lipman perform a couple of wondrous sketches.

And the whole extravaganza rounds off with the marvellous Lee Mead. So many performers, so many classic Christmas songs.

If you’re in a bah-humbug mood – slap on a CD and get your kicks that way! Otherwise stream this concert, filmed at The Actors Church in Covent Garden, knowing that your money has gone to two excellent causes.

Photography Bonnie Britain Photography 2020

Producers Thomas Hopkins & Michael Quinn for Ginger Quiff Media with Guy Chapman

Performers Christine Allado, David Bedella, Simon Callow, Kevin Clifton, Brenda

Edwards, Sheila Ferguson, Amy Hart, Dom Hartley-Harris, Sophie Isaacs,

Cassidy Janson, Charlie Kristensen, Dame Maureen Lipman, Lydia Lucy,

Lee Mead, Peter Polycarpou, Jodie Prenger, Sharon Rose, Sally Ann

Triplett and The Vivienne, Denise Welch and West End Gospel Choir.

Director Michael Strassen

Music George Carter

Shows until 1st January 2021

Running Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Tickets from www.stream.theatre

Price £20 for a single ticket or £30 for a family ticket (plus booking fees)

Twitter @Gingerqmedia, @stream_theatre

until 27th December 2020

“keeping it simple is the way to do things”

Polka Theatre is renowned for producing work that is innovative and approachable. Their version of

A Christmas Carol is no exception.

It is only 18 minutes long but is performed (I think!) in one take. Ian Nicholson is the storyteller, playing most of the characters, surrounded by an incredibly clever cardboard set. Sally Edwards’ puppeteering is certainly worthy of a mention, too.

Aimed at audiences of 4+ years, it is a simple and not-too-scary telling of Dickens’ classic tale. Now and then it veers, perhaps too infrequently, into silliness – preferring instead to get on with the story – but overall it is gripping. And, this coming from a reviewer with a heart of stone, surprisingly touching at the end…

The piece is free to watch. Yes, you read that right! Free!! Accessed via Polka’s website, there are two versions – one with subtitles, one without.

Sometimes – keeping it simple is the way to do things and full marks to Polka Theatre, with funding from Arts Council England, for this gift.

Photography Ian Nicholson

Producer Polka Theatre

Writers Ian Nicholson and Sam Wilde

Performer Ian Nicholson

Designer Samuel Wilde

Music Jim Witcher

Running Time 18 minutes

Ages 4+

Tickets not required!

Shows until 27th December 2020

Price Nothing!! IT’S FREE!!

Twitter @polkatheatre

To watch www.polkatheatre.com

Well, not a rose actually, but the name is Frost, the author R.D. Wingfield creator of that inimitable detective Jack Frost, portrayed on television by David Jason. Here we have three Detective Frost novels, the middle by R.D. Wingfield, who gave birth to the  glorious, funny shambolic Frost, and Superintendent Mullett and attendant crew.

It’s winter in Denton, and crime abounds. A serial killer, a skeleton, an armed robbery, and ram-raid, plus numerous burglaries. But over all this, a missing school girl. Dire happenings, a heady pace, serious subjects, but always, thank the Lord, hilarity. There is not other character quite like D.I. Frost, no other foil quite like Mullett.

But then such sadness in 2007, when R.D. Wingfield died. Would D.I. Frost be, forgotten?

Well no, James Henry took up the cudgels, and also R.D. Wingfield’s creation Jack Frost, taking us back in time to his earlier days.. Here we have Britain in 1982  during the Falklands War,  Jimmy Savile on the airwaves, (yep THE Jimmy Savile) burglaries, murder, followed by a ritual killing – or not. And at a time when Det Sgt Frost has domestic problems.

Then, A Lethal Frost with Danny Miller, featuring R.D. Wingfield’s Detective Frost setting it a bit later, in 1984  featuring the usual gang as Frost shambles through the cases that need solving. (I haven’t reached the end yet, and I want it konw ‘who did it’ but I don’t want it to finish, which was the case with all the Frost novels to date.

Did Henry and Miller make it work? Well, clearly, for me, anyway.   Did they have the same pace, the hilarity, the crime, the much loved characters? Yes, and I can only assume  Henry and Miller lived and breathe Frost, Denton, Mullett, until they were Frost, but still retaining in some measure their own voice. A tricky balance but one they managed with aplomb.

I loved them all. I want them to go on and on. Thankfully Danny Miller has written The Murder Map continuing the earlier Frost. So, R.D. Wingfield’s legacy is safe. – Enjoy.

As a doctor I’m very interested in nutrition and good health, and I worry about the growth of ‘convenience’ processed foods.

There’s more and more evidence that heart disease, cancer and type II diabetes are triggered by inflammation. Inflammation can be a good thing – it helps our bodies fight infection, and cancer cells – but if it starts appearing when it’s not needed, it causes harm. One trigger for unhelpful inflammation is the large spikes in blood sugar after eating many junk foods, sweets and deserts. Even savoury processed food often has hidden sugar. Glycaemic Load (GL) value is a useful indicator of how quickly a food releases sugar into your blood – a low GL is under 10, and 20 and above is classed as high.

So as my predecessor, Hippocrates allegedly said – Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food – wise words.

My research led me to Lizi’s Super Muesli, which of course I road-tested. Lizi and husband Mick Shaw are passionate about wholesome food and they test the GL of all their products. For a single serving of their muesli, the GL is around 5, so good and low. Contrary to popular perception in this ‘low-fat’ world, some fats are essential for our well-being, and hence Lizi makes sure their muesli’s have plenty of nuts and seeds.

