New release titles from Simon & Schuster Book Review

Hello!

As mums we know there’s nothing better than being able to take time out with a beautiful book …

Whether it’s to help you make a delicious meal for your family or read for your own enjoyment, a beautiful quality book is a joy. Which is why we’re so excited to bring you the latest page-turning reads from Simon & Schuster – a unique opportunity to read and review one of four brand new titles!

In this month’s Simon & Schuster Book Review, we will feature the following titles:

Sinister Intent is a new fast-paced thriller from Sydney based author Karen M Davis.

From former police detective Karen M Davis comes a fast-paced thriller, with characters you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley and a plotline that will keep you guessing until the last page. For eight years Lexie Rogers has been a uniform cop in Sydney’s red light district, King’s Cross. Having survived a violent knife attack she’s now back at work as the newest member of the Bondi Junction detectives’ office, and one of her first jobs is to execute a search warrant at a bikie clubhouse. What she uncovers there begins a chilling investigation into a vicious world where loyalty is deadly and unwavering and can’t be bought…or can it?

Sinister Intent, written by Karen M Davis, is a brand new release from Simon & Schuster.

Available in paperback where all good books are sold for $24.99.  Also available as an ebook for $13.99.

Find out more about Sinister Intent here.

Average Ratings (from 33 ratings)
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When you’re all that stands between the murderous past and the fate of those you love, how far would you go to save them?

When Audrey Kepler inherits an abandoned homestead in rural Queensland she jumps at the chance to escape her loveless existence in the city and make a fresh start. In a dim back room of the old house she discovers the crumbling photo of a handsome World War II soldier – Samuel Riordan, the homestead’s former occupant – and soon finds herself becoming obsessed with him. But as Samuel’s story unravels, Audrey discovers that he was accused of killing a young Aboriginal woman upon his return from the war in 1944. When she learns that other unexplained deaths have occurred in recent years – one of them a young woman with injuries echoing those of the 1944 victim – she begins to suspect that the killer is still very much alive. And now Audrey – thanks to her obsessive need to uncover the past – has provided him with good reason to want to kill again.

Thornwood House, written by Anna Romer, is a brand new release from Simon & Schuster.

Available in paperback where all good books are sold for $24.99.  Also available as an ebook for $13.99.

Find out more about Thornwood House here.

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The White Princess is the fifth novel in The Cousins’ War series from international best-selling author Philippa Gregory.

The White Princess opens with news from the battle of Bosworth that the war is over, and a new Tudor king is to be crowned. Princess Elizabeth of York waits for word of whether the man she loves, Richard III, is alive or whether she will be forced to marry his enemy, Henry Tudor. She soon learns that her betrothal to the victorious Henry VII will go ahead. Under the guidance of her mother, Elizabeth Woodville, the young princess marries Henry VII and is charged to create a new royal family, one that will finally bring the houses of York and Tudor together. But, while the new monarchy has won the war, it cannot win over the hearts of the English people who still remember the House of York with love and desperately hope for the resurgence of a York prince. King Henry’s greatest fear is realised when a prince from the House of York invades England and attempts to reclaim the throne, leaving Elizabeth with the decision to either affirm his claim or stand by her husband, whom she is growing to love.

The White Princess, written by Philippa Gregory, is a brand new release from Simon & Schuster.

Available in hardback where all good books are sold for $37.00.  Also available as an ebook for $21.99.

Find out more about The White Princess here.

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The King of Spice, John Gregory-Smith, returns with a new cookbook which pays tribute to the influences of international street food.

In Mighty Spice Express Cookbook  John writes, “Street food shows the best a place has to offer and a snapshot of what’s hot right now. It is always served fast and furious, and can be hot or cold, savoury or sweet. But, guaranteed, it will be tasty, fresh and cooked to perfection. Quite simply, if the food doesn’t cut the mustard it won’t be there the following morning.” From Fez in Morocco, to Essaouira, Goa, Mumbai, Hanoi, Beirut, Seoul, Laos, Thailand and China, Mighty Spice Express Cookbook will take you on an international culinary journey and show you how to make speedy and delicious dishes which are bursting with flavour. Full of time-saving techniques and clever shortcuts, many of the recipes can be prepared from start to finish in under 15 minutes. Mighty Spice Express Cookbook is the easy way to transform familiar ingredients into fantastic dishes, and your fast-track ticket to spice heaven!

Mighty Spice Express Cookbook, written by John Gregory-Smith, is a brand new release from Simon & Schuster.

Available in hardback where all good books are sold for $35.00.  Also available as an ebook for $12.99.

Find out more about The Mighty Spice Express Cookbook here.

Average Ratings (from 36 ratings)
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Be part of the Simon & Schuster book review team.

In the Simon & Schuster book review, mums selected will receive one of the four books profiled above. We’ll be asking mums to read the book they receive and then post their review and ratings on the relevant book’s page.

Invitations to review will be emailed to all Mouths of Mums members on Tuesday 3 September 2013 so keep your eye on your inbox so you can apply to review!


Published 2nd September 2013

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Mopping isn’t exactly the chore most of us look forward to, but like most mums, for Katrina Macilroy, it’s unavoidable.

