Tag: fiction

Book Review: Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan

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Dear AmyDear Amy by Helen Callaghan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fantastic debut. Dear Amy is exceptionally well written, with a very likeable main character and a storyline that gripped me from the very start. It’s not perfect and I found the first half to be much better than the last but I will most definitely be looking out for more books by Helen Callaghan.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Margot Lewis is the agony aunt for The Cambridge Examiner. Her advice column, Dear Amy, gets all kinds of letters – but none like the one she’s just received: Dear Amy,
I don’t know where I am. I’ve been kidnapped and am being held prisoner by a strange man. I’m afraid he’ll kill me.
Please help me soon,
Bethan Avery

Bethan Avery has been missing for years. This is surely some cruel hoax. But, as more letters arrive, they contain information that was never made public. How is this happening? Answering this question will cost Margot everything . .

Thoughts

This definitely seems to be turning out to be a great summer for crime and thrillers. There seems to be a new must read story out almost every week and I know I’ve been mixing a lot more of them than usual into my reading. In a market so crowded it’s difficult to see how a new book from a new author could possibly stand out but in my opinion Dear Amy definitely manages just that.

With this type of story it’s difficult to say a lot about the plot without giving away spoilers but essentially it’s about an agony aunt (and English teacher) who receives a letter from someone claiming to be a girl abducted a number of years ago. For some reason she finds herself believing it could be genuine and when the police don’t take her seriously she starts looking into it herself.

From the very start I found main character Margot Lewis to be very likeable. She’s probably around the same age as me, loves her job as a teacher and as an agony aunt but is having a bit of a personal crisis as she’s in the process of getting divorced and her soon to be ex is making things difficult. Understandably she is a little emotional and sometime she does seem to lose control a bit but given everything that happens her reactions actually feel quite natural and real.

Margot’s character and how it develops is pretty central to the story and while there were elements I didn’t quite believe it did feel like a natural development. Similarly there are a few things in the plot that didn’t seem wholly believable and while some became clear as we got further into the story there were a few bits that I’m still not too sure about.

Despite these niggles, the writing stayed consistently good throughout. It somehow drew you completely into the story and into Margot’s head. There are some flashbacks to Margot’s past and occasionally it seemed like her mind would wander on to something unconnected but I suspect if you were in my head it would be exactly the same. I absolutely loved how she described places and people in particular. I felt like I got a real sense of them and I’m someone who frequently skims over descriptions.

While the majority of the book is told from Margot’s perspective there is the occasional switch to other characters and while I liked some of them there were others I wasn’t as keen on. I think this was probably my biggest issue with the second half of the book. It switched focus to one of the other less likeable characters and it put me off a little. It was also at this point that a lot of the tension and mystery kind of dissipated and it became much more your standard thriller and the ending felt a little flat.

That being said, I still think it was an excellent debut that I would recommend you give a go. On the basis of the writing style alone I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza

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The Girl In The Ice (DCI Erika Foster, #1)The Girl In The Ice by Robert Bryndza

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unlike a lot of people who have discovered Robert Bryndza for the first time through this story and were surprised to hear he had previously written romantic comedy, I’ve been reading Robert’s books for a while and was very shocked to hear he’d written a detective story.

I’m a big fan of his Coco Pinchard series and have loved his eccentric cast of characters and their completely insane actions so I wasn’t sure how he would tackle a who dunit. It seemed like a pretty big leap to me but somehow he’s managed to do it brilliantly.

There are some similarities, the Eastern European elements, the diverse mix of characters and the fact that everyone seems to smoke 🙂 but that’s pretty much it. It’s very much your traditional police procedural about the murder of a young woman and while there is the odd joke he definitely takes the whole thing very seriously.

It’s well written, with some great characters and a story that keeps you turning the pages late into the night.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one.

When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.

The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London.

What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

The last investigation Erika led went badly wrong… resulting in the death of her husband. With her career hanging by a thread, Erika must now battle her own personal demons as well as a killer more deadly than any she’s faced before. But will she get to him before he strikes again?

Thoughts

I have to admit I was a bit wary coming into this book as it’s rare for an author to move successfully from one genre to a completely different one. Somehow though Robert Bryndza has managed the switch from rom com to murder mystery fantastically well. I was very impressed and while I do love his Coco Pinchard series I think he’s definitely found his calling in crime fiction.

