Autumn begins with a few good reads – September Round-up

September was an odd month for me (I blame the Autumnal solstice and the darkening nights, cause it couldn’t POSSIBLY be my laziness. Nope. Not that.). The books I managed to read were all generally good and I would recommend them, however I spent far too long persevering with a book which I desperately wanted to like and ended up abandoning after about 2 weeks; and then the rest of the month scrolling the internet instead of reading (this I blame on the whole Sony/Marvel debacle while I not-so-patiently waited for confirmation that they were PLAYING US THE WHOLE TIME. Ahem. Moving on.) So there’s not a lot here, but other than my DNF I’d give any of them a shot!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am so late to the party on this one, but it has been sat on my TBR pile for months. This is the book that kickstarted me reading again after “it-that-shall-not-be-named” (at the bottom of this list.) and I suspect you already know how powerful and phenomenal it is.

Starr Carter is a typical teenager, studying for exams; navigating changing friendships; hiding boyfriends from parents. But as she and her childhood friend Khalil are driving home from a party one night, tragedy strikes and Khalil is brutally shot dead by a cop in front of her, igniting the racial tensions in the community and forcing Starr to question the prevalent institutional prejudice being aimed at her community. All while she is trying to grieve and come to terms with her own heartbreak and trauma. Worse still, it’s not the first time Starr has had to witness the death of a friend. 20190925_121435

Starr is a girl who straddles two worlds, the one she grew up in where she feels she can be herself, and the one her school sits in, one of opportunity and privilege but where she feels she needs to censure herself in order to fit in. What follows the horrific murder of her friend is a clash of those two worlds, and Starr’s journey to see if she can bring the two versions of herself together in a way that she is comfortable with. It is an astoundingly powerful story and should absolutely be a recommended text for all schools everywhere.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love love love The Handmaid’s Tale – not the TV show, the book (although I watch the show avidly too). I think it was probably the last book to surprise me. I’d heard of it, but somehow my brain had assumed it was a historical story about a servant. I had no idea what awaited me; how horrifying; how powerful; how plausible a dystopia it contained. And through the horror I fell in love with Offred and Margaret Atwood’s sinisterly powerful writing. The Testaments is NOT the Handmaid’s Tale. It doesn’t contain the creeping horror or the unavoidable dread. But it is exactly what fans of the original 20190920_143823 needed 30 years later, in a world skirting scarily close to an oppressive dystopia.

It is a more streamlined look at the world of Gilead, focussing on three separate female voices and experiences of the regime: Agnes who was raised a believer; Daisy who was raised in Canada but whose parents hold secrets close to their chests; and Aunt Lydia. Yes. That one. Each woman’s voice is individual; Daisy is a child of privilege, awakening to some of the global issues around her, Agnes is that of a devout believer and Lydia is…complex and will genuinely keep you guessing until the end. Most importantly in this political climate, it offers hope and shows that individual actions always count for something.

A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Betty Widdershins and her sisters live with their sullen grandmother in Poacher’s Pocket; a rowdy, inn on the dreary island of Crowstone.

Desperate for a life of adventure, Betty plans a secret outing with her youngest sister to neighbouring Marshfoot for her 13th birthday, but is mysteriously caught mid-voyage by their Grandmother. Betty is then devasted to discover that all Widdershins’ girls are trapped by an ancient curse and if they ever leave Crowstone, they will die by the following sunrise.

Her grandmother attempts to soften the blow by showing the girls three magical objects which have been passed down through generations: an old bag that transports the bearer wherever they wish to go, a mirror which shows the holder whatever they want to see, and a set of Russian dolls containing the power of invisibility. When Betty tries to use these objects to change their fate, she inadvertently puts her sisters in mortal danger and has 24 hours in which to save them all.

This is a lovely, engaging story led by a brave and likeable heroine.

The Stone of Destiny by Caroline Logan ⭐⭐⭐ (and a half!)

I’m on the blog tour for this one next Monday, so I’ll post a full review then – but it’s ace!

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A School in South Uist: reminiscences of a Hebridean Schoolmaster 1890 – 1913 by F.G. Lea ⭐⭐⭐

This was a bit of a comfort read for me. Although it’s events take place over 100 years ago, the community, people and traditions it so gently describes are alive and well throughout the Hebrides, and defiantly recognisable to any who have experienced the way of life here… except now we have more cars. It’s not a dramatic story, but it is a cosy snapshot of Hebridean life and so would invoke homesickness in ex-pats or give a nice taster for those wanting to know more about the Hebrides. My only complaint is FG Lea spends WAAAYYYY to long talking about sport. Especially fishing.

