Book Reviews

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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Book number 28 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 9 of the summer holiday where it has been confirmed that I was unreasonably unsociable) was We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

‘We are the Liars.
We are beautiful, privileged and live a life of carefree luxury.
We are cracked and broken.
A story of love and romance.
A tale of tragedy.
Which are lies?
Which is truth?’ (Amazon, thanks)

Firstly, I had no idea what to expect when I started this novel.  I genuinely had no idea what the book was about, and I did not know how it would end.  I don’t want to give too much away, but the novel focuses on Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a member of the wealthy Sinclair family.  Over the course of the novel she talks of her summers on Beechwood Island, her families island where she and her cousins spend the warm days living their privileged lives during their teens.

It is clear that Cadence had a horrible accident, as she tells us of stories from before and after her accident, but does not give much information about the accident itself as she can not remember.  She hopes that returning to Beechwood Island and spending the summer with her cousins and friends will jog her memory so that she can finally come to terms with why she suffers from such terrible migraines.

I am not going to talk about this novel anymore than this.  We Were Liars is a clever, poignant novel that deals with love, privilege and tragedy.  This is a young adult novel, but I would recommend it to anyone to read.  I can’t actually say that I loved it – however it raised a number of issues and was so thought-provoking that I must recommend it.

Rating: 3 and a half out of 5 stars

Book Review: Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan

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Book number 27 of my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 8 of my increasingly unsociable holiday) was Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan.

‘Great friends. Amazing Apartment. An incredible job. Paige has ticked off every box on perfect New York life checklist. Until disaster strikes and instead of shimming further up the career ladder, Paige is packing up her desk.

Her brother’s best friend Jake might be the only person who can help her put her life back together. He also happens to be the boy she spent her teen years pining after, and Paige is determined not repeat her past mistakes. But the more time she spends with Jake, the more Paige realises the one thing that was missing from her world all along: The perfect New York love story…’ (Amazon, you rock)

Sleepless in Manhattan is the first in the From Manhattan with Love trilogy by Sarah Morgan. I have to be honest – I read this entirely based on the Snow Crystal trilogy which I absolutely loved – check out my previous review!

Sarah Morgan knows how to write a good chick lit series – I love that each story in the series is a new story based around a character that features in each of the novels.  It gives you a real insight into these characters, and gives you the opportunity to follow them through the novels.

I enjoyed reading about Paige and her friends as they face an uncertain future and how they are able to grow in the face on adversity.  As with all Sarah Morgan novels, the love story between Paige and Jake is the central focus, and this is a lovely, relatable story.  I can’t say that I preferred Sleepless in Manhattan to the Snow Crystal trilogy (sorry but I loved that!), however I did really enjoy it and I will be reading Sunset in Central Park.

Rating: 3 and a half out of 5 stars

 

Book Review: Breakfast at Darcy’s by Ali McNamara

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Book number 26 of my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 7 of the summer holiday) was Breakfast at Darcy’s by Ali McNamara.

‘When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn’t expect any sort of inheritance – let alone a small island! Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn’t been lived on for years, but according to Molly’s will, Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit. It’s a big shock. And she’s even more shocked to hear that she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there, too.

Darcy has to leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, Darcy meets confident, charming Conor and sensible, stubborn Dermot – but who will make her feel really at home?’ (Thanks Amazon!)

Firstly, I bought this book quite some time ago, and then didn’t re-read the blurb so it was not what I was expecting at all.  This is classic chick lit (something I needed after The Two of Us) except that it’s set on the tiny Irish Island of Tara. In order to inherit from her Aunt Molly, Darcy must give up the city life that she knows and loves to set up a new community on Tara.

I enjoyed the concept of setting up a new community on an island where the total inhabitants equal one (think Ben Fogle in Castaway 2000).  It’s a little different from your usual chick lit.  Darcy however was a little too stereotypical city girl for my liking, and a number of details were often glossed over (her extensive debt for example – where did that go??  I know my credit card bill wouldn’t just disappear because I decided to take a year out!)

