Tales of the Unelected by Dan Corry

 

Visit the hidden Whitehall world of the unelected special advisers.

Encounter their hopes, dreams, rivalries and compromises as they face the challenge of doing the right thing in a role full of tensions. See how they struggle with the civil service, accusations of being the source of leaking, politicians who need to up their game, negotiating with No 10, finding time with the PM, and worrying about physical attacks on their Secretary of State. All this as they try to keep some semblance of family life intact.

Dan Corry entertains and informs us well in Tales of the Unelected.

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“There are so many tensions and emotional conflicts in being a special adviser and Dan Corry takes you into that world through this fascinating collection of stories.”
Ed Balls (former special adviser, minister and Shadow Chancellor)

“It’s an honour to be a special adviser, as I was, but most of what has been written about them is of the sensational type. Here, in all its everyday glory, is a real feel of what it is like.”
Ayesha Hazarika, former special advisor

“Dan Corry’s subtle and engrossing short stories are the real thing, a window on the largely hidden lives of the fixers and policymakers of the political world, the notorious advisers. His compelling authority is no accident: reader, he was one.”
Robert Peston (Political Editor at ITN)

RRP £7.50 

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With the ambitions and scheming of Whitehall’s growing army of political special advisors increasingly hitting the headlines, this absorbing collection of short stories could hardly be more timely. Corry’s intimate knowledge of the machinery and process of government, through years at the coalface himself, offers the reader a revealing insight into how even successful policy making in Britain usually involves bargaining, backbiting and bickering to get it across the line. But make no mistake, these are also in many ways uplifting stories, illustrating how many of our public servants struggle to overcome their own vulnerabilities and imperfections to deliver change which they sincerely believe is for the better. Like all compelling fiction, Corry makes you believe in the characters. Highly recommended.

 

With a new government struggling to find its feet, Dan Corry's book of short stories set across Westminster provides a unique insight into the world behind the media sound bites. It will be as valuable to current practitioners of the dark arts in Westminster as to students of politics and a wide, general audience. Corry was a civil service economist and then a Labour special advisor across numerous departments, including no10, during the labour governments of 1997-2010. So he writes with authority. But beyond his political instincts and institutional experience, he writes with humanity, psychological insight and dramatic purpose. Very few special advisors resemble Malcolm Tucker and most ministers and civil servants are intelligent and well-intentioned. Corry's short stories explore the ethical, public policy and political dilemmas they face daily, through the prism of the special advisors who work closely with them and whose own positions are often precarious. His book is a reminder that politics matters, is rarely easy and impacts on all our lives.  

 

Excellent stories which open up the world of the SPAD in a highly compelling way - scenes focusing on the the complex world of Whitehall negotiation alternate with vignettes of the life of families under pressure. Makes ‘The Thick of It’ look thin and topples ‘House of Cards’ with its closely observed tone of realism. 

 

Feel Good Stories by Sarah Swatridge

 

A book to enhance your wellbeing and tug at your emotions.

An eclectic mix of heart-warming stories, full of memorable and quirky characters. Read about the heroic postie, the eccentric duke, a spoilt parrot, a true friend and a determined would-be husband. Perfect bite-sized reading with your favourite drink.

Enjoy Sarah Swatridge’s uplifting Feel-Good Stories.

RRP £7.50

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A heart warming collection of short stories that do as the title suggests - make you feel good! A good selection from historical stories to contemporary. My favourite was The Promise which really made me smile!

 

A very enjoyable and and aptly-named mix of short stories. Beautifully written and constructed with a contrast of the emotional and amusing.Favourites were Mr Postman and All she had to give. Highly recommended.

A wonderful selection of stories. The titles says it all.
The feel good factor is on every page. Can highly recommend  

If Crows Could Talk by Debz Hobbs-Wyatt

 

George Tucker and April Jefferson have never met but they share a secret.

Born the same day fifty years apart, in the same town in Florida, both are battling demons.

George is African-American – now living in Atlanta, having run from Jim Crow – only it seems you can't outrun the past. April is a white teenager terrified she will end up like her mother.

 George’s story is set over fifty years, April’s over a single year…  yet their destinies are tied up together. They must meet… but how is the troubled teenager April the key to unlocking the secrets of George’s past?

 Find out in the gripping If Crows Could Talk by award-winning literary writer Debz Hobbs-Wyatt.

Paperback RRP £10.50

Kindle £2.30 

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Afterwards by K M Kendrick

 

Girl is dead.

