ARC Review: Vox by Christina Dalcher

August 19, 2018 Ali@abookishlife7 Comments

Vox by Christina Dalcher

With an intriguing premise and clever writing I found this to be an incredibly engaging and addictive read.

THE BLURB

Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial–this can’t happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

MY REVIEW

Despite being bombarded with promotion for this book all over social media it was only when I read the premise that I decided it was one I had to read. I was suspicious of all of the comparisons to the Handmaids Tale (I’m suspicious of all comparisons though) but there are actually a lot of similarities in the world the author creates. Due to a change in political power and the influence of religion, America is seeking a return to “traditional values” and family roles. The men are educated, given jobs, bring home money and make all of the decisions and the women are there to support them by keeping house.

Where it diverges however, and what fascinated me, is that this is enforced by limiting women’s access to words and language. Every woman/girl is given an allocation of 100 words a day and is fitted with a counter to ensure they stick to it. They are not permitted to read or write, have no access to computers, mobile phones or tablets and there are cameras set up to ensure they don’t communicate by any other means. It’s extreme but it really intrigued me. How would a loss of language affect your life, how would it affect your relationships and the dynamics within a family?

Through a number of situations and little nuggets of detail the author does an incredible job of portraying this world in a way which feels very real and easy to imagine. It’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into it in the way that the author answers almost all of the questions I had about what kind of impact this would have on the day to day life of different types of people. There are maybe a few too many coincidences and it lacks a little subtlety at times but it gets the message across.

I liked that the main character Jean (Gianna) was a former professor of neurolinguistics and the opportunities this gave for bringing a lot of the science into the story to give it a bit more depth and direction. Jean herself is a complicated character and I thought it was interesting how flawed the author made her. There was a lot I could relate to and empathise with but there were aspects of her behavior I just didn’t like or agree with. I also thought it was good the way the author brought in different and very diverse characters to illustrate the impact this society was having on them.

For a debut this is a pretty impressive book. I did have some minor quibbles with some of the writing, I found the alternate scenarios irritating and there were a couple of jumps which confused me but otherwise it was very readable. The pacing was pretty much spot on and I loved how the author managed to work in the events leading up to the current position without info dumping.

Overall this was a truly engaging read with a fascinating premise. One I’d definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this. As always all views are my own.

Review: In Bloom (Sweetpea #2) by CJ Skuse

August 18, 2018 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

In Bloom by C.J. Skuse

Dark, twisted and laugh out loud funny. If you enjoyed Sweetpea I think you’ll love this. If you’re easily offended or don’t particularly like swearing or violence in your books I’d maybe steer clear.

Spoiler alert: as this is a sequel there may be some spoilers for the first book from here on in.

THE BLURB

The darkly comic crime sequel to Sweetpea, following girl-next-door serial killer Rhiannon as she’s now caught between the urge to kill and her unborn baby stopping her.

If only they knew the real truth. It should be my face on those front pages. My headlines. I did those things, not him. I just want to stand on that doorstep and scream it: IT WAS ME. ME. ME. ME. ME!

Rhiannon Lewis has successfully fooled the world and framed her cheating fiancé Craig for the depraved and bloody killing spree she committed. She should be ecstatic that she’s free.

Except for one small problem. She’s pregnant with her ex-lover’s child. The ex-lover she only recently chopped up and buried in her in-laws’ garden. And as much as Rhiannon wants to continue making her way through her kill lists, a small voice inside is trying to make her stop.

But can a killer’s urges ever really be curbed?

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been a big fan of C.J. Skuse for a few years now and I probably enjoyed Sweetpea way more than I should when I read it last year. Needless to say I was very excited about getting my hands on a copy of follow up In Bloom and it did not disappoint. It’s every bit as dark, twisted and funny as the first book.

I’ve always kind of described these books as a combination of Bridget Jones Diary and Dexter. The story is told in the form of journal entries as MC Rhiannon describes her day to day life, her relationships with family and friends, and those people she’s met who she either wants to kill or has killed in a brutal and bloody fashion for some real or perceived misdemeanor (or just because they annoyed her).

