Watford Books

One day I visited my local library who where having a sale of old books and audio cassettes. As I was browsing through I noticed an audio cassette the author Miss Read and it was all about village life. I thought it would make a change to my usual reading and decided to purchase it. I have since bought 5 treasured books of Miss read's collection and will not be happy until I have completed the set. My hobbie of reading is now so much more enjoyable, I would recommend readers to try and read at least one of this truly brilliant authors books and I guarantee you will find it a light,funny and a very enjoyable read. To sum it up in the best way I can , (one of those books you will want to put the washing-up to one side for.)

Battles at thrush Green is a wonderful book. Miss Read has stupendous grasp of human nature and makes her characters alive for her readers. I just discovered this wonderful author and have been working my way down the reading list. I absolutely recommend this book as well as all the rest.

One day I visited my local library who where having a sale of old books and audio cassettes. As I was browsing through I noticed an audio cassette the author Miss Read and it was all about village life. I thought it would make a change to my usual reading and decided to purchase it. I have since bought 5 treasured books of Miss read's collection and will not be happy until I have completed the set. My hobbie of reading is now so much more enjoyable, I would recommend readers to try and read at least one of this truly brilliant authors books and I guarantee you will find it a light,funny and a very enjoyable read. To sum it up in the best way I can , (one of those books you will want to put the washing-up to one side for.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The premise was different from most medical thrillers (which I love), the venue was well described (prison facilities) and the setting, Atlanta, was vivid. I could be more explicit, but since this just came out, I don't want to be a 'spoiler'. So I'll just say Mr. Watford's debut novel was fine entertainment, and I was reminded at times, of a younger James Lee Burke. I look forward to his next book. I definitely think W.H. Watford is an author to watch.

WH Watford has written a medical suspense thriller that has just the right amount of each component. There's enough medical info and knowledge to be realistic, but not so much that it's overwhelming. The reader is definitely kept in suspense, trying to figure out- along with the main character- what's going on. And the thriller aspect - what's going to happen next?- never lets up, with plot twists and turns that kept me turning the pages when I should have been cookng dinner! A keeper! I look forward to his next book!

For some books, you're willing to sacrifice sleep, just to read one more chapter (then another). This is one of those books.

Mortal Strain is a very well-crafted, compelling book and an exciting story. From the first chapter, it's clear that this is going to be a good ride. The array of delightfully complex characters kept me engaged in guessing which were the good guys and which were the bad guys. Watford serves up a creative and satisfying twist on the medical thriller theme.

I'm looking forward to the movie version of Mortal Strain. In the meantime, I can't wait to read Watford's next book.

This is another cozy visit to Thrush Green and all our friends there. So much more enjoyable than the copy-cat Jan Karon books. Any Karon fans who haven't discovered Thrush Green are in for a treat. There are many books in this series and it is always fun to catch up with old friends.

In 1989 I had an unforunate surgery. I was recoverying from the latter, when I first read about "Thrush Green". I became enchanted with funny chractors in the villiage and Miss Read's delightful dry wit. I have never stopped returning to her books to smile and see who is doing what. I don't think there will be another exactly like this insightful author. I would love to be this dear woman's friend.

News from Thrush Green is, as are all of Miss Read's books, perfect. It provides relaxed, clean reading, humor and wonderful people. One can't ask for more.

All of Miss Read's books are enchanting and this one is no exception. I only wish that her Thrush Green books and Fairacre books would be republished as sets so I could read them all again and this time in chronological order.

This book is amazing. I loved this book all the way through. All the drama and suspense through the book was amazing. I loved the characters, the animals, the whole plot itself! This is one truly a magical book. If you haven't read this book, then you need to get it and read it yourself. This book is awesome. I urge you to get this book and read it. It will brighten your day. All the books I have read from Joyce Delbridge were fantastic. This one really hit it though. Best one yet!

Miss Read's books are as comforting as cup of hot tea on a cold day. The world of Thrush Green is endearing but not so perfect that it is uninteresting. It is inhabited by characters that are by turn charming,wise,eccentric and down-right irritating! The stories, set in a fictional town in modern England, portray a pace of life that is appealing to those of us who live in the busy, disconnected world of 21st century America and while they are somewhat idealized, the real world is allowed to intrude and the characters must deal with some of the same situations we face in our own lives....aging relatives, loss and disappointment. Yet the book always leaves you with the feeling that life is good. If you like Jan Karon or Jane Austen, you will love Miss Read.