Kraken by China Melville (uch…DNF)

I wanted to like this one so badly – from the cover (yes, I know, but LOOK at it ! ↓) to the concept (Copper is thrown into the underground world of Secret London Cuthulu Cults worshipping giant squid) this just looked my bag.

It was my curated book subscription book too, so chosen specifically for me; but at one point I actually googled the history and current stance on Cursive Writing, just because I was so easily distracted. Trying to keep my brain on this story was HARD work and even though I tried for nearly two weeks I only got about 8 chapters in. I couldn’t invest in the characters, I could barely understand what was happening half the time, and while generally I tend to let narratives like that flow over me until it clicks, I just couldn’t make myself care with this one…so apologies if it suddenly gets good 3 pages after I quit but Life’s too short.

Pick of the month: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Dud of the Month: Kraken by China Melville

August Reading Round-up

Whaddya mean it’s 3 days late? Phst nonsense..nope..*Sticks fingers in ears* La La La La Can’t hear you!

Ahem…

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not due out until early 2020. Dear Edward tells the story of a 12 year old who is the only survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 people including his whole family. The book juxtaposes two time periods: the last 6 hours of the ill-fated flight and it’s passengers; and the following four years as Edward tries to come to terms with the disaster and find a way forward through his shock, survivor’s guilt and PTSD.

It’s a tragedy with no real narrative surprises but such beautiful insight into the good and bad elements of humanity that it proves compelling and heartbreaking in equal measure. It looks at the significance of mental health and examines how much harder emotional scars are to heal than physical ones and the importance of empathy and kindness in the building of relationships. This is going to be a must read for book clubs.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

JoJo Moyes has produced another readable and captivating story with The Giver of Stars, due out in October 2019. It follows the story of the 5 women who make up the Horseback Library between in the late 30s/early 40s and in doing so they find their independence, confidence and friendships that will last forever.

Inspired by a real Horseback Library (but with fictional librarians) it’s a heartwarming, optimistic and empowering story who’s galloping pace and engaging characters manage to completely eclipse any moments of cheese and tweeness. AND it celebrates the heroism and natural subervisiveness of librarians. It’s going to be a crowdpleaser.

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Peter Grant is at it again, trying to make sense of the mystical world of River Gods and Fey and malicious poltergeists running riot around London. In Lies Sleeping, Grant and Nightingale close in on Chorley as he nears completion of his long term and devastating plan, and have to consider making a tenuous alliance with the most dangerous partner yet in order to ensure mutual survival.

The Breakneck pace and crime novel writing style belie the complex world building and story arc that means that, despite having read every other Peter Grant novel, I STILL have to revise the ongoing story arc on Wikipedia to remind myself of the historic and dimensional jumps and whether Leslie May is currently a friend or foe. I love these books, and there’s nothing else out there like them (Please ignore the comments that this is Harry Potter for adults, while I love Harry Potter this is much darker, gorier and grittier…and Peter has is a lot smarter), but be warned, you can’t just jump in in the middle of the series or you really will be lost. Go back and enjoy them from the start.

Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body by Sara Pascoe ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sara Pascoe is one of my favourite comedians, so I expected the breathless irreverent humour present in this, what I wasn’t expecting was to learn so much about my own

body.

In Animal, Sara has done research into what is known about the female body and how it responds to situations, and details what she has discovered, while dotting throughout some rather funny and touching anecdotes that demonstrate her newly discovered understanding of her psychology and physiology. If you are a woman, it is likely you will know a good portion of what is contained in here, but there’s always more to learn, and it makes an interesting and more identifiable take on the autobiography genre – one which while making you laugh – acts as an autobiography for the reader and their own body as well.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones ⭐⭐⭐

Ooft this was a tough one. The quality of the writing; the nuance and delicacy with which Jones tackles the havoc wrecked on the lives of the characters, and the adept handling of the complex feelings involved are all beyond excellent, and allowed me to read this book in less than a day. I sympathised and felt for the characters and felt rage at the horrific injustices done to them and the repercussions. But I didn’t like them. The levels of misogyny in Roy and Celestial’s father were stomach churning, and at times terrifying – even the way that Roy thinks and speaks of Celestial before the tragic night that rips them apart are framed in ownership and viewing her as a trophy – seeing her as a tick box accomplishment. Celestial was more likeable, and in an impossible position, but displayed moments of selfishness that it was hard to empathise with, mostly involving in-laws and parents. Ironically, in creating such well-drawn characters, such fully-formed people with the good and the bad, Jones has created characters that are fairly unlikeable