This time however it’s a little more Bridget Jones Baby than Diary as Rhiannon is up the duff as the story begins. Rather than the focus being on her relationship with her fiance (who was having an affair with one of her co workers) and the guy she was cheating on him with, this time it’s all about the ~~horrors~~ delights of pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnancy unfortunately doesn’t seem to agree with Rhiannon, mostly because the side effects (lethargy, morning sickness, hearing the voice of your unborn child in your head) interfere with her acting on her murderous urges.

To make matters worse, as she murdered the baby’s father and framed her fiance for murdering a few other people she killed, she’s having to keep a fairly low profile and ends up staying with her almost in laws, something that could drive the most calm and collected person off the deep end.

I really loved how Skuse moved the story forward with this book. I have to admit I was worried it was going to be more of the same and by the end of the first book the joke was beginning to wear a little thin but that was not the case at all. There are still a lot of the elements I loved, the kill lists at the start of every chapter (I’m tempted to start doing them myself) and Rhiannon’s often spot on observations of what we’re all probably thinking (it’s not just me is it?) and incredibly dark humor but it felt like her character really grew and developed.

I loved how brutally honest she was about being pregnant and the associated discomforts, the pressure put on you by everyone to eat the right things and do the right things and to fit in with all of the other mummies. How your body is no longer really your own and how the attitude of others changes towards you. It was wonderful to see Rhiannon within a different social circle and living with Craig’s parents. Some of the interactions between them were laugh out loud funny but so familiar.

I have to confess though that this time around I struggled a little with the serial killer, side of the story. When I read the first book the brutal and bloody murders didn’t bother me too much (not sure what that says about me) but this time it felt a bit nastier and a little more uncomfortable to read. I guess the author had to step it up a bit to keep the shock value but this seemed a lot more gruesome and bloody. I consider myself pretty shock proof but there were definitely a few reading through the fingers moments even for me and there was one death in particular that I found especially hard to read.

Other than that I very much enjoyed this book. I thought it maybe drifted a little in the middle but otherwise the pacing was spot on and that ending was perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.

Review: That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

August 15, 2018August 12, 2018 Ali@abookishlife10 Comments

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

This book about the aftermath of a school shooting deals with some difficult and controversial issues but Keplinger handles it with real sensitivity and a focus not on the shooter (or the why) but on the impact an event like this has on both the survivors and the community as a whole. I loved the messages running through it and also have to applaud Keplinger for the diversity in her characters.

THE BLURB

Six survived to tell the story, but who knows the truth? The next hotly anticipated YA novel from bestselling US sensation Kody Keplinger, author of THE DUFF and RUN

It’s been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah’s story – that she died proclaiming her faith.

But it’s not true.

I know because I was with her when she died. I didn’t say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah’s parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I’m not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did – and didn’t – happen that day.

Except Sarah’s martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don’t take kindly to what I’m trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what’s right. I don’t know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . .

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There seem to be quite a few books about school shootings at the moment but this is probably the first one I’ve been tempted to read. It’s such a difficult topic and I really didn’t want to read a book that was going to deal with such a heavy or emotionally charged subject. This however appealed to me firstly because of the author but mostly because this book focuses on the survivors and how they’re coping (or not) three years down the line.

Mass shootings and gun control are very topical at the moment and this story does cover a lot of the arguments and some scenes which will be very familiar to anyone who’s watched the news recently. What I liked about it though is rather than necessarily putting across a specific argument or trying to explain the why behind the shooting or how it could have been prevented this looks at the effect of media coverage and all of this arguing on the victims and survivors. News coverage and social media put stories out there instantly and once a particular version of events is out there it often becomes the accepted story. The victims and survivors are often pushed into roles they may not necessarily want, courageous hero, martyr, spokesperson, face of a campaign or if they’re really unlucky, coward or liar. The story becomes twisted to fit the agenda of the various lobbying groups and the truth and more importantly the impact on the survivors and the families of the victims is forgotten.