This book has all the classic elements of a good chick lit: a story of growth for the heroine; two very different men vying for her attention; a BFF to stand by and support her and a challenge to overcome.

I read this book on the beach, and it was the perfect easy read for that situation.  It wasn’t  a thought provoking novel but that wasn’t what I needed.  This fitted the bill perfectly, and if that is what you’re looking then please read this book!

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Book Review: The Two of Us by Andy Jones

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My Goodreads Reading Challenge continues with book number 25 (and book number 6 of the summer holiday) – The Two of Us by Andy Jones.

‘Falling in love is the easy part. What matters most is what happens next…

Fisher and Ivy have been an item for a whole nineteen days. And they just know they are meant to be together. The fact that they know little else about each other is a minor detail. Over the course of twelve months, in which their lives will change forever, Fisher and Ivy discover that falling in love is one thing, but staying there is an entirely different story.’ (Courtesy of Amazon)

Fisher and Ivy have been together for nineteen days.  Long enough to know that they love each, but not long enough to know a great deal about each other.

I don’t actually want to talk too much about this book – I did not know what was going to happen and I don’t want to spoil it for you, as I genuinely did not expect the track that the plot eventually took.  But I will say that love, uncertainty, joy and loss are all covered in a genuine, sincere, funny and sometimes heart wrenching way.  I sometimes found Fisher a little too annoying, and Ivy a little too aloof but not not enough to detract from the story.  The supporting characters were great, with El and Phil’s story being particularly heart wrenching but dealt with in a sensitive and sometimes funny well.

I  most definitely recommend this book.  It’s not fast paced and it deals with some serious issues so don’t expect a light and breezy read, but do read it.  It’s refreshing to read about the emotional issues raised from a male perspective, something I have found to be rare.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

 

Book Review: Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

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Book number 24 of my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 5 of the summer holiday) was Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

‘Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone – and serendipity, coupled with sheer curiosity, has landed him a new job working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead they simply borrow impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behaviour and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore…’ (Thanks Amazon)

As previously mentioned, I am a fan of books about books, so Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore was an obvious choice.  If you have read and enjoyed Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series, then this is a book to read.  It contains an intriguing bookstore full of mysterious books, and a secret organisation who are seeking the answer to a centuries old question – how to achieve immortality.  Amidst all of this, modern technology is introduced to ancient traditions by Clay Jannon and his friends as they search to unlock the secrets of The Unbroken Spine, the ancient society that the bookstore owner Mr Penumbra belongs to.

This book is mysterious with a plot that twists and turns.  I enjoyed the mix of the old with the new, although I felt that the journey to the answer by The Unbroken Spine was, perhaps, more important than the answer itself.  The clashing of modern technologies with ancient traditions was touched on but could maybe have been explored a little more, highlighting the impact such technology can have, not just on processes but also on people.

I do recommend this book, particularly to those of you who love books about books like I do.  There is also now a prequel to this book – Ajax Penumbra 1969.  I will be adding that to my To Be Read list.

Rating: 3 and a half out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond

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We’re up to book number 23 of my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 4 of the big holiday read) – The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond.

‘Because love is always worth the risk . . .

It’s New Year’s Eve, and Gemma and Spencer Bailey are throwing a house party. There’s music, dancing, champagne and all their best friends under one roof. It’s going to be a night to remember.

Also at the party is Caitlin, who has returned to the village to pack up her much-missed mum’s house and to figure out what to do with her life; and Saffron, a PR executive who’s keeping a secret which no amount of spin can change. The three women bond over Gemma’s dodgy cocktails and fortune cookies, and vow to make this year their best one yet.

But as the months unfold, Gemma, Saffron and Caitlin find themselves tested to their limits by shocking new developments. Family, love, work, home – all the things they’ve taken for granted are thrown into disarray. Under pressure, they are each forced to rethink their lives and start over. But dare they take a chance on something new?’ (Blurb taken from Amazon – thanks!)