At the centre of the story is DCI Erika Foster, brought in after a period of absence from the force to lead the special task force investigating a high profile murder case. She’s told it’s because she’s good at her job but given her recent history it seems highly probable that she’s actually there as the fall guy should anything go wrong. Almost immediately she clashes with the other DCI on the investigation (DCI Sparks) who thinks he should be leading the case resulting in a lot of tension within the squad. Foster is in a difficult position with her bosses demanding results, the media looking for a story and the threat of being replaced if it all goes wrong.

I’ve read some criticism of Erika Foster, she’s too argumentative, some of her actions are ridiculous but I liked her a lot and thought that while a lot of her actions weren’t always the most sensible they fit with the character the author had created. There is a little bit of the detective stereotyping going on (the tough female cop who’ll go to any lengths to catch the bad guy) but it works and is kind of what you expect from this type of story. She’s in a difficult position but sticks to her guns and fights her corner.

What I thought really made this a good story though was the cast of supporting characters of which there are many. There are a few more stereotypes here too, the miserable colleague who’s out to stitch her up, the boss trying to pull her back in line, but there are also some pretty unique characters too. I particularly liked colleagues Crane, Moss and Woolfe but Ivy and Linda also made for interesting and unique additions. Every character is well defined and each has their attributes and flaws. As this is the first in the series, it is only an introduction to a lot of them and I think it will be interesting to see how they develop in subsequent books.

The story itself isn’t particularly unique but when it comes down to murder mystery there aren’t a lot of new ideas left. While it isn’t the most original I did think it was very well done and it did hook me. It’s not perfect but given the author is new to the genre I think the series definitely has potential.

Teaser Tuesday: 31st May 2016

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Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

TeaserThis week my teaser comes from The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza which I received as an ARC from NetGalley. This is the second in the DCI Erika Foster series which I have to say I’m really enjoying at the moment. I liked the previous book, The Girl in the Ice, a lot but I think this one is actually better.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)The Night Stalker (DCI Erika Foster, #2)

If the Night Stalker is watching, you’re already dead…

In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head.

A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike.

The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secrecy? And what links them to the killer?

As a heat wave descends upon London, Erika will do everything to stop the Night Stalker before the body count rises, even if it means risking her job. But the victims might not be the only ones being watched… Erika’s own life could be on the line.

My Teaser

‘How predictable. What a clichĂ©. The damaged female DCI, too busy for anyone but her work,’ said Stephen, still typing.

~ 21%, The Night Stalker – Robert Bryndza

Don’t have nightmares 🙂 (sorry there’s a crimewatch reconstruction so I couldn’t resist)

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: Summer Days & Summer Nights by Stephanie Perkins

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Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love StoriesSummer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m generally not a fan of short stories but having previously read My True Love Gave To Me, which was also edited by Stephanie Perkins, and really enjoying it I couldn’t resist this new Summer themed collection of YA love stories. While I am a little disappointed there’s no Rainbow Rowell this time around I was very excited to see Leigh Bardugo features as well as a few of my other favourite authors.

There’s such a great mix of authors and genres in this collection it’s pretty much guaranteed that everyone will find a story they love. Here’s what I thought of each of the stories.Read More »

WWW Wednesday: 25th May 2016

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It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

Currently Reading

I may have gotten a little bit carried away on NetGalley last week and requested a few more books than I really should have so I’m currently reading two books at the moment.Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories

The first is Summer Days and Summer Nights which is a collection of YA short stories edited by  Stephanie Perkins all with a summer love theme. I have a bit of a tendency to avoid short stories but I thought the previous anthology by Stephanie, My True Love Gave to Me, had some fantastically good stories so I couldn’t resist. There’s a great mix of genres and the authors include some of my favourites such as Cassandra Clare, Veronica Roth and Leigh Bardugo. There are also a lot of new to me authors so no doubt by the time I finish my TBR pile will be a lot bigger.

Sweet Resolve (Lucky, Book #2)The second book I’m reading is another ARC, Sweet Resolve by Jill Sanders. I’m around a third of the way through and so far it’s ok, not bad, not good. I like a good romance novel every now and then as a bit of light relief but I’m not finding anything particularly special about this one. Hopefully it’ll pick up.

On audio, I’m still listening to At Graves End by Jeaniene Frost which is the third book in the Night Huntress series. I am enjoying it, some of the dialogue is hilarious, but I haven’t been driving as much so I haven’t had as much time to listen to it.

Recently Finished

I was taking part in a readathon over the weekend so I was doing a lot of reading. This was helped by a very cold and wet Saturday which discouraged me from leaving the house and a hot and sunny Sunday which meant lying outside in the sun.Us (Him #2) Typical Scottish weather 🙂

First book finished was Us by Sabrina Bowen and Elle Kennedy which was the follow up to M/M romance Him. I thought it was a little bit slow to get going but once I hit around the 30% mark I was completely hooked and ended up squeezing in some reading at every possible opportunity (including at 4am in the morning when I couldn’t sleep). I think the highlight was new character Blake who stole pretty much every scene he was in.