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young ⭐⭐⭐

As a child found washed up on the beach, Tova found a home among the Svell, a private clan who fear and ostracise Tova for her gift of reading the future in the Runes, yet use her skills to guide their major decisions. When the Chieftain who provided her with at least a fragile protection takes offense at an unfortunate reading, Tova finds her position is even more brittle, but having been told for her whole life that she is a cursed Tova has nowhere else to turn. But once again her gift as a truth tongue sets in motion a series of events that might just lead her home.

This had all the elements of a book I should have loved, and it was good. But I didn’t find myself as emotionally invested as I had hoped. The characters are interesting but felt two dimensional and predictable which stopped them being compelling. Tova had very little agency, and even when she made a life-changing decision it felt as though she did so as a pawn of fate rather than a heroine in her own right. With everything seemingly pre-destined and controlled by the Spinners it removed any sense of jeopardy or intrigue. Very readable, but pretty forgettable.

Turning Darkness into Light by Marie Brennan ⭐⭐⭐

I’ve jumped around with this series a little, given I only just read the first novel in the Lady Trent Memoirs series last month, but I was excited to get my hands on the newest release, which is a spin off from those memoirs. Following the academic writings of Lady Trent on her findings on Dragons, this spin off focuses on the efforts of Lady Trent’s Granddaughter, Audrey, as she attempts to make an academic name for herself and step out from her famous Grandmother’s shadow. Audrey is commissioned to translate stone tablets which may hold the key to lasting peace between Scirling and draconian society, but political manoeuvrings and secret plans might be using her as a pawn.

Because I haven’t covered the whole series yet, I found a lot of the information in this one took so long to unfurl (Draconeans clearly appear much later in the Lady Trent series, but here knowledge of this half human half dragon race is assumed) that it probably had a significant impact on my enjoyment. But structured through journal and newspaper extracts as well as letters, this is a book whose structure is more compelling than the narrative it tells. Suspicions are raised early that all is not as it seems, but the reader can quite easily see the schemes afoot so long before Audrey herself figures them out that the story feels grindingly so until about three quarters of the way through when the action suddenly kicks in. A decent enough read, but not a standalone spin off and does drag for a while.

The Pisces by Melissa Broder ⭐

So a little glimpse of my haphazard review process: I keep a list of what I read in a word document so that I can remember and add to it or write reviews whenever I get a chance through the month. I never do – it’s always a last minute panic accompanied by “Shit, Shit, Shit, why am I doing this again?”

This month as I looked through my list to put them in some semblance of preferential order, but when I came to The Pisces I couldn’t even remember what it was about – just that I hated it. I had to go and look up the synopsis again at which point I shuddered and realised it’s not that it’s a forgettable book, I’d just blocked it from my memory for self-preservation.

The Pisces is described in the blurb as “whip-smart, neurotically funny, sexy and above all, fearless.” It’s none of these things. Lucy is horrible. Not in her anxieties or fears or neurosis which I think everyone can identify with, but in her selfish behaviour and actions. The Dog dies FFS because she’s too busy off shagging people who frankly aren’t worth anyone’s time. She lost any inkling of sympathy or redeemability from me instantly. And “sexy” could not be further from the truth. The sex is awful, and fairly skin crawling, as are all her love interests. There’s no one to root for in this book, except the dog. And he dies due to neglect. Therefore this is a tragedy. Go to Ao3 if you’re looking for sexy fiction, cause this ain’t it.