This book demonstrates very effectively just what it’s like for those to survive this type of ordeal. The story is told from the pov of Lee who was one of six survivors of a mass shooting in her school and was with her best friend Sarah when she was killed. When Sarah’s parents decide to publish a book about their daughter who has become a bit of a martyr as the girl who died for her faith, Lee decides the truth has to come out. She begins collecting the real stories of the survivors and the victims but is she doing it for the right reason and what impact could telling the truth have on her life and the life of those around her.

I thought the author did a wonderful job of portraying what kind of impact this type of ordeal would have on someone and the different ways the survivors have found to cope (or are still struggling). It may be three years later but they’re still grieving, they feel guilty, suffer from flashbacks and panic attacks but with the media attention and the whole community watching them they’re trapped into specific roles.

I loved how this story revealed more about each of the survivors and victims. Lee sets out to show the world that they are more than what happened to them. They were not all heroes and or saints. They were regular people, flaws and all and they were in a terrifying situation. They shouldn’t have to do or be anything and they shouldn’t have to carry the weight or attention of the media or whatever lobbying group. That being said, it also raises the issue of whether it’s okay to put the truth out there when it could upset the families of the victims.

One other thing I have to say I loved about this story was how diverse it was. Lee the main character is on the asexual spectrum (something I don’t think I’ve ever really come across before), there are two characters with physical disabilities, different races represented but also different religious beliefs. I’m not sure I would necessarily say that I particularly loved or connected to any one character but I was invested in their stories.

This really was a brilliantly written story and I loved how sensitive the author was in dealing with such a difficult topic. I do get the impression some serious research has gone into this but if I had one criticism it’s that I wish there was some acknowledgement of this or some details at the back. I was however reading an ARC though so perhaps that will pop up in the final version.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.

WWW Wednesday: 15th August 2018

August 15, 2018August 14, 2018 Ali@abookishlife25 Comments

The WWW Wednesday 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.

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?

Currently Reading

I started reading The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry (aka Chris Brookmyre and Dr Marisa Haetzman) yesterday morning and am making pretty good progress with it. I’ve been a big fan of Brookmyre for many years now so was interested to see what he (in partnership with his wife) would do with historical crime fiction. As I’m writing this (last night) I’m around a quarter of the way through and very much enjoying it. Other than the discovery of a body at the start by the MC there hasn’t been much in the way of murder mystery but I’m loving all of the detail around medicine in 1847.

On audio I’m still listening to Down Among the Sticks and Bones, the second book in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. I haven’t had much listening time over the past week so even though it’s only 4 hours long I’m still only around halfway through but still really enjoying it. I really love McGuire’s writing and this series is quite fairytale-ish albeit a dark and gruesome fairytale. This book is a kind of prequel to the first and tells the story of two of the characters, twins Jack and Jill. I’m not sure I’m loving it quite as much as the first book but I’ve only just gotten to the bit where they go through a door into another world so I’m expecting it to pick up.

Recently Finished

The last week was another pretty good reading week for me with four books finished and a five star read among them.

The first book finished was The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth which I’d received from the publisher via NetGalley. I really wanted to love this story of a girl growing up in small town Montana but I’m afraid to say it didn’t wholly work for me. The writing is brilliant and there are some great characters and descriptions which all make it feel very real but I just never found an emotional connection to the story or the main character. And, with this type of story, I need some kind of feels. The Travelling Cat Chronicles

After Cameron Post I decided to take some brave pills and finally tackle The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa which I kind of needed for a Goodreads challenge (cat on cover) but mostly wanted to read because I’ve been trying to read more translated fiction and I liked the sound of this story about the relationship between a man and a cat. I was a little wary going in as I had an inkling it may be sad, and it was, but I’m so glad I’ve read this. Yep it turned me into a big teary mess but it also made me laugh and left me feeling uplifted. It really is a beautiful story.