The Civil War in North Carolina: Soldiers' and Civilians' Letters and Diaries, 1861-1865 (Volume 2): The Mountains, is the soldier's story. It is an A-to-Z compilation of what the "rank and file soldier" experienced during the American Civil War. The Western North Carolina soldiers express their hearts to their loved ones and friends, thus allowing the reader the most intimate and personal view of the war.
From triumph to tragedy, the "soldiers' letters" express what few authors or writers can achieve--realism.
According to cartographic and demographic studies, Southern Appalachia comprised a unique indigenous people, and by isolating these rare letters it allows the reader the most detailed insight to their experiences.
The soldier experienced various traumatic stressors in the conflict: such as witnessing death or dismemberment, handling dead bodies, traumatic loss of comrades, realizing imminent death, killing others and being helpless to prevent others' deaths.
Plain, raw and to the point: The reader will witness the most detailed insight to the so-called American Civil War. Intimate and personal: diseases, privation, wounds, loneliness, exhaustion, heartache, and death are all explored.

To understand and fathom the sociopolitical and geopolitical "tone" of western North Carolina and the American Civil War, purchase "The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War" by John C. Inscoe and Gordon B. McKinney.

Matthew D. Parker

I turned to Miss Read's Fairacre Chronicles when I had finished the last Thrush Green book, Year at Thrush Green. I had always thought the Thrush Green books infinitely better than the Mitford books my sisters-in-law so love. I was heartbroken when it was over. Thinking that the Fairacre novels would be more of the same, I turned to Village School.

Was I wrong! Yes, the story concerns a Cotswold village, as in Thrush Green. But the Fairacre novels are more worldly wise and the humor is much more sly. Thrush Green is the terribly idealized village everyone wishes they could live in; Fairacre is the village that you really live in, if you are lucky. The world of Fairacre is more realistic, with misbehaving children, out-of-wedlock births, alcoholic schoolmasters, the occasional abusive parent, and a schoolmistress who is human enough to lose patience and lose track of a 5-year-old while on a field trip.

I turned to Fairacre because I had already devoured all 12 Thrush Green books; I was seeking consolation. However, if Village School is any indication, I shall come to prefer it even to my own beloved Thrush Green.

I've read the majority of this author's books, including the entire Fairacre and Thrush Green series, and still keep coming back to reread them.

Miss Read writes well, and describes the experiences of a rural schoolteacher in Britain, with much detail about the conditions under which her characters live and work, as well as the local countryside. Her depictions of characters are well thought out, and interspersed throughout the book are humor and bits of wisdom, many pertaining to knowing when not to say anything. I highly recommend her books, although I prefer the Fairacre series to the Thrush Green series (although I once read that the author herself preferred the Thrush Green series).

I have read miss read for nearly 20 yrs. Togehter with her being the late HRH Queen mothers favourite author too. She shows how it was in the 1950's. Her pithy wisadom cuts across todays image /media based concerns and puts responsibility for ones wellfare firmly back on your shoulders. Instead of being concerned with School psychs,welfare workers and the like a child from a poor background is given the tools and education to effect a change in himself to be able to control his adult life better. Education is the key to effect change in ones life. Work Hard at whatever you are asked to do , always do your best. No one can ask more of you That is her maxim in life ignore this at your peril.

Village School was first published in 1955 by Dora Jessie Saint (Miss Read), a British school teacher turned author and is the first in the beloved Miss Read series. If you think the novel is dated, you're wrong. Village School is a return to a gentler time. Miss Read can make shining the school's pot belly stove sound interesting. She is, as far as I'm concerned, Jan Karon's predecessor.

Miss Read is the schoolmistress in the English village of Fairacre, where she's lived for five years. She is charged with the older children's education and Miss Claire teaches kindergarten and first grade--the 'babies.'

Village School is an intimate look at the inner workings of an English village and its inhabitants. School lunches come packed in pails, the children are loved and disciplined, and Mrs. Pringle, the elderly woman who cleans the school, doesn't approve of much, but she can make the old stove shine.

