We stood on a hill until One AM last night capturing photographs of Comet Neowise and I couldn’t help thinking… there’s a blog post to be written! Neowise made an appearance last month to the naked eye and although the best viewing night is supposed to be on the 23rd July, the conditions last night were incredible with a perfectly clear sky and no moon.

Of course, everybody had the same idea. I’ve never seen a beauty spot carpark so busy! Many were enjoying seeing the comet without getting caught up by cameras and exposures but there were a lot of people even with telescopes setting up to view it.

As it got darker we captured a few photographs of Venus and Pluto with no sign of Neowise and then suddenly… there it was.

I have to say, I was amazed. The night sky has always fascinated me, and the particular location that we were in looking out towards Newbury and Hungerford was perfect for seeing the milky way. But when our eyes adjusted and the comet came into view, that beautiful little trail in the sky, it was something else. We were seeing something that’s  64 million miles away…

It got me thinking about my favourite sci-fi related books – not a genre that I’ve read very often. But last February Mr Tea Leaves and Reads bought me Our Child of the Stars by Stephen Cox. And it changed my genre choices completely! So I thought in honour of Comet Neowise and the beautiful night sky, I would share my review again…

A lost child, the family who try to protect him and the secret that refuses to stay hidden . . .

This was my first EVER science fiction read and what an entry into a fantastic genre! I loved the blurb and the cover when I saw this in a bookshop and it turned into my Valentine’s Day present. It’s a beautiful story brought to life by a fantastic author – and it was only his first book as well!

Molly and Gene are you and I… they are everyday people living ordinary lives. Those around them are doing the same – and that’s what makes this book beautiful and almost, at times, believable. Above all else, I think it challenges the reader and asks ‘what would you do?’ The book grew from a short story that the author wrote for Halloween and it has blossomed into something truly beautiful.

So make the most of Comet Neowise over the next few days – and when you’re warming up afterwards why not dive into this beautiful book to continue the magic…