Next up was one of the books from my reading next list The Problem with Forever(it does happen occasionally),  The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L Armentrout. It’s a young adult contemporary story about a girl, Mallory, who due to an abusive background doesn’t like to speak. After being rehomed and a lot of therapy she decides she’s ready for public school but when she gets there she meets a boy from her past.

This was my first book from this author and I thought the plot was fascinating. It makes a nice change to have a main character who isn’t super confident or popular and is actually scared of everything. Unfortunately I just didn’t get the feels but I suspect that’s just me. I can be a bit funny about YA contemporary. You can read my full review here.The Crown (The Selection, #5)

The next book finished this week was The Crown by Kiera Cass. This was another NetGalley request that I was so happy to get approved. The Crown is the fifth and final book in the Selection series and I’d been anxiously awaiting it’s release since I read The Heir a month or so ago. I think it’s probably the best book in the series and a fitting ending. You can read my full review (with relatively few spoilers) here.

Reading Next

This coming weekend is a holiday weekend here so I’m hoping to read a few books and maybe get caught up on my reviews.

I’ve had the The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza on my reading next list for about the last three weeks so I think it should probably be first. I’ve been putting it off for far too long and for no other reason than I haven’t really been in the mood for crime. If it goes well though I’ll probably continue on and read the next book in the series, The Night Stalker.

After that it will probably be a choice between The Paris Secret by Karen Swan or The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Very different books but both by authors I love so it will no doubt come down to what mood I’m in 🙂

The Girl In The Ice (DCI Erika Foster, #1)The Night Stalker (DCI Erika Foster, #2)The Paris SecretThe Rest of Us Just Live Here

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Book Review: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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The Problem with ForeverThe Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Liked this book a lot but didn’t get the feels I was hoping for…sorry.

This was my first book by Jennifer L. Armentrout and having heard so many great things about her I wanted to love this so much. I haven’t always had the best relationship with YA contemporary stories but I thought for sure that this book would be packed full of emotion. Unfortunately however I just didn’t feel it.

It deals with some really difficult and uncomfortable issues and I think handles them in a responsible and very genuine way. While there is a lot going on, abuse, PTSD, drug dealing, loss and bullying it’s written in such a way as to make it seem very realistic (although I don’t have much experience of most of it).

Synopsis

Main character Mallory (aka Mouse) was raised in an abusive foster home where she learned that the best way to keep out of trouble is to keep out of sight and keep quiet. While it’s 4 years later and she’s in a new and supportive home and has had lots of counselling she still doesn’t like to talk and prefers to avoid notice. Having been home schooled for the past few years she decides it’s time to face her fears and go to school.

It comes as a big surprise though when she bumps into Rider, the boy who used to try to protect her and who she hasn’t seen since a terrible event set them on different paths. He resumes his role as her protector but they’re both older now and things have changed. They come from different worlds so despite their shared past they may not have a future.

Thoughts

It was definitely interesting reading a book with a main character like Mallory. I haven’t come across many books where the main character doesn’t say much and is afraid of pretty much everything. I felt so sorry for her but still occasionally found myself getting frustrated with her and just wishing she would speak up for herself rather than letting others push her around and make decisions for her. I loved how she developed over the course of the story but I also liked how there was no instant cure. The one part I could really relate to was the social anxiety, the fear of having to go into a big group of people, to have to stand up and speak in front of others and I thought the author portrayed this very well.

Rider was possibly the sweetest guy ever and I think I fell a little bit in love with him. He did have the bad boy thing going but his reaction in seeing Mallory and at a couple of other points did ever so slightly break my heart.

Where I think my issue lay, was the relationship between them. Yes it was quite sweet, but I didn’t feel any real spark between them and in a book where the relationship is the central part of the story that’s a problem. I didn’t feel myself rooting for them so while I kind of hoped they’d get together and sort everything out it wouldn’t have been the end of my world if they hadn’t.

My other main criticism is the length. At 480 pages it’s a little on the long side. If it had really grabbed me it wouldn’t have been an issue but for me it did feel long. The writing is good but I did find there was an over emphasis in getting the very positive message across. I’m a little older than the target audience and have become quite cynical and negative in my old age so maybe it’s just me and younger readers will find it more inspirational.