Gemma, Saffron and Caitlin meet by chance on New Years Eve, each with their own hidden problems, but feeling hopeful for the year ahead.  This novel is told from each of their points of view, as we learn more about the secret demons they face whilst forging a budding friendship with each other.

This novel has everything a chick lit novel should have: main characters faced with adversity, female solidarity, family issues and a will they/won’t they romance.  Lucy Diamond certainly ticks all the boxes with The Year of Taking Chances.  There are no surprises in this novel, however sometimes that is what we want from a novel.  This is a great beach read, showing just what women are capable of when they pull together and help one another.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

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Book number 22 of my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 3 of my holiday reading) is The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf.

‘  “Two little girls are missing. Both are seven years old and have been missing for at least sixteen hours.”

Calli Clark is a dreamer. A sweet, gentle girl, Callie suffers from selective mutism, brought on by a tragedy she experienced as a toddler. Her mother Antonia tries her best
to help, but is trapped in a marriage to a violent husband.

Petra Gregory is Calli’s best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli have been heard from since their disappearance was discovered.

Now Calli and Petra’s families are bound by the question of what has happened to their children. As support turns to suspicion, it seems the answers lie trapped in the silence of unspoken secrets.’ (Thanks to Amazon for the blurb)

This is a story about two seven year old best friends, Calli and Petra, who disappear from their beds one fateful night.

Firstly, this is not a light read.  This novel is about the traumatic experiences of two families when they realise that their beautiful daughters are missing.  You experience the horror of this discovery, their fears, anger and helplessness along with them.  Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of an involved character, which helps give a greater understanding of them as individuals, and the actions that they take throughout the course of the story.

You learn throughout the course of the novel of the close relationship Calli and Petra have, with Petra speaking on Calli’s behalf due to her selective muteness.  They know what each other thinks and feels, looking after each other as only best friends can.

As a mother this is a difficult read, with the concept being every parents worst nightmare. Heather Gudenkauf, writes with true feeling about the anxiety and fears of those closest to such a situation.

I definitely recommend this novel, please read!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie

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So the 21st book in my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 2 on my Summer holidays) was Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie.

‘Emma Tupper is a dedicated lawyer with a bright future. But, shattered by her mother’s death, she fulfills her dying wish by embarking on a month-long trip to Africa. There she falls ill, and spends six months trapped in a remote village thanks to a devastating earthquake. On her eventual return home Emma discovers that her friends, boyfriend, and colleagues thought she was dead and that life has moved on without her.

As she struggles to recreate her old life, throwing herself into solving a big case for a client and trying to reclaim her beloved apartment from the handsome photographer who’s taken over her lease, everyone around her thinks she should take the opportunity to change. But is she willing to sacrifice the job, relationships and everything else she worked so hard to build?

Forgotten is the story of one young women’s life, broken down, reconstructed, and forever altered – a modern twist on the classic tale of discovering who we really are when everything that brings meaning to our lives is lost.’ (Synopsis provided by Amazon)

Emma Tupper is a successful lawyer who has worked hard to be within touching distance of a partnership at her law firm and she has the perfect boyfriend in Craig.  However, her world is crushed when she loses her mother, who has always been her rock.  Her mothers one dream was to travel to Africa, something she was unable to achieve.  She therefore leaves an Africa trip to Emma in her will, something that leaves her a little bewildered as she had never actually asked her mother why this was a dream of hers.  The story that follows is one of self discovery as Emma finds herself stranded in Africa and cut off from her friends, job and life.

This is a chick lit, but not a light and fluffy one as you might expect.  It explores what can happen if you go off the grid and disappear, just to re-emerge expecting life to be as it was when you left.

‘if everything in your life is fucked up, you can change whatever you want.’

Whilst elements of the novel are predictable as you might expect, I liked that not all of Emma’s choices were ones that I had anticipated.  This removed some of the predictability.  There is obviously a love story as you would expect, with both characters having their own issues to deal with before they can be together.