As I predicted last week, after the emotional trauma of the Travelling Cat I needed something much lighter so picked up The Governess Game by Tessa Dare and it was just what I needed. It’s the second book in the Girl Meets Duke series but like most of Dare’s books can easily be read as a standalone. I very much enjoyed this historical romance with it’s elements of Jane Eyre (and a random Titanic reference) but I’m not sure I loved it quite as much as the previous book. It may just have been that I’ve read a lot of Dare’s books over the past few months so the novelty’s worn off a bit. What I will say is that I read the whole thing in one sitting so it obviously wasn’t too much of a chore 😉

The Heartbreakers (The Heartbreakers Chronicles, #1)

The fourth and final book finished this week was The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak which I borrowed from the library. I’d love to say it was one that had been on my TBR for a while but if I’m honest I was looking for a book with a musical instrument on the cover for the same challenge as above and this had a guitar and some pretty good ratings. It did however surprise me in the best possible way. It’s a really cute and funny romance with a heck of a lot of chemistry. I will be tracking down more books by this author I think.

Reading Next

Per last weeks post I was hoping to pick up Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill next but unfortunately by the time I got to it I only had a couple of days left on the loan and others were waiting so I decided just to return it rather than rushing through it. I don’t think I’m in the mood for another mermaid book right now anyway so probably for the best. What I am in the mood for is something dark and twisty. It’s not too long till Bloody Scotland so I think I may pick up Luca Veste’s latest book The Bone Keeper next. It looks suitably creepy and I haven’t read any books by Veste yet despite owning a couple.

I’m also going to see Matt Haig on the 25th of this month so really want to read How to Stop Time before then. Finally, I’m thinking I may pick up A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kmmerer. I got this from NetGalley and it’s not out for ages but I do love a Beauty and the Beast retelling and this is getting some great reviews.

The Bone Keeper A Curse So Dark and Lonely How to Stop Time

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: The Travelling Cat Chronicles

August 14, 2018August 13, 2018 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. 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 The Purple Booker.

This week my teaser comes from The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa a book I read at the weekend and am still not really over. It’s an incredibly beautiful and moving story about the relationship between a man and the stray cat he adopts (or rather the cat that adopts him). I don’t usually read books like this because they upset me too much but despite this absolutely and thoroughly breaking my heart I am glad I got to experience it.

My Teaser

And then there he was , framed against the sky, gazing down at me. The instant our eyes met, his stern look melted. His eyes softened and light caught the trails of water sliding down his cheeks.

Pg170, The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

Blurb

Nana, a cat, is devoted to Satoru, his owner. So when Satoru decides to go on a roadtrip one day to find him a new home, Nana is perplexed. They visit Satoru’s old friends from his school days and early youth. His friends may have untidy emotional lives but they are all animal lovers, and they also wonder why Satoru is trying to give his beloved cat away. Until the day Nana suddenly understands a long-held secret about his much-loved owner, and his heart begins to break.

Narrated in turns by Nana and by his owner, this funny, uplifting, heartrending story of a cat is nothing if not profoundly human.

Review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

August 11, 2018 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

A wonderfully written coming of age story that I wanted so badly to love but couldn’t quite connect with.

THE BLURB

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief doesn’t last, and Cam is forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone, and Cam becomes an expert at both.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship, one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self-even if she’s not quite sure who that is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmm I am really struggling to know what to say about this book. Have you ever read the blurb on a book and thought this sounds like just the sort of story I’ll love. You check out the reviews and everyone you know is raving over how brilliant it is, how it’s one of the best books they’ve read and you think yep I need to read this as soon as possible.

You manage to get a copy and dive right in only to realise pretty early on that it’s not really working for you. There’s nothing obviously wrong with it but it just doesn’t make you feel anything. That was exactly what happened to me with this book. I could see it’s good (possibly even great) but that’s not how it felt.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a classic coming of age story. Set in a small (and pretty religious) town in Montana, Cameron is 12 years old when her parents die in a car accident leaving her to live with her aunt Ruth and her Grandmother. Cameron struggles with her grief but more importantly is struggling with guilt over the fact that when her parents died she was shoplifting and kissing a girl.

