Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Away with the Penguins
Away with the Penguins | Hazel Prior
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . . Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she's never seen without her ruby-red lipstick. Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone. She can be found either collecting litter from the beach ('people who litter the countryside should be shot'), trying to locate her glasses ('someone must have moved them') or shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen ('Eileen, door!'). Veronica doesn't have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she's going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies. But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this. Readers love Hazel Prior! 'Oh I so adored this beautiful, unique book!' 'A complete pleasure from start to finish.' 'A touching, absorbing and uplifting story.' 'Tender, heartwarming and sensitively written.'
LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
squirrelbrain
post image
Pickpick

Most of the books I‘ll be reading for #readingoceania24 will be fairly serious and / or non-fiction so I thought I‘d go for something different for #antarctica.

There are many other similar books - grumpy or sad person finds happiness due to cute animal / cute child / found family, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It stayed just on the right side of twee, even if it was a little bit on the far-fetched side.

Librarybelle This sounds adorable! 10mo
quietlycuriouskate Did Veronica irritate you as much as she did me? (Or do I just have an insufficiency of penguins in my life? 🤔🐧) 10mo
squirrelbrain She irritated me a little bit @quietlycuriouskate but maybe not as much as you! But, whilst penguins are very cute, they stink of fish so I don‘t think you need them in your life, or your house. 🐧 10mo
See All 6 Comments
Leniverse It landed on the wrong side of twee for me. Just made me grumpy 😂 @quietlycuriouskate If you want more penguins in your life I suggest 9mo
quietlycuriouskate @Leniverse "darkly funny and ominous"? Stacked! 9mo
64 likes6 comments
review
quietlycuriouskate
post image
Pickpick

Read for my local library's book group. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to like it much: "heart-warming" books tend to be much too sweet for my taste. Still, I enjoyed this. Veronica is a cantankerous old bird, but it's all about her character development (ably assisted by Adélie penguins).

It was a quick, undemanding read, with enough punch given by the backstory to keep the worst excesses of whimsical fluff at bay.

blurb
Leniverse
post image

I have Demon Copperhead coming up next, but I feel like my reading has been a bit harrowing this year. StoryGraph confirms it. While the books haven't been sad, they have been heavy. And I haven't read a single light-hearted book. So I'm inserting the tagged book for a bit of a breather before I tackle modern poverty, foster care, and the opioid crisis. 😬

dabbe I just went and looked at mine, and we're almost the same! I've been feeling bogged down with the heaviness, too. I'm going to take your advice and find me a light-hearted mystery (if there is such a thing). 💙🤗💚 1y
Leniverse @dabbe The Tuesday Murder Club or a cozy crime maybe? Let me know what you end up with! I have Legends & Lattes ready for when/if Demon Copperhead gets too much. 1y
dabbe @Leniverse I have read more good things about the L&L book than any other in the past few months. I'll have to add that to the TBR, too, as well as your recs. Thanks! 🤗 1y
42 likes3 comments
blurb
TheEllieMo
post image

Missed the #WinterReadathonDailyChallenge yesterday so catching up today, with my current favourite animal picture - a Wentworth jigsaw called “Soulmates”.

I love penguins!

#WinterReadathon
@Andrew65
@DieAReader
@GHABI4ROSES

kspenmoll Sweet! 2y
Andrew65 Love this 😍 2y
DieAReader 💜💜💜 2y
31 likes3 comments
blurb
TheEllieMo
post image

#AdventRecommends

This is such a heartwarming story, and seriously, who doesn‘t like penguins?

@emilyrose_x

emilyrose_x This looks like the perfect winter read! ❄️ 2y
32 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
TheEllieMo
post image

I don‘t put up a Christmas tree at home but this sits on my desk at work during December! Yes, I like penguins.

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge
#WinterReadathon 20 points

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

Andrew65 A penguin tree, I love it! 🎄🎄🎄 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So cute 😊 2y
DieAReader Adorable! So cute!🎄♥️ 2y
See All 6 Comments
kezzlou85 Penguin tree what an awesome idea. I love penguins 2y
Sleepswithbooks How charming 🐧❤️💚🐧❤️💚🐧 2y
mhillis I love penguins too! So cute!! 2y
40 likes6 comments
review
VanessaCW
Pickpick

A heartwarming and charming story. Veronica is a really cantankerous character but I grew to love her as the tale progressed. Her supporting cast are also a great bunch, very entertaining. I loved Pip the penguin! It has an engaging and captivating storyline. Beautifully written, It was a delight to read - I enjoyed every minute of it and I can‘t wait to read Call of the Penguins, the second book in the series.

review
emmaturi
post image
Pickpick

This is a lovely, funny and uplifting book. I really enjoyed it and all the characters too. I liked how part was set in Antarctica, really fascinating. The main characters Veronica really lovely.