She knows she is dead because she remembers dying. The afterlife is not what she had expected – she has awoken into a nightmare, in which everything seems hell-bent on killing her all over again. She is the only one who remembers what life was like before death and she has no idea why.

Also, Girl has a secret. A secret which could end this strange world she has found herself in, if she manages to survive for long enough. As she begins to learn the horrifying truth about Afterwards, she is propelled into a journey which will change everything she thinks she knows about herself.

Grim in places, Karen Kendrick’s Afterwards is also fast-paced and emotionally challenging.

The only way to beat the game is to keep moving forwards, even if it means the end of the world.

 

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The Post Box Topper Chronicles

 

A boring post box. Five knitters. Can one woman convert a post box into a work of artistic genius?

Vera Twinge is a natural leader. As chairperson of the newly formed Creaping Bottom Post Box Topper Society, she’s determined to make a splash in the village’s High Road with a stunning new post box topper for each month. But she’s constantly obstructed by an unscrupulous journalist, an insulted hairdresser and a possible mass murderer. Urging her society members on to create more ingenious toppers, Vera refuses to be defeated. But with negative reports in the local newspaper, a revenge haircut and the threat of alien invasion, Vera wonders if she is up to the task.

Will Vera and her post box topper society expose the strange happenings in Creaping Bottom and keep their beloved post box an object of beauty?

 

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Reviewed by Mimie Odigwe for Readers' Favorite 

The newly formed Creaping Bottom Post Box Topper Society is determined to knit stunning post box toppers each month. Despite their January topper being labeled a disgrace and an eyesore by an anonymous email, the team continues knitting creatively themed toppers every month: hearts for February, daffodils and books for March, eggs for April, and a coronation topper for May. They begin to garner local and national sensation. With mysterious attempts to sabotage their toppers and more anonymous emails from the elusive A. Godbin, a vindictive hairstylist, and a peeved local journalist, the Society faces challenges beyond dropped stitches and thinking up creative toppers monthly. The Post Box Topper Chronicles by Dawn Knox is a lighthearted and endearing story that readers will relish. If the book cover did not give it away, The Post Box Topper Chronicles is a humorous, laugh-out-loud read filled with quirky and hilarious characters. Beryl constantly schemes to promote her coffee and cake shop, while Sally pines for the oblivious Levi. Stuart, the tight-fisted accountant, has a unique talent for lopsided knitting, and Vera, the group’s beleaguered Chairperson, keeps everything from unraveling. The book delights with its comedic elements, including alien sightings, a vengeful hairstylist, and the Creaping Bottom Post Box Topper Society's relentless planning for the next month’s post box topper, all amidst plenty of cake. Dawn Knox weaves together a tale of camaraderie, creativity, and the occasional chaos of community projects. This is a warm, humorous read that offers laughs and heartwarming moments, perfect for anyone needing a good chuckle and a cozy story.

Another wonderful and imaginative LOL book from Dawn - she is such a creative and able writer being able to put her hand to many different genres.
I was immediately drawn into the gentle yet up to date antics of the members of the Creaping Bottom Post Box Topper Society and was curious to see what each amazing monthly display would be.
I enjoyed participating in their meetings at Bonzer Buns with Beryl and her many "enterprising" cakes on offer. Also, loved her assistant Tilly and the cleaning obsessed friend Effie and her golf buggy cleaning trolley.
Dawn's imagination seems to work overtime with her ever-so-clever naming of the various members of the society and their very different characteristics - some quirky, some innocent and some completely mad ! This imagination also extends to the wider community of the village and the various enterprises they are involved in.
If you want a very amusing read - then don't hesitate to buy this book - would certainly recommend it as one of Dawn's best !!

 

The Post Box Topper Chronicles by Dawn Knox is a truly delightful read. It's packed with light-hearted humour. There were many laugh out loud moments and one or two tense bits when I really felt for Vera - the chairperson of The Post Box Topper Society.

As I read this story, which is full of visual images, I couldn't help wonder who I'd cast if it was made into a film - I know Dawn French isn't Australian, but I felt she'd make a good Beryl. I think the young forensic scientist from Silent Witness would make a good Liam and 'Mr Moseley' from Downton Abbey would be my Stuart. Maureen Lipman as Effie...I'm working on the rest.

You'll have to read it and make your own cast. This is a warm and funny farce with a cast of eccentric characters all clearly defined, each with their own idiosyncrasies.

We need stories like this to help us 'switch off' from the real world, if only for a little while.