Pick of the Month: Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

Dud of the Month: The Pisces by Melissa Broder

July Joy – July Reading Round-Up

Homegoing By Yaa Gyasi (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a phenomenal debut that was released in 2016 and promptly (and rightly) won all the awards. It is heart-rending; powerful and harrowing. It follows the stories of two branches of a family tree descended from half-sisters on the Gold Coast during the height of the slave-trade. Through twists of fate and misfortune, one half of the family ends up being sold into slavery, while the other become slavers; selling prisoners from warfare to the white men who have set up at Cape Coast Castle and reaping the power that comes with it. What follows is an unrelenting and breath-taking examination, across eight generations and 300 years, of the wounds and scars inflicted by slavery; the families torn apart and the crimes of humanity committed against entire nations.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Each character only has a chapter, and yet is drawn so fully and written so empathetically that your heart will break anew with each story. As you are pulled from some characters – never knowing their final fate as their family and children never knew, or getting fleeting glimpses and hints – only a smidgen of the horror; the unanswered questions and ruined lives is understood, but it’s enough. Enough to make this a true classic that lays bare the institutions of racism and power which were created and are still maintained today all while telling a compelling story through glorious writing. I cannot wait for Gyasi’s next book due next year.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Arden has also created a debut novel which completely bowled me over. The Bear and the Nightingale is the first in a trilogy which was completed this year (and thank God there’s two more because I can’t wait to get my hands on them!)

The Bear and the Nightingale It tells the story of Vasya, the youngest child of Pyotr Vladimirovich, the lord of a remote Russian Village and his bewitching wife Marina Ivanovna. As Vasya grows she finds friends among the spirits and imps of the forest, and captures the attention of Morozko, the Frost Demon. Not knowing that she has the Sight, her family mistakenly try to protect her from Morozko, completely misunderstanding his intentions and underestimating Vasya’s abilities and resourcefulness.

This a hauntingly beautiful fairytale with layers upon layers of ethereal Russian folklore built in. Fairytale folk and demons vie for attention, but as always the true horrors and mistakes are committed by misguided people only faintly understanding the world around them. Vasya is a compelling heroine who loves her family deeply, but knows her own mind and I’m excited to see her grow into her powers and confidence in the sequels.

Toffee by Sarah Crossan (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

This is marketed as a young adult book and as with all good modern young adult books it doesn’t shy away from the darkness experienced by teenagers, but does so with such humour and heart that it’s impossible not to read in a single sitting.

Written in poetry, Toffee tells the story of a young runaway who is escaping an abusive father. She comes across Marla, an elderly woman with dementia and the two form an unlikely and poignant friendship which, just maybe, saves them both. Written with a lyrical brevity there is not a single superfluous word and yet emotion drips from every page. Here are two women that society deems invisible and abusable, but in each other they find their dignity and confidence; their sense of fun and adventure and the ability to heal from past trauma. Crossan shows how vital kindness can be, the mistakes people can make as they try to find their way, and that there is always hope, even in places that initially appear unlikely.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Hallie Rubenhold has been getting a ridiculous amount of flack for this examination of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper in 1888. The Five

In the 131 years since the five canonical victims of one of England’s most famous serial killers met their tragic demise, their deaths have been sensationalised, their lives dismissed and their murderer glorified and turned into a grizzly tourist attraction. Rubenhold’s self-proclaimed aim with The Five is to give Polly, Elizabeth, Mary Jane, Kate and Annie back their voices, their dignity and their humanity and remind people that these women were not footnotes to the Jack the Ripper myth, but women who led full and complicated lives; who were murdered as a horrific act of misogyny and who continue to be demonised by that same misogyny.

What she has created is 5 compelling tales of tragedy, desperation and survival. She takes the known facts of the women and filters them through the prism of experiences of women in Victorian Times. In doing so she creates narratives, which, yes, at times are based on guess work and gap filling, but completely achieve Rubenhold’s aims of making these women real, identifiable and sympathetic, and remind us to revel a little less in their tragedy. Critics of the book are blinkered in their furor that Rubenhold refuses to categorise the women as prostitutes. They are angrily dismissing the depth and humanity of her study and the fact that she has produced the most detailed examination of the victims to date. Ironically, by doing so, these critics go a long way to prove her point: that people are much more comfortable with the gruesome tale and its lack of closure if they can dismiss the victims as somehow “deserving” of their fate. Critics are missing the point: It doesn’t MATTER if they were prostitutes (although there does appear to be a ridiculous lack of evidence to support that they were, and the police investigation looks fatally flawed by insisting on such). First and foremost they were women, who had families and friends and deserve acknowledgement for their lives and not their deaths, as such, don’t expect any detail of their deaths, or circumspection on the identity of Jack – this isn’t about him.

An interesting read for a new perspective on a well known tale.

Horror, she Wrote by Lisa Kroger and Melanie R Anderson (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

I’ve read a lot more non-fiction this month that usual (i.e….Two) but I’ve enjoyed both. I was provided with a review copy of Horror, She Wrote in advance of it’s release on 17 September.