blurb
Cupcake12
post image

#wondrouswednesday
1. I don‘t but I follow a few of my favourite authors on Instagram.
2. I read 70 books last years so I‘d like to beat that total.
3. Tagged. I read this as part of my book club choice in December. We all loved it and I d just got the sequel too.
Are you reading this…..you‘re tagged! Xx

blurb
Cupcake12
post image

#two4tuesday
1. Both. But I don‘t like it when the slow burn is just too slow and I don‘t like it when it‘s too fast paced that I can‘t keep up with happening! I‘m awkward, I know 🤣
2. Tagged. A beautifully paced story about living in the past and living with family in the future.
Are you reading this…..you‘re tagged x

TheSpineView I agree with you on #1. Thanks for playing! 💜📖📚 3y
26 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Cupcake12
post image
Pickpick

This book was to put it simply…delightful ❤️
Veronica makes a decision that will take her on the journey of a lifetime.
The story is charming and beautifully written and unbeknown to me has inspirational environmental message throughout. I could not put it down.
I felt such affection for Veronica as the story developed and began to understand why Veronica is the way she is.
I was hooked from page one. A definite 5 ⭐️
#wintergames2021 #tbrlist

kspenmoll Sounds delightful! 3y
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Cupcake12
post image

Book number two for December…been looking forward to this one 🐧

ChasingOm That sounds like a lovely book! 3y
23 likes1 comment
blurb
TheEllieMo
post image

OMG I‘ve just found out that there is going to be a sequel to my favourite book of last year!! Call of The Penguins, due out in November 21, is the follow-up to Away With The Penguins (known in some parts of the world by the rather less snappy title of How The Penguins Saved Veronica).

31 likes1 stack add
review
Itchyfeetreader
post image
Pickpick

Look I read another book! That‘s better than the last three months of last year!! I adore penguins and I love cross generational friendship stories so this whilst cosy and predictable is very much my comfort read wheelhouse. That the pup chilled out enough to be a book rest was an extra bonus !

Texreader Congrats! On a roll! 4y
49 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
TheEllieMo
post image

This heart-warming, uplifting novel lifted my spirits in the run-up to Christmas.

#12Booksof2020
@Andrew65

review
TheEllieMo
post image
Pickpick

This was the book I needed right now. Funny, sad, uplifting, and featuring a cute penguin 🐧 chick. I loved it.

Caroline2 I enjoyed this one too. ☺️ 4y
31 likes1 comment
blurb
TrishB
post image

Got these for 99p today 😁

RachelAmphlett I‘m so far behind on that Elly Griffiths series 😩 4y
eanderson I‘ve heard the Penguin one is good! 4y
MsMelissa I love a good e-book sale 😊 4y
See All 15 Comments
Cathythoughts Woooo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
Cathythoughts I‘ll get that Donal Ryan 👍🏻 4y
BarbaraBB That is a good sale! 4y
LeahBergen I‘ve been eyeing Miss Benson‘s Beetle. 👍🏻 4y
LeahBergen That ☝️sounds a bit dirty. 😆😆 4y
TrishB @RachelAmphlett I haven‘t started that one 😁 I buy them in kindle when they‘re 99p as I‘m planning ahead! 4y
TrishB @eanderson @Caroline2 reviews it the other day 👍🏻 4y
TrishB @Book_Fiend_Melissa they‘re great 👍🏻😁 4y
TrishB @Cathythoughts that one looks really good 👍🏻 4y
TrishB @BarbaraBB definitely 👍🏻 4y
TrishB @LeahBergen 😂😂 4y
Caroline2 Bargain! hope you like it. It‘s nice and fluffy which suits my candy floss brain at the mo. 😆 4y
74 likes15 comments
blurb
jenniferw88
post image

@Caroline2 my local independent bookshop has bookplates from this book! #signforourbookshops

116pts #teamreadnosedreindeer #wintergames2020 @StayCurious

Caroline2 How wow 😯 how lovely is that!! ❤️ 4y
54 likes1 comment
review
Caroline2
post image
Pickpick

Charming! This book is like a big mug of hot chocolate! Comforting and warms the cockles! A 86yr old lady goes to Antarctica to see the decline of the Adelie Penguin colony. This is a real easy read, occasionally it dips into cheesy and sentimentality but it‘s an enjoyable read especially if you‘re looking for a feel-good Christmas book.

Clwojick This sounds so good! 💙 4y
TrishB And currently 99p on kindle!! 4y
Caroline2 Excellent! 😀 @TrishB (edited) 4y
TheGremo It sounds good!!! Hope to find it in its Italian version (otherwise I‘ll read it in English😊) 4y
101 likes6 stack adds4 comments
review
Curvybookgirl
post image
Pickpick

Such an enjoyable and heart warming read. Perfect for cozy nights in

review
Cathy_J
post image
Pickpick

This audio book was just what I was looking for. Distinctive characters with interesting stories and penguins 😊🐧🐧🐧❄ It was very sweet. I have a copy of Ellie and the Harpmaker by the same author that will have to move up a bit in my TBR pile now 😆 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

56 likes1 stack add