With three teenagers, a husband, a dog, two cats and timber flooring throughout most of her home, there’s plenty to keep her mop busy.

“I thought the toddler stage was hard, but teenagers take it to a whole other level,” Katrina told Mouths of Mums.

She describes herself as a ‘full-time Uber driver’ for her three kids, but when she’s home, she may as well be a full-time cleaner.

Her husband is a concreter, the family has plenty of sand coming inside and, with teenagers touching everything, the floors quickly show the evidence of a full family life.

“I have to mop like every second day because the floor gets marks,” she said.

So when Katrina was given the chance to try the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO Mop & Bucket Set, she was keen to see whether it could actually make one of her least favourite cleaning tasks any easier.

“I didn’t have high hopes for it to start with, because I’ve used spin mops before and I’d been disappointed,” she admitted.

But it didn’t take long for her to change her mind. One of the first things Katrina noticed was just how easy the mop was to use.

Person using the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO mop system.

The foot pedal made wringing the mop quick and simple, without having to stop and fiddle with anything.

“It was so easy to spin it,” she says. “It wasn’t like you’re spinning it for hours or anything.”

She was also impressed by how quickly the mop itself could be put together, and the simple button that releases the mop head for washing.

“That simple press notion, everyone can do that. So I love that.”

It’s The Little Things That Add Up

For Katrina, who regularly finds herself cleaning up after a busy family, these little details made a surprisingly big difference. She also loved the triangular mop head, particularly when it came to getting into the corners and edges that her previous mop struggled with.

“The triangle design makes it easy to get into all the little corners,” she says.

But ultimately, the big question was whether it actually cleaned her floors. Katrina’s answer was an enthusiastic yes.

“My floor has never been so clean,” she says.

Katrina was also surprised by how light and manoeuvrable the mop felt, because at just 4’11”, she says mopping can sometimes be an uncomfortable job.

“I’m not a tall person, so trying to mop is always just a horrible experience.”

Person carrying the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO mop system.

But she found the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO Mop & Bucket Set easy to move around and able to go in different directions without feeling heavy or awkward.

And it wasn’t just the mop itself that won Katrina over. She says the bucket design solved one of her biggest mopping frustrations: accidentally tipping the bucket over.

With timber floors, getting too much water onto the floor is something she tries hard to avoid. “The amount of mop buckets I’ve tipped over and just gone everywhere,” she says.

That can turn a simple cleaning job into another mess to deal with, particularly when you’re suddenly scrambling for towels and a dry mop head.

But Katrina says the Vileda bucket feels much more stable because of its design.

And for someone who mops as often as she does, she says that has saved her time. “This thing has saved me so much time, I can’t get over it.”

The Only Mop You’ll Need

Katrina also admits that she’d previously convinced herself she needed a steam mop. She even bought one, only to discover that plugging it in every time she wanted to clean wasn’t exactly appealing.

“You have to plug it in like a vacuum. Like, that’s not fun, I don’t want to do that.”

After trying the Vileda, she says she’s no longer convinced she needs one.

“Why do you need a steam mop when you can get this one?”

For Katrina, the combination of being lightweight, easy to wring, simple to manoeuvre and able to get into those awkward corners has made mopping feel much less frustrating. And despite going into the trial with low expectations, she’s now very happy to recommend it.

“I’m not trying to sell you a product, but I’m just saying that I’m very impressed with it. It’s really good.”

Her final verdict?

“It’s been really, really good. Recommend!”

This Real Story was provided as part of a paid sponsorship opportunity. Katrina was chosen to share her story because she was sent out and tried the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO Mop & Bucket Set, and genuinely loved it! And Vileda is so confident they’ve made the best spin mop ever, they’re backing the new & improved Easy Wring & Clean TURBO with a 5 Year Guarantee. 

  • This mop so good and the views all are positive so I just purchased one on milkrun through Woolworths and it come with 2 mop head refills. Can’t wait to use it.

    Reply

  • Yes, I couldn’t agree more. The Vileda spin mop is by far my favourite mop for a good thorough clean at home. I even got the landlords to purchase one for the holiday house I clean to make cleaning a breeze and get the job done properly. I always grab a spare when they’re out for half price.

    Reply

  • Ah, I received a ‘you’re a finalist’ email from MoM for this fantastic mop but didn’t receive anything beyond that. I was looking forward to giving this a try to compare the three existing options I have but alas. Looks good, fingers crossed I can try it in the near future!

    Reply

  • Omg! Yes! With 4 dogs and 4 teens AND the guests they bring home with them LOL our timber floors and tiles don’t stand a chance! I would love to see them add some wheels to the bottom of the bucket so that you don’t have to carry the bucket around with you.

    Reply

  • I feel like I really need to try out this mop now!!

    Reply

  • This sounds like an excellent mop that makes cleaning so easy! I love a product that not only is as effective as advertised but makes a job less grueling. I gotta say though, a steam mop that plugs in sounds like an awful idea. I have a tineco floor mop, which is cordless and charges at a base, and it’s incredible on my white tiles.

    Reply

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