Sometimes these book list books can be dry, but not so this one. Written in a chatty and interesting way, Horror, She Wrote looks at the epic list of female writers of Horror, Fantasy and Weird Fiction and their continuing influence on the shaping of these genres.

Kroger and Anderson are so breathlessly excited by the wealth and breadth of horror and supernatural female writers that it’s impossible not to get caught up in their enthusiasm. As well as learning loads, my TBR pile expanded exponentially – in main thanks to the Reading List summaries after each author. I actually had to read it with a notepad next to me, to make sure I didn’t miss anything – but it never once felt like homework! This was a genre that I’ve probably explored the least, and after reading this I can’t wait to get started.

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Since I started in my Library in January I’ve had my eye on this book (and may have added it to a few too many book displays!) – anything with a dragon on the front was going to get my attention.

Now Historical Fiction is not my favourite – despite the ridiculous amount I seem to have read over the last year – but I enjoyed this. Written from the point of view of Lady Trent, elderly dragon expert, who has finally sat down to write her memoirs, it’s funny, warm and reads like a good solid adventure mystery story…with added dragons. This is the first in a series and as such focuses on Lady Trent’s formative years as a rebellious tomboy yearning for more out of the life than the Victorian style (it’s not set in our universe, but has similar periods) and her first adventure abroad to see Dragons in the flesh. Lady Trent is an interesting heroine, and it’s a chatty and compelling adventure. I’ll definitely be picking up the next one in the series.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Merrick Tremayne is a once vivacious adventurer who, following an accident has turned into a recluse, living at home with his reviled brother in a house that is falling down around him. But one last adventure calls – a mission to a village in Peru with a family connection, a healthy dose of fantastical secrets and a friendship (not convinced it’s not true love, but it’s never explicitly stated that Tremayne and the Priest love each other) for the ages.

With plenty of supernatural mysteries and historical adventure into interior Peru this was a magical read with plenty of original ideas and just enough jeopardy to really care about the outcome.

The Bedlam Stacks

Why Mummy doesn’t give a ****! By Gil Sims (⭐⭐⭐)

Ellen is back in the third instalment of a woman just trying to survive family life with two children, a terribly misogynistic husband and a beloved and judgemental dog called…Judgy.

In Why Mummy Doesn’t Give a ****! Ellen faces her last straw and finally leaves Simon. What follows is her first year of singledom, navigating life as a single parent to two children, finding a new balance with her ex-husband and re-discovering herself and it’s wonderful. A fun empowering exploration of the frustrations of being a family matriarch and being expected to hold everything together when you can barely remember your own name. Not challenging, but identifiable and heart-warming.

I Owe you One by Sophie Kinsella (⭐⭐⭐)

I needed some light reads this month and I have to confess I love a Sophie Kinsella book. They are uncomplicated, generally unoffensive, pretty much guaranteed a fluffy happy ending and often pretty funny and I Owe You One was another prime example.

They’re pretty forgettable, but if you’re looking for a romance story with a fairly ditzy but generally likeable middle class woman at the centre these are the ones for you. Popcorn for the brain and I’m guaranteed to read every. Single. One.

Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

This is an odd one, because for level of world building, writing style and originality this is absolutely a four if not five star book. The story itself is phenomenal as well and stays with you. But it’s hard work to access that story and that impacted seriously on my enjoyment – a bit like Lord of the Rings -it’s incredibly dense and epic.

This is a hallucinatory high concept fable of Tracker, a lone wolf who finds himself working with a bunch of mercenaries to find a lost child, and facing down witches and vampires and shapeshifters in the process. Who is the child and Who can be trusted?

At times it’s hard to tell what’s going on, which adds to the drug hazed vibe and the confusion that Tracker faces, but even when he’s figuring things out I always felt lost. It took me a long time to get through this one, and weeks later I still find it hard to decide how I feel about it, but it’s absolutely memorable.

Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks (⭐)

I’ve been ridiculously lucky this month and read a lot of high quality and entertaining books. This was not one of them and I really struggled.

Hanks has written a series of short stories with a through theme of nostalgia and a shoehorned motif of a typewriter. Seriously, the first two or three are ok, but then you stop focusing on the stories and just waiting for the inevitable bloody typewriter to pop up “subtly”. Spotting the typewriter ends up feeling like the point to each story, after which you can move on. The most disappointing thing is that each story starts with a promising enough concept and then just…nothing happens.