I had expected this book to be a little darker than it actually was.  I would not, however, say that I am disappointed that wasn’t having now read it.  It was a great holiday read that I am more than happy to recommend.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Fade Out by Patrick Tilley

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Book number 20 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge (and book number 1 of operation summer holiday) was Fade Out by Patrick Tilley.

So I started my holiday with an old school sci-fi novel.  I wish I could tell you where I heard about this book – I know that I read about it on a blog somewhere, but it’s one of those books that I downloaded and then promptly forgot about.

‘Aliens have landed on this earth, and it is time for the human race to prepare itself. When an unidentified object of extra-terrestrial origins arrives on Earth, creating havoc and panic the world over, the question of whether we are alone in the universe is finally answered. But this realisation is only the beginning, for the object brings with it a whole host of questions that neither the world’s governments or military experts are equipped to answer. Is it a danger to humanity, or an innocent explorative device? Focusing on mankind’s reaction to this mysterious object, Tilley illustrates how ignorance can drive civilisation towards the brink of a devastating breakdown.

Fade-Out, a sci-fi novel first published in 1975, looks at the meltdown of society in the face of alien invasion.’ (thanks Amazon!)

The book loosely follows Bob Connors, Special Assistant to the President of the United States of America as he leads a top secret project looking at the reasons for a global ‘fade out’.  This fade out cripples global communications, leaving nations feeling vulnerable to nuclear war as the world loses the ability to track potential enemies.

As we follow Connors through this project, we learn more about him as a character, as his history influences his present.  In addition to character relationships, we also experience the relationship between science and the military.  Whilst this book was published over 40 years ago, these relationships are, I believe, still relevant today.  This is a science fiction novel, but there is very little in it that isn’t believable.  If the scenario in this novel were to happen, you believe that the same hopes and fears would be applicable, along with the same differences of opinion over the way forward.  The novel also highlights aspects of the Presidents role that I had never previously considered.  Firstly, that it can be quite superficial (with a dosage of manipulation thrown in for good measure).  Dinner with the Bodell’s is a great example of this.  In contrast to this, the novel also highlights just how powerful his position really is, as he makes decisions about what his people should and shouldn’t know about the top secret project, thereby controlling widespread panic, but also removing people’s choice when it comes to protecting themselves if necessary.

I am not your typical science fiction reader (although I do love a science fiction movie).  However I’m glad I put aside my reservations about reading a 40 year old science fiction novel.  It’s well worth a read, so give it a go.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Book Review: Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

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Book nineteen in my Goodreads Reading Challenge is Wallbanger by Alice Clayton.  The synopsis is as follows;

‘Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a Kitchen Aid mixer to die for, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O. Adding insult to O-less, she also has an oversexed neighbour with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Every moan, spank, and-was that a meow?-punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has-yep, you guessed it-no O. Enter Simon Parker. When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbour. Their late-night hallway encounter has…well…mixed results. Because with walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick. A delicious mix of silly and steamy, this is an irresistible tale of exasperation at first sight.’ (Thanks to Amazon!)

So, as you can tell, this is not a book to read if you don’t like a bit of naughtiness!  The title and the novel’s front cover are a bit of a giveaway!  It’s not the sort of book I choose to read regularly but I don’t mind a bit of sauciness now and then.   I enjoyed this book for what it was – a bit of light reading with a love story thrown in for good measure.  It is a little sex-obsessed if I’m honest – the entire story revolves around Caroline losing her ‘O’ which at times got a little much for me.  However, I enjoyed reading about Caroline and Simon’s ‘dislike to love’ story – in fact all the characters were likeable, and whilst the story was a little sex-crazed there was a plot to follow.  There are moments in this story that will make you laugh out loud, whilst others will make you cringe.  There are no hidden twists here, what you see is what you get, however sometimes a predictable read is just what you need.  If you enjoy naughty books about hot neighbours, then this is the novel for you!

Rating: 2 and a half out of 5 stars