I think if you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover and Sarah Dessen this book will be perfect for you. However it wasn’t as good as I was hoping.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

3 Days 3 Quotes: Day 2

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I was tagged by the awesome Liam at Hey Ashers! to take part in the 3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge. Thanks so much Liam, I love quotes so this tag is perfect for me.

The rules are:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you
  2. Post a quote for three consecutive days
  3. Nominate three new bloggers each day

This is my second round of this tag and I’m going with a bit of a love and romance theme with my quotes. Today’s quote is from one of the greatest romances ever written and one of my favourite books.

The Princess Bride Day 2, Quote 2:

Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.

– The Princess Bride by William Golden

Today I’m tagging another three of my favourite blogs. There is a strong possibility you’ve already done this so feel free to pass.

  1. Shannon at Captivated by Fantasy
  2. Madeline at The SFF Bookshelf
  3. Yvo at It’s All About Books

Enjoy x

Book Review: The Crown by Kiera Cass

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The Crown (The Selection, #5)The Crown by Kiera Cass

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic ending to the series.

*Warning review may include spoilers for previous books in the series*

If anyone has read any of my other reviews of the Selection Series you’ll know that I’ve always had kind of mixed feelings about it. Of the original Selection trilogy I only really liked the first book in the series as the love triangle drove me slightly insane and I decided that America was possibly the most annoying character ever in the history of the world (ok I may be exaggerating)

I don’t know what convinced me to pick up The Heir (probably the cover) but I found in Eadlyn a much more likeable character (which wouldn’t be difficult) and I loved the flip to the other side of the Selection process. Although possibly I’m just fantasizing about having 35 eligible bachelors competing for my hand in marriage. I found myself completely addicted to the story and I think I read the whole book from start to finish in a few hours.

As it finished on a bit of a cliff hanger (grrr!) I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Crown. How would it all end? Would Eadlyn finally stop trying to be so perfect and turn into a real person? What would happen to America and Maxon? And, would Eadlyn find a husband from the remaining contenders or walk away from the whole thing?

I have to admit I was kind of hoping she wouldn’t pick anyone and do her own thing even though I know most people had their favourite SHIP.

Synopsis

The story picks up almost immediately after the Heir with everyone reeling from the big shock at the end. As the king and queen are unable to rule Eadlyn’s forced to temporarily step into the breach and act as monarch. Despite now ruling the country of Illea, having to deal with difficult advisors, keeping the country stable and proving that she is fit to rule, she decides to continue with the selection process in the hopes of garnering the support of her people.

She narrows the contestants down to six but as the country becomes more unsettled and her rule comes under threat she feels she has to choose quickly but the big question is who will she pick and will it be for love or duty?

Thoughts

I know a lot of reviews have been very critical of Eadlyn but in all honesty I like her a lot as a character and I found her story a lot more interesting and appealing than that of America. I like that she is quite reserved and finds it difficult to open up to people. Given her upbringing and the fact that she’s had it drilled into her since birth that she will be queen and will have to set an example, it’s pretty understandable. While she definitely worries too much about her clothes and what people think about her it’s all because she wants to do a good job and not let anyone down.

I will say that in the Heir she was a little annoying at times but she does definitely soften up a lot in this one particularly when it comes to her boys. She finally starts to open up to them and gets attached to each of them for different reasons although it didn’t feel like there was a lot of romance in the air (I suppose there was a lot of other stuff going on).

The six remaining contestants are possibly the sweetest guys ever and I also got very attached to all of them although it seemed like they were more friends to Eady than romantic interests. I kind of liked that there was a bit less romance in this book but it made it pretty much impossible to work out which way she would go and how it would all end.

In terms of who she eventually picks, I fully supported her choice. There had been hints of it coming throughout the Heir so while I did think her sudden realization was a bit too sudden (hinting around this is driving me nuts) I did believe it.

While overall I enjoyed the story it wasn’t perfect and there were a couple of things that niggled at me. I felt like there was a little bit of stereotyping going on, not enough development of some of the secondary characters and some slightly odd behaviour at times. Despite these niggles however I will say that Kiera Cass knows how to write and I found I couldn’t put it down. It’s easy and it’s completely addictive.

It would have been nice to get a bit more of an epilogue as I want to know where they all end up but I think it finished the series off really well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the book in exchange for an honest review. The Crown is available now.

WWW Wednesday: 18th May 2016

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It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Here’s this weeks WWW.

Currently Reading

Normal service has resumed this week and I have two books on the go at the moment, an e-book and an audio. Neither of these were actuallyUs (Him #2) planned so I’m wandering off my reading list yet again.