So we’ve established that Lizi’s Super Mueslis are good for you, but do they taste OK? Short answer – they taste heavenly. There are four different choices. All have a base of different whole grains, including ancient varieties such as spelt, but with very distinct and frankly delicious flavours.

Here’s a summary guide:

GLOW: featuring fig, apple and almond it provides B2 and selenium – good for healthy hair and nails and also fatigue. It has large chunks of dried green figs, which I loved.

BOOST: features mango, papaya and turmeric – which as you know has many beneficial properties, and the vitamin C and B6 help tiredness and our immune system. It tastes very fruity and the natural sweetness of the fruit offsets the bite of the turmeric.

FOCUS: this has noticeably no dried fruit but majors on nuts and seeds, including hazelnut and pecan, and also contains maca – a Peruvian root which is said to boost energy. It contains zinc and B6 – to help brain function.

CLEANSE: I have to say this was my favourite – the tartness of the chunks of dried cranberry, raspberry and cherry was simply delicious. It provides zinc and vitamin C – but frankly I don’t care – I just love the taste.

So if you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution, you could do worse than resolve to switch to these delicious, wholesome and healthy breakfast mueslis. They come in attractive and convenient resealable packs and are available from Lizi’s website.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

If you saw a photo of Camille Knowles you might be forgiven for wondering what she could possibly know about bad skin. But you’d be very wrong. Spare five minutes to hear Camille on this YouTube link to learn how she suffered with extensive and severe eczema for years, so painful that even a shower was unbearable. In fact it made her so miserable that she seriously considered ending things for good.

Determined to have one last shot at overcoming her eczema, she decided that if she succeeded she’d write a book to help others – she’s now written three and has a blog and numerous YouTube vlogs too.

But what is eczema? It’s an inflammation of the skin causing dryness, redness, itching, pain and cracking, and it can become infected, making things much worse. It can appear anywhere, but it’s often concentrated in certain areas, such as behind the knees and in the elbow crease. The most common type – atopic eczema, is thought to be allergic in origin, to food for example, or something environmental, but it isn’t easy to find and eliminate the cause – or causes. It’s usually treated with emollients, which help the dryness and encourage healing. Steroids can be used, but have their own problems long-term so their use should be limited. Despite treatment, many children suffer considerably, and bad cases can progress to adulthood too.

Thus Camille’s holistic approach is important and besides her books and information sources she has a range of rather special skin treatments, which contain numerous plant oils and, amongst other things, small amounts of crystals – reflecting her spiritual, holistic approach.

Let’s look at two products in her range – Calming Cream and Pamper Me Bathing Oil.

Calming Cream is applied morning and evening. It’s formulated with Mango and Shea butters and Jojoba Seed Oil; Omega 3 and 6, balanced to reduce inflammation; Oat lipids (a rich source of vitamin E); Rhamnosoft – based on a fermented sugar; Bioecolia, a prebiotic to encourage beneficial skin bacteria and Smithsonite and Rhodochrosite crystals for serenity, calmness and self-love. It smells fabulous thanks to botanical ingredients, and it felt beautiful on my skin and was rapidly absorbed.

Pamper Me Bathing Oil is light but has a thick, gel-like consistency and adding it to my bath felt like the ultimate in decadence and made my skin beautifully soft. You can also rub it over your body first for even more effect. It contains Castor Oil, which Camille swears by, with Sweet Almond, Oat Kernel, Jojoba and Sunflower oils, together with balanced Omega 3 and 6 and Oat lipids, and the same crystals as in the Calming Cream.

All the products are packaged in deep and light pink packaging – inducing instant feelings of peace.

If you’ve struggled with eczema, you have my sympathy. It’s worth giving Camille Knowles a try – her advice, her books and her products – and I really hope it helps. All products are available from her website.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

The Wreck by Meg Keneally pub Zaffre pb. eBook and audio

Sarah McCaffrey finds herself alone and on the run, after participating in a failed rebellion. She manages to board a ship bound from London to Australia, only to be the sole survivor of a shipwreck within sight of Sydney.

She reinvents herself and takes a job under formidable Molly Thistle, the head of a trade empire and soon realises that her life could be more than she ever thought, but then her past catches up with her…

A powerful historical novel, interesting, and page turning.

Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass pb pub by Titan Books

Suspicion, obsession and revenge… Ouch.

Faith Finley is a talented psychologist with a flourishing career, and is a successful author, and the host of a popular local radio program. On top of this, she’s happily married to a respected food critic, Liam Finley.

Then it all goes wrong, and after that night nothing will be the same.  Liam is missing, and the police look on Faith with suspicion. Has she has something to hide? Or is she mad?

Then notes begin to arrive. Threats escalate, and it is up to Faith to solve the mysteries.

A page turner, full of pace, tension and twists and turns.

All the Best Lies by Joanna Schaffausen pub Titan Books. 

FBI agent Reed Markham is haunted by one painful unsolved mystery: who murdered his mother?

Camilla was brutally stabbed to death more than forty years ago while baby Reed lay in his crib near to her. The trail went so cold that the Las Vegas Police Department has given up hope of solving the case. But then a shattering family secret changes everything Reed knows about his origins, his murdered mother, his powerful adoptive father, state senator Angus Markham. So, just who is his mother’s killer? Is he horribly close to home?

A heart thumping and sinister novel. Keep all the lights on.