The story follows Cammie over the next 4 or 5 years as she deals with the loss of her parents while trying to keep the fact that she’s more attracted to girls than boys a secret, particularly from her Aunt, whose religious views it goes against. Needless to say it doesn’t remain a secret.

I thought the author did an absolutely wonderful job in setting the scene for this story. She is originally from Miles City where the story is set so I’m assuming it’s based on her own memories and experiences but she conveys it so well. Movies are referenced a lot in this story but there’s something very film like in the description of both place and people too. It’s very easy to imagine yourself there, the sights, sounds and even the feel of the place.

The characters are similarly well fleshed out. Each and every one of them and the actions between them feeling very real and natural. Cameron in particular was very intriguing and with the story taking place over several years it was fascinating to watch her grow and develop.

This focus on Cameron and the development of her through her teens is however where it probably went a little bit wrong for me as while her story interested me I didn’t feel particularly connected to her. Consequently I was never emotionally invested in it which in this type of story is really necessary in my opinion.

There were a couple of emotional moments in the beginning but other than that it was more I’m kinda curious where this is going rather than I can’t put this down as I need to know what happens next. I can’t put my finger on what caused this, it was maybe a lack of things in common with Cammie or it could have been the way she tells the story, often reflecting back from some time in the future, which makes her seem a little detached from it rather than in the moment.

Pace wise this is a slow read and I have to confess to being tempted to DNF more than once. There are some pretty long sections where it doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere. There was probably something I was missing in these parts, some symbolism or deeper meaning but I mostly just wanted it to move on.

It does pick up a little in the second half when the truth comes out and Ruth takes drastic action to set Cammie back on God’s path but I don’t think it was enough. The ending when it finally came was also a bit of a let down. I felt like it was just getting interesting and then it was over. I can understand what the author was trying to do but it really frustrated me.

I have to say I am glad to have read it, it opened my eyes to a lot of things and presented such a wonderfully vivid picture of small town America, but it’s not one I’m ever likely to pick up again.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. This has in no way influenced my review.

WWW Wednesday: 8th August 2018

August 8, 2018August 7, 2018 Ali@abookishlife23 Comments

The WWW Wednesday 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.

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?

Currently Reading

I started reading The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth on Monday and while I’m finding it a bit of a slow read I have managed to make reasonable progress and am around halfway through. It’s a coming of age story, set in the early 1990’s and follows a teenage Cameron Post who loses both her parents in a car accident when she’s 12 and is brought up by her religious aunt and Grandmother. As well as dealing with the grief over her parents death she’s also trying to figure out why she’s more attracted to girls than boys and how to reconcile that with her family’s (and most of the town’s) religious beliefs. I am liking it but I’m not too sure where it’s going (it’s a little meandering). It definitely gives you a sense of small town America around that time though, and I am loving all of the movie references.

On audio I’m listening to Down Among the Sticks and Bones, the second book in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. I’ve literally just started this but having listened to the first book in the series last weekend I’m really looking forward to it. If the first book is anything to go by it promises to be a dark and gothic fairytale with some very intriguing characters. It’s narrated by the author, which I didn’t realize until I started it (authors don’t always make the best narrators in my very limited experience), but she’s pretty good. My only criticism is that it feels a little rushed.

Recently Finished

I seem to have gotten my reading mojo back over the last week or so and have been reading virtually non stop (I even posted a few reviews). Combine that with a sneaky day off work and I managed to finish 5 books, the first of which was The Mermaid by Christina Henry and boy did I enjoy this book. I had clearly not read the blurb properly as I hadn’t realised this was a story about a mermaid who joins PT Barnum’s Museum of Curiosities. It’s loosely based on one of his most famous hoaxes, the Fiji Mermaid, but with a real mermaid as well as the fake one. It’s not a fast paced story (or necessarily a happy one) but I found it truly fascinating to read. There are some wonderful characters and themes and the writing is brilliant. You can read my full review here. The Princess Bride

The second book finished was The Princess Bride by William Goldman which I listened to on audio. I absolutely adore this story so will take any opportunity available to either listen to, watch or read it. I was a little disappointed that this is an abridged version but it does have almost all of the best bits and is narrated by Rob Reiner who, while maybe not the best (it’s a little rushed and he doesn’t do voices) makes up for any shortcomings in style with lots of enthusiasm and passion.

