Had me hooked….

Mortom by Erik Therme

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Love the puzzle structure of this book, it really had me hooked all the way through. It all kicks off when Andy and Kate (siblings) go to clean out their cousin Craig’s house and find a dead rat with a key and a clue in its mouth. Could this lead to a prize or instead a nasty outcome?

This is a really fast novel, with effective use of leads and red herrings. Even though my suspicions were confirmed at the end there was enough twisting and turning in between to ensure I wasn’t left disappointed (which is rare as guessing correctly usually annoys me!). For me it’s a solid 3.5 stars, I would have given four if I was unable to crack it :).

I look forward to reading more from this author!!

Many thanks to Maxine for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great new author on the block……..one to watch!!!!!

Twisted by Lola Smirnova

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Really excellent read. A fast paced, well written novel with good personality and humour, finished it in a day. The storyline and some scenes may not be for everyone but anyone who is a fan of Irvine Welsh would enjoy. It might be wrong however I found the scene involving the camera laugh out loud hilarious. Look forward to the next book from this author, though not sure if there is a risk of too much of the same if its is a sequel rather than a brand new story. I guess we will wait and see! Thanks to the author for making available at no cost for review.

Craved by Lola Smirnova

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the debut novel Twisted and have been looking forward to reading the sequel. I really like the style of writing, with the punchy style and sarcastic humour engaging you from the beginning. This second novel continues the story of the three sisters, this time in South Africa. Each chapter reads a bit like a ‘day in the life of’ as the main character, Julie, adjusts to sobriety and stripping South African style. The overall storyline takes a while to get into full swing and for a moment I thought it almost wasn’t going to happen. Fortunately the last quarter of the book really picks up the pace and I was on edge wondering how things were going to play out! I can see that this sets things up for a complicated and hopefully quite exciting third installment. Overall it’s not as fast paced as the first novel, though an enjoyable addition to the adventures of Julia, Lena and Natalia and I look forward to more……..3.5 to 4 stars for me :).

My Summer recommendations…..

Summer holidays…sun, sand, ocean, downtime and readamilings!! Holidays provide the time to really lose yourself in a book without the distractions and hectic pace of life interfering.

So here are my top picks for books which are perfect for that. Hope you enjoy and would love to hear your thoughts!!

 

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthonyrra

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For me it took a while to get into this, a slow burner, however a really wonderful story: devastatingly painful, very funny……totally human. Set in a rural village in Chechnya, the locals all share a history where their past, and therefore their fates, are intertwined.  The decisions, responsibilities and dilemmas they now face will determine what the future will bring.  A must read over the holidays….

 

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a living, breathing masterpiece that literally takes you into the lives of the characters…..you to live, love, laugh and despair with them as they progress their way through a turbulent and revolutionary time in India’s history. Years on, I still miss the characters from this book…..quite deeply. I have never reread a book, which is weird as I rewatch films and TV all the time. This will probably be my exception to the rule :).

 

The Son by Philipp Meyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great epic read. Perfect for the holiday period. Some reviews didn’t like the character and time zone jumping however I thought it worked really well, building momentum as the stories became more entwined. The characters can be challenging, however that is inevitable when using them to depict the story of Southern America. The harsh reality, heavy violence and never ending bloodshed, coupled with great historical storytelling. By also keeping the story running into current times we have to reflect, what have we learnt, how have we grown…we haven’t, so lest we forget. Really riveting reading!!!

 

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant. Amazing. Loved it. It is historical fiction however don’t let that fool you, it is beautifully written with the characters coming alive and jumping off the page. It’s funny, heart breaking and just a lovely story. A pleasure to read, finished it in two sittings.

Keeps you turning the pages….

Forsaken by J.D. Barker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Maxine for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. This is quite a good horror story that keeps you turning the page. Its central focus is a writer and his family who are tormented by a range of strange happenings, indicating all is not well and that things might be about to get worse. The two intertwined stories of the novel and the present day work well, even if the novel is a bit slow to start. I got into the story straight away and looked forward to it as part of my nightly read. By the end the whole story picks up the pace to an exciting climax. Enjoyable reading and good first novel!

A hell of a ride…….

White Walls and Straitjackets by David Owain Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A hell of a fast paced ride. It’s reminiscent of Irvine Welsh’s Acid House, however replace the acid with meth amphetamine sprinkled with touches of American Psycho. A collection of intertwined short stories of the extreme kind that pull the characters together into a more complete story. Clever twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. Would definitely read more from this author.

Many thanks to Maxine for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Escapist reading….

The Child by Sebastian Fitzek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really do like this author. This still isn’t as good as The Eye Collector however still turns what you think is happening on its head, particularly towards the end. Well worth a read if you want to go down a rabbit hole and suspend reality for a few hours :).

Entertaining and fast paced…..

Housebroken by The Behrg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Maxine for a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

So quite an entertaining read. Like other reviews this reads like a film and is jam packed with violence, torture, tension and twists and turns. Keeps you turning the page though for me it dragged a wee bit in the middle, like there was just a little too much packed into it which made it lose a bit of its shock value, however the story did pick up again towards the end.

Whilst I get the driver of the book, it relied heavily on naivety and unconditional commitment to family and I think it could have become really interesting if games of mistrust were explored between each of the family characters (more suspense rather than just action). The back story definitely had scope to set this up and think it still could have have played out to the end. However all in all, definitely would recommend as a a great holiday read if you are wanting to dip into an action packed ride far from the mundane routine of the day to day …four stars :).

Hello Readers!

This is my page dedicated to all things literary…or as my cats would say…’readamilings’…..Hope my reviews help you find that next hidden gem of a read!!