Village School takes place one fall and introduces the reader to humor, drama and a touch of romance. There are thatched roofs, trials and tribulations and unique characters that will touch your heart and make you long for the 'olden days.' You're introduced to jumble sales, fetes and festivals, and all things that represent British rural education.

There's young Joseph Coggs, (his father spent an evening at the Beetle and woke most of the village with his fervor), Eileen Burton (who suffers a 'knicker' calamity), Linda Moffet (a newcomer to Fairacre and immaculate in her dress), Mrs. Pringle (who has an opinion about everything), the lovely Miss Claire, Reverend Partridge, and then there's Miss Read herself.

Our world is fast-paced, confusing, stressful and frightening at times. Village School is a delightful respite from the 'now.' This series is my all-time favorite, and I highly recommend it for a visit to a time and place we all long for. Once you enter Miss Read's world, you'll want to stay.

Armchair Interviews says: Start with Village School and then take a journey with Miss Read through more village life adventures with Village Diary.

Dora Saint's books are engaging, wonderfully well written and are genuine--not at all a malicious. They are a candid reflection of the period and culture of the depicted people of contemporary middle England. Get over yourself you silly harpy and try to acquire a sense of humour and an appreciation of people who have different sensibilities from yours, you narrow-minded simpleton. Most likely your very own family members and relatives shared similar views and ideals, so try to absorb and learn from this as someone who is wiser and less of a moralizing prig would do. Yes, many people have progressed from the worldview described in these books, but it can in no way be attributed to small minds like yours. I myself, and many others may not agree with the ideas espoused by the charaters in these novels but neither does Ms. Saint if you, dearest Lady Disdain are capable of reading the text carefully and without the bias you accuse others of exhibiting. Only extremely foolish, silly people take themselves as seriously as you do. The only things one need be disdainful of are reviews like yours. Just feast your eyes one previous reviews by lady Disdain her choice of reading material. For shame, silly miss--the title of lady is quite erroneously associated with you.

I enjoyed reading this book, but I thought it really dragged in the middle. The "tough guy" scenes in the bar were not interesting to me. I have not finished the book yet, but I probably will read to the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It grabs you early with action and interesting characters that are three dimensional, with real emotions that pull you in. It's a fast read, which makes for an unusual combination of good pace and good characters. Jack Harris is not your typical doctor, but rather is one who has pulled himself out of a tough background to be a doctor. He used to work on off-shore oil rigs, and has a tough side and some raw emotions that are very believable. Yet he has the compassion to stick his neck out for a runnaway girl, whose subsequent disappearance from a room streaked with blood gets Harris blamed for murder. The web he uncovers in trying to save himself and the girl is enough to make this reader sit up all night. I hope Jack Harris is in the next book!

You already know the plot, but what you should know is that WH Watford is a writer to watch! I read his first - MORTAL STRAIN -and loved it. When LETHAL RISK came out, I bought six and gave them to my mystery loving friends. This guy can write! Move over Robin Cook and Michael Palmer, Watford is on the loose. The characters are fully written and believable, the setting is wonderfully portrayed, and the action is non-stop. But wait..there's more! The plot has more twists and turns than I was ready for, and best of all, I was totally unprepared for the surprise ending. Now, I'm a mystery writer too...and Watford was so clever, I figured the villian wrong. How's that for a recommendation?

I'm not too sure how I felt about this book. It was a very fast read, and fairly well written, but I never really got into it. I didn't really "get" the characters, or feel for them too much...except for Jack, which was good, since he was the main character. For the most part, I felt the book was interesting enough...until it came to the end. Towards the end, I felt that the author didn't really know where he was going, and through plot twist after plot twist in, with the possible intention of throwing the reader off the track...of figuring out whether or not there was really a mystery, or whether it really got solved.
I was unsatisfied by the conclusion of the big conspiracy going on. I didn't feel like there was ever a "Oh!" moment where you think, I should have seen that. Nor did I think there was ever really a moment that the mystery was solved (to my liking). Finally, the whole "love interest" story was poorly done, in my opinion. For me, then, it is back to the now retold (over and over!) books of Michael Palmer. But I might give this author another chance.

As always, Miss Read excels in taking us "home". Pour a cup of tea, relax and make some new friends