It’s competently written, and every story is just…nice. At times you get the impression that Hanks feels he’s writing an “edgy” story, and he’s not. Unfortunately “Competent” and “nice” are not what I’m looking for in stories.

Pick of the month: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Dud of the Month: Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks

April showers allow reading for hours

April Reading Round-Up

This is a bit of an unfair month; nothing I read was a particular DUD, although there were a lot of “average” reads. However nothing fell below 3 stars (out of 5). That said, there were a lot of very specialised genre books, so bare in mind that although I enjoyed them all, they are definitely not all for everyone.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

This was my surprise of the month. An impulse pick up from the Library display, it felt like Kismet and it was. Orlean is a staff writer for the New Yorker, who previously wrote the Orchid Thief, which I’ve heard of but yet to read. In The Library Book she re-discovers her love of libraries through her son’s school project and sets her journalistic eye on the history and depths of the Los Angeles Central Library which suffered a cataclysmic fire in 1986.

Part History book, part mystery investigation and part sociology study of the Microcosm of the Library’s clientele, no description can do this book justice. Try and tell someone what it’s about and it just sounds archaic, but like the libraries it waxes lyrical about, it 20190411_085121 has hidden fathoms. It’s beautiful; atmosphere and quotes dripping from every page, and not only have I not stopped talking about it since I read it, but I’ve immediately had to go out and buy my own copy. Seriously, give it a try, if you love books I dare you not to fall further in love with libraries and librarians after reading this.

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and other lies, curated by Scarlett Curtis

A collection of essays from activists, actresses, and women wanting to shout their autonomy from the hills, FDWP is a must read for anyone beginning their Feminist journey, or simply wanting to shore up their battle weary heart after another day of fighting the patriarchy. As with all essays, you may not agree with everything written here, but the book makes clear that you don’t have too. Everyone’s interpretation of Feminism is going to be slightly different, and each is equally valid. It’s about listening to all view points, educating yourself on experiences you may not directly 20190404_152104 have had and supporting other women in their own battlefields, and all the proceeds go to Girl Up a United Nations Foundation Initiative, so you’re helping others while reading!

I found it inspirational and funny and I think if you come to it willing to learn then you’ll definitely gain something from it.

Snakeskins by Tim Major

I’m not going to say much about this, because I have book giveaway and fuller review coming later in the month – but it’s definitely worth it. An excellent and intriguing Sci-fi novel which deals with themes of humanity, empathy and power and which I could not predict even down to the last couple of chapters.

Death Sentence by Stuart Moore (Published 2 May 2019)

I have an Avengers itch that needs scratched (It’s not on in the cinema here until the 24^th of May. Avoiding spoilers is HARD), so this came along at the right time. Thanos is my Ultimate villain right now and so getting a book looking at his internal motivations has the same feel as reading a serial killer psychological study…who says Marvel fans take things too seriously?

This book is NOT set in the cinematic universe, but it is close enough to scratch that itch for me. Having suffered a final defeat at the hands of the Avengers Thanos begs his beloved Mistress Death for a final chance to prove his devotion and she puts him through an afterlife walkabout that steadily reveals hidden depths to Thanos and his motivations, as well as some welcome cameos from more heroic characters.

The Titanic Detective Agency by Lindsay Littleson (Published 15 May 2019)

Trembling with excitement, Bertha Watt sets out on the adventure of a lifetime: her and her mother leaving behind their old life in Aberdeen to meet up with her father in Oregon and start a new life full of promise and opportunity and, if she behaves herself, a pony. Facing several boring days crossing the Atlantic onboard a ship, she and her new friend, Madge, decide to set up The Collyer-Watt Detective Agency. Along the way, Bertha befriends Johan, a 3^rd class passenger with a desperate passion to reunite his family. But something even more ominous is lurking over the horizon: It’s April 1912 and Bertha, her family and her friends are sailing to America aboard the Titanic’s maiden voyage.

The Titanic Detective Agency by Lindsay Littleson is a tale of two halves. The first; a look at the innocent and nostalgic childhood from the early twentieth century – both that of the privileged, and the heavier responsibilities of those in poverty. The second half is wrought with tangible horror and heartbreak, as the ending that you almost forgot was looming comes to fruition. Littleson has done her research, and although the narrative is fiction, all the characters are based on true-life passengers aboard the doomed Ocean liner with some of the more out there twists and turns being based on fact – truth is often stranger than fiction after all. An excellent introduction to the Titanic for younger readers.

