When I saw the main character was called Deborah I just had to read this. Deborahs are too and far between and as a Deborah myself, I had to champion When I saw the main character was called Deborah I just had to read this. Deborahs are too and far between and as a Deborah myself, I had to champion this. It was ok, but a bit straight and boring. 5* for the Deborah. ...more
Ben lives his life as a morbidly obese shut-in and is about to leave the flat for the first time in nine years to have his leg amputated. As the serviBen lives his life as a morbidly obese shut-in and is about to leave the flat for the first time in nine years to have his leg amputated. As the services are all there readying his removal from the fourth floor, disaster strike and civilisation ceases to exist. People have transformed in Wraths, foul-mouthed, angry people who beat each other up but Ben is left alone with only his dog Brown for company and has to survive on his own.
I LOVED this. I loved it. It was humorous, apocalyptic and I just kept cheering for Ben and Brown.
There is a second book which I’m going to get because I need to know what happened next.
Excellent novel, I rarely award things 5* but this just deserved it. I really enjoyed it.
This was a well written novel about several characters whose stories intertwined through ‘strange pictures�. I really enjoyed the ‘puzzle solving� andThis was a well written novel about several characters whose stories intertwined through ‘strange pictures�. I really enjoyed the ‘puzzle solving� and marvelled at how conclusions were arrived at. There was a point in the book where I GASPED!
The end was a little long winded but, on the whole, this was an excellent mystery and I can see why it was so popular on release. ...more
Brilliantly written book about North American Christianity and from the author who grew up in it. American Christians are seen as quite bonkers and yoBrilliantly written book about North American Christianity and from the author who grew up in it. American Christians are seen as quite bonkers and you can see it creeping into the UK where there are several variations of Protestantism. The tears, the holding hands, it just screeches American.
I had the (mis)fortune of attending such a service once, my fault, because an ex-NFL player was giving a talk and I just didn’t put the two together despite a word of caution from someone close to me. I believed it was innocent but the minute he said non-believers were all going to hell was the minute I realised I’d lied to myself. He even sang and I wanted to cut my own head off.
You know what makes me really mad? People who have ‘found God� after living a life of debauchery. You can’t tell me they didn’t have fun for at least a part of it. They’re partied out and people are slagging them off so the next step is ‘the Bible�.
The fame and money hasn’t quite reached American proportions but ‘tithes� are in operation and quite a lot too. It is such a male dominated movement. The whole thing just reeks of hypocrisy which is well covered in the book. I really enjoyed this read because although it’s widely known (American Christianity) it’s still nice to have my beliefs reaffirmed. Whilst it’s not good to hold grudges, sometimes holding a grudge against the crazy American Christians is rather mood boosting. It makes me feel gleeful.
Great read. Many thanks to NetGalley and EWC Publishing for this ARC!...more
Interesting in that the character exploration was laid out well - people searching and exploring their identity but there were far too many full stopsInteresting in that the character exploration was laid out well - people searching and exploring their identity but there were far too many full stops. The sentences were short and jarring and distracted me from the story. However, I feel that if I tried to read this again I would be able to piece it together better and enjoy it from a different perspective.
A good debut novel, would be better if there were longer sentences.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dundum press for this ARC. ...more
A deep thinking book about privacy from earlier centuries to today and how changing societies have changed the perception of what ‘privacy� means.
ThiA deep thinking book about privacy from earlier centuries to today and how changing societies have changed the perception of what ‘privacy� means.
This book was very well researched and very detailed, and whilst I enjoyed the later years I found the earlier centuries a bit long but if this kind of detailed research is your thing then you’re going to love it. I wasn’t expecting it to be so intricate and for that I was quite impressed
Many thanks to NetGalley and Picador for this ARC. ...more
Whilst this novel appears to be quite explicit it does make a very valid point about the future of humankind. Twenty years ago I’d have put this down Whilst this novel appears to be quite explicit it does make a very valid point about the future of humankind. Twenty years ago I’d have put this down as a great sci-fi read but with the way the world is going I’d say this is going to be a reality, but hopefully not in my lifetime.
The protagonist, Amane, was conceived naturally, and her Mother never let her forget it. The new way of giving life was all very controlled and done by artificial insemination, with no love and intimacy between people but for purposely raising children, known as Kodomo-chan, to be almost identical and perfect. Amane was conflicted by this, being conceived ‘the old way� and with her peers only knowing ‘the new way�.
Very interesting read, but the last part with the grown up(?) Kodomo-chan was somewhat unsettling. The general concept is unnerving, the end of human emotional bonds and cold, clinical, science being the future.
Murata has a broad spectrum of imagination which I appreciate
Many thanks to NetGalley and Granta for this ARC. ...more
Aine lives in London with her BFF; Laura, but they’re growing up and on now and move in with their respective partners. Whilst Laura seems to have it Aine lives in London with her BFF; Laura, but they’re growing up and on now and move in with their respective partners. Whilst Laura seems to have it all, a houseboat, plenty of social media content and an engagement, for Aine it’s all going very wrong. The flat she rents with her partner, Elliot; is seemingly cursed, the odd couple upstairs, the unending mould, the flat seeps in misery and she seems to be the only one deeply affected.
I felt this book was a tad too long, Aine’s obsession with the mould and upstairs neighbours wore on me. I wanted Aine to confront Laura about Moon and Cian seemed a bit of a waste of a character. Despite the detail throughout it felt empty, like I hadn’t really read anything.