For the ebook I’m reading Us by Sabrina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. It’s the follow up to Him which I read a few months ago and really enjoyed. It’s an M/M romance, is pretty steamy but also quite funny. It had a bit of a slow start with lots of relationship angst which was getting a little dull but now I’m around the halfway point it’s really picking up. I’m absolutely loving new character Blake. He just makes me laugh so much.

At Grave's End (Night Huntress, #3)On audio, I’m currently listening to At Graves End by Jeaniene Frost. It’s the third book in the Night Huntress series which is about a half vampire Cat who hunts bad vampires with her boyfriend Bones (also a vampire). It’s obviously not a great work of literary fiction but is quite fun to listen to. It did result in some mild embarrassment yesterday when I burst out laughing while listening to it on the train. It’s a little cliched in places but Bones’ dialogue is hilarious.

Recently Finished

I’ve actually been very productive this week and managed to finish three ebooks, a physical book and an audio book. Even better, a couple of those bookDon't You Crys were on my reading next list meaning that I’m more or less back on track.

First up was Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica which I got from NetGalley. It’s a mystery/thriller and is almost two stories in one. The first is about a girl who goes missing, the other about a girl who suddenly appears. I was a big fan of Mary Kubica’s previous book Pretty Baby but found this one a little bit disappointing. There’s a lot of character development, it’s very twisty and is well written but I found it a little bit on the slow side. You can read my full review here.

The Mirror World of Melody BlackThe next book finished was  The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence. This was chosen by my book club and I probably wouldn’t have come across it otherwise. The reason for this choice of book is that it’s main character has been diagnosed as bipolar and it’s mental health awareness week here in the UK. Despite my reservations over reading a book dealing with such a difficult subject I did find that I enjoyed it. The author has based it on his own experiences with similar issues and I think that definitely shows through.

Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse (Cape Bay Cafe Mystery, #1)After that I moved on to Cappucinos, Cupcakes and a Corpse by Harper Lin which is described as a culinary cozy mystery. It’s about a woman who runs a coffee shop and one day on her way home from work finds the body of her neighbour (this seems to be a theme as the same thing happened in the The Mirror World of Melody Black). When it turns out he was murdered she decides to investigate. Honestly, I chose this book because it had a teacup on the cover (needed that for a challenge). It was quite a quick read and well enough written, however it just really wound me up and I wanted to shout at it or throw it. Obviously culinary cozy mysteries are not for me 🙂

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, #1)Other than that I have been obsessing over Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. Last week I was mid way through the audio book of the first in the series,  Halfway to the Grave. It ended up being one of those completely addictive stories that’s so bad it’s kind of good. Reminds me a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer which isn’t helped by the main male character Bones being a double for Spike. The plot borders on ridiculous at times and I’m fairly certain I laugh at things that aren’t supposed to be funny but I am loving it.

After finishing it, I couldn’t get the next book in the series, One Foot in the Grave, on audio from the library so switched to the ebook which I finished in a day. As you can see I’m now on to the third book and am back on audio.

Reading Next

I didn’t manage to get to some of the books on my reading next list from last week so I’m still planning to read The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L Armentrout and The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza so I can reduce my NetGalley shelf.

I have however acquired a few more library books during the week which are sure to distract me and, in very exciting news, the Overdrive app has finally started working on my Kindle Fire so I’ve managed to borrow a couple of ebooks. Unfortunately you only get 21 days on ebooks so will need to read them fairly quickly. One of the books I have is Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare which is the final book in the Infernal Devices trilogy. I love Cassandra Clare’s writing so, while I haven’t enjoyed this series as much as the Mortal Instruments, I’m looking forward to finding out how it all ends.

The Problem with ForeverThe Girl In The Ice (DCI Erika Foster, #1)Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3)

Have you read any of the books above or have any other book you’d recommend? Leave comments and links below.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Teaser Tuesday: 17th May 2016

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Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

TeaserThis week I’ve decided to take my teaser from The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence. It normally wouldn’t be the type of book I go for but it was chosen for my book club so I was forced out of my comfort zone. It’s a story about living with a mental illness and how just the smallest thing (like finding your next door neighbours body) can cause your life to spin totally out of control.

The Mirror World of Melody BlackMy Teaser

So what, exactly, defined the line between crazy and not crazy? The more I thought about it, the more it seemed that sanity was just a matter of behaviour. Its degrees could be measured by the cleanliness of your hair, the set of your facial features, how you respond to a series of social cues.

~ page 169

It definitely makes for an interesting and at times uncomfortable read.

Happy reading everyone.