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Macarenhas

In the 60s four female scientists make a landmark breakthrough that will transform the world – Time travel. But their paths soon diverge as one of them has a shakey temporary reaction and is unashamedly pushed out in order not to tarnish the project. Meanwhile, in the present a mysterious and unidentified dead body appears in a locked room, but without any way to identify it how can the case be solved.

I am a SUCKER for Time Travel. It doesn’t need to make sense for me, I just love the different narrative options it can open up for a story – it feels like a sandbox of possibilities for me. So when this fell through my letterbox courtesy of my monthly book subscription I was giddy. It was a dark exploration of how power corrupts and that we should be careful what we wish for, alongside a healthy dose or mystery thriller, and female lead to boot. My only complaint was that it felt a little like it was playing it safe to appeal to the mainstream market and that it could have let loose and gone even darker.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

Alison is a high flying London Barrister deep in a guilt ridden affair and who’s family life is falling apart, her husband Carl systematically pulling away and taking their daughter with him. When Alison is handed her first murder by her lover, things start to come to a head. But who is really manipulating who and can Alison find her way back from the brink to the life she really wants?

It’s a typical mystery thriller, well-written but fairly predictable, and with a messy alcoholic female protaganist. A must read for anyone who loved Girl on a train and Anatomy of a Murder, but still a mystery thriller by numbers.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos (Published 7 June 2019)

Le Sigh. I enjoyed The Farm; it was a good read but it simply didn’t live up to expectations. It was sold as a feminist almost dystopian tale, and while all the main characters are complex women, it is much more focused on current world issues which we’re grappling with and moral and ethical questions around surrogacy and potential exploitation. While these are interesting and prescient topics and the characters were engaging and well written, the ending felt like a cop out. I’m not sure it ever really reached a conclusion. I was happy for the outcome for most characters, but it felt like it dodged the overarching issues and complexities in order to wrap everything up in a nice little bow, without ever truly delving that deeply into the issues of exploitation and racism that it hinted at.
A good read but not as world shattering as had been implied.

Supernatural – Children of Anubis by Tim Waggoner

I’m a Supernatural Fan. For a brief period I was even part of the Fandom. I’m on my third full rewatch and I will absolutely feel like something is missing when the show ends next year (God help me, those boys BETTER get a happy ending!..although I’m not holding out much hope), so I jumped up and down with excitement when I was offered this for a preview, and I did enjoy it. But it did not feel like a Sam and Dean story.

20190422_163153 Introducing a new monster after so many seasons is impressive, and this story, which is set during season 12 introduces a family of Jackals, a monster that has generally stayed off the radar of hunters by not rocking the boat and only harvesting after natural deaths. However they do rub Werewolves up the wrong way, and this unfortunate pack find themselves in a town already marked as the territory of a particularly aggressive pack of werewolves. So begins a turf war which is essentially a bloodier version of Westside Story, or Romeo and Juliet to go back to the original. And Turf wars Definitely attract the attention of hunters. So enter Sam and Dean and a couple of other fan favourites, but the story still belongs to the Jackals. And it’s engaging, and the characters are excellent so I’d definitely pick up another one. But that still doesn’t mask the disappointment that this wasn’t a story focused on Sam and Dean, despite some illuminating flashbacks.

All My Colours by David Quantick (Published 16 May 2019)

Todd Milstead is a jackass; barely tolerated by a few close friends who love his whiskey more than him and loathed by almost everybody else, his arrogance and self-satisfaction mark him for a comeuppance well overdue. Until one night when he discovers that he can recall a book, word for word, that no one else has ever heard of – the titular All My Colors. Being a wannabe writer who, until this moment hasn’t managed to construct enough narrative to fit on a napkin, Todd decides that this is his chance, and while fending off an acrimonious divorce sets about writing the next Great American Novel.

All My Colors is the latest novel from David Quantick, who this time takes a twisty look at the Publishing industry and the pain of trying to write something, sometimes anything, that might help you leave a mark. In this case it comes with a high price for Todd and his long suffering friends, proving a cautionary tale at chasing your dreams at any cost, and serving up an end reminiscent of an episode of Tales from the Crypt – weird but deserved and with a cackley twinkle.

All My Colors is dark and twisty and has a horrible protagonist, even in his nicer moments and so-called reformation. While the end feels a little bit too rushed and the atmosphere is all over the place, it carries enough threads of curiosity through it to keep you turning the pages and wondering how they can all be tied together.