Thank you to NetGalley and Fig Tree for this ARC. ...more
What a brilliant book. The dark Ms Notty is a nanny to the Pounds children but has very little tolerance for the rest of the household and staff. PeopWhat a brilliant book. The dark Ms Notty is a nanny to the Pounds children but has very little tolerance for the rest of the household and staff. People disappear, secrets are revealed and I loved it. Dark, funny and just brilliant.
Thanks to NetGalley and the 4th Estate for this ARC. ...more
Following three girls growing up in South Yorkshire in the 90s, this story follows their ups and downs as they navigate life. Sharp writing and writteFollowing three girls growing up in South Yorkshire in the 90s, this story follows their ups and downs as they navigate life. Sharp writing and written in the local dialect, I did struggle at times to convert to ‘plain English�, relying on vintage Coronation Street to sound out the words. One word that I didn’t get and found rather irritating was ‘ut�. I tried to visualise Vera Duckworth saying this but to no avail.
Great debut novel, very well written of the time, I’d recommend anyone struggling with the dialect to persevere.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for this ARC. ...more
An earthquake strikes while heavily pregnant Annie is in Ikea buying a crib last minute. With no phone, Annie travels downtown to try and find her husAn earthquake strikes while heavily pregnant Annie is in Ikea buying a crib last minute. With no phone, Annie travels downtown to try and find her husband all while trying to keep her sanity and protecting her unborn baby.
I really, really enjoyed this. I felt like I was traveling with Annie and experiencing the aftermath of the quake. It was so well written and visual. If this doesn’t get snapped up for a film then the film world is formally in the doldrums.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC. ...more
It started off really strange, I couldn't get into the style of writing from the third-person point of view but I perservered and found myself gettingIt started off really strange, I couldn't get into the style of writing from the third-person point of view but I perservered and found myself getting into it once other people started coming in, well one person. I'm not sure I really liked this though, it left me feeling odd, but I did finish in one sitting, quick to get through. It was interesting, not really a story as such. It was not a conventional fictional read by any means. Strange......more
Wow! This was brilliant. A very messy descent into madness and I loved it. Jessamyn is a struggling actress who auditions for the part of Maria, the SWow! This was brilliant. A very messy descent into madness and I loved it. Jessamyn is a struggling actress who auditions for the part of Maria, the Sound of Music, at a low budget, small theatre, and will do anything and everything to get, what she perceives as, the ultimate role that will make her a STAR.
I was completely invested in this story�, following Jessamyn as she just gunned for that role at any cost but not realising how insane she was being.
Brilliant. Loved it. 4.5 stars easily.
Many thanks to NetGalley and EWC press for this ARC...more
I have finally finished this absolutely bitch of a book and can at last tell people I am officially better than them.
O**spoiler alert** Oh. My. God.
I have finally finished this absolutely bitch of a book and can at last tell people I am officially better than them.
On to the story though, I really got into it at the start - Russian aristocratic society was interesting and then the lead up to the war. The war began and on and on and on it went. Relentlessly boring and that wasn’t helped by Mr Tolstoy interjecting with chapters of his own opinion on the most boring war. There were some interesting parts when battles actually occurred.
The war (I KNOW IT’S IN THE TITLE) took up the majority of the book, and Tolstoy’s waffling took up too much space too. It seemed to be a rather unsuccessful war, no-one ‘won�. It was a battle of ‘my dick is bigger than yours.�
Character wise I despised most of them but had a little soft touch for Pierre and Kutsunov. Natasha wasn’t too bad either - the Rostovs were great party animals but on the whole; the others were just plain insufferable.
When I reached the epilogue tears of joy began to spill forth. The end was near! Only it wasn’t. For the first few chapters in came Tolstoy again blabbing on and on about his opinion on this bloody war. Persevered and at last came to the literal epilogue, which was a book in itself. The ending was merely satisfactory.
I no longer feel like gloating about this once perceived great challenge but shall instead will use this heavy experience to warn people off unless they literally have f all else going on in their lives.
Still, I can say I’ve actually read War and Peace. ...more
A genie sets up a stall selling wishes, with teenaged Alex as assistant and lots of things happen. It was a wave of emotions from enjoying it; to gettA genie sets up a stall selling wishes, with teenaged Alex as assistant and lots of things happen. It was a wave of emotions from enjoying it; to getting bored then enjoying again. My favourite characters were undoubtedly the Gnomes. I lived for the gnomes in this tale. I don’t know whether it was the Alex, who just annoyed me with her teenager attitude or whether there were times when the genie just should have granted certain wishes just to add excitement to the plot. I don’t know how I feel. This book was read quickly so I must have enjoyed it more than I thought. Personally, I think the title is cheap and could be worked on.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publishing for this ARC. ...more
Liwa finds himself waking up in Frere Lachaise cemetery after dying young and unexpectedly. He meets the other residents, such as the Director of HumaLiwa finds himself waking up in Frere Lachaise cemetery after dying young and unexpectedly. He meets the other residents, such as the Director of Human Resources (this made me laugh) and the ‘Chief�, Black Mamba. Liwa sets out to seek revenge, something he is strongly advised against.
I enjoyed this as I read on. The culture and customs were described so vividly, I could visualise (my own version of course) the story in my head. The only thing I couldn’t decide on was whether the cemetery and inhabitants parts should have been left out or shortened as there was no further mention of them once Liwa left, it wasn’t a seamless join - it could have been two books, one about Liwa and one, that should be written, about the Cemeteries, or ‘Part 1� and ‘Part 2�.
Thank you to #netgalley and #serpentstail for this ARC. ...more
Loading...