With my Princess Bride obsession in full flow after listening to it on audio I couldn’t resist picking up Cary Elwes look behind the scenes at the making of the film, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride, immediately after and I think I read the whole thing in a day. I don’t know much about film making so it was great to get an insiders view. I also loved all of the anecdotes about the filming of my favorite scenes but especially getting a sense of who the actors were and the type of stuff they got up to off camera.

Despite feeling a little mermaided out I picked up Sea Witch by Sarah Henning next. I’d received it from NetGalley a couple of months ago and despite wanting to read it when I requested I’d been a little put off by a combination of some negative reviews and the number of other seemingly similar books that are around at the moment (you wait forever for a mermaid story and 6 come along at once). I did however end up absolutely loving it as it reminded me why I love a good villain story. It was just so completely unexpected and surprising. Because it is a villain story you know there’s a fair chance it won’t have a “and they all lived happily ever after” type ending, there will probably be some kind of betrayal and no doubt a tragedy, basically something horrible will happen, which may not be great for the characters but makes for a compelling read. I will admit there were a few things that niggled me but I would recommend it.
Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)

I had a 2 hour drive on Saturday so that was the perfect excuse to finally listen to Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire and it was sooo good. It’s a little bit fantasy, a little boarding school story and a lot gruesome murder mystery. Is there a better combination? There are some very unique and diverse (including asexual & trans) characters and the writing is absolutely wonderful. My main gripe is that at only about 4 hours long (169 pages) it’s too bloomin short.

Reading Next

I posted my second update for Candid Cover’s Summer TBR Wipeout at the weekend with all of the books I’m planning on reading over the next couple of weeks but next up is probably going to be The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. This book was mentioned in the blurb of If Cat’s Disappeared from the World (a “if you loved this you’ll enjoy this” type quote) so when I spied it in the library I couldn’t resist. I am slightly concerned it’s going to upset me though so I’m probably going to wait till I’m home alone to pick it up.

Should it break me I’ll probably pick up The Governess Game by Tessa Dare. I do love Tessa Dare and this is one historical romance I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I will also probably be reading yet another mermaid book as my loan of The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill is up at the start of next week and if I don’t read it now I’ll need to go back into the wait list for it.

The Governess Game The Surface Breaks The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

August 7, 2018August 5, 2018 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

This week my teaser comes from Sea Witch by Sarah Henning which I received via NetGalley. I started this at the weekend and despite being overloaded with fantasy books at the moment, and mermaid stories in particular, there was something about this that really drew me in. It’s dark in a very subtle way and the story is not at all what I was expecting.

My Teaser

The sea is a fickle witch. She is just as likely to bestow a kiss as to steal the breath from your lips. Beautiful and cruel, and every glimmering wrinkle in between.

Loc 74, The Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Blurb

Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

Review: Spare & Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin

August 5, 2018August 5, 2018 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to confess it took me a little while to get into it but I ended up falling a little in love with this modern reworking of Frankenstein. It was a little different to what I was expecting but it’s one of those books that I think will buzz around in my head for a while which is always a good sign.

The story is set in the future some time after some terrible event has devastated civilization and left the survivors missing parts (an arm, a leg, an ear) and with an aversion to any kind of technology. For main character Nell Crane however the part she’s missing is a heart. Her father, the scientist famed for creating realistic artificial parts to fill the gaps, gives her a clockwork heart. Feeling like an outsider and under pressure to do something amazing as her “contribution” to society Nell is inspired by a mannequin’s hand she finds on the beach to create a companion for herself. To do so though she’s going to have to break a lot of rules and possibly lose the one friend she has.

There’s something a little uncomfortable about this story, which I think is why I initially found it a bit of a struggle. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about Nell creating someone to understand and love her. I do have a lot of sympathy for her, she feels like an outsider, she’s ashamed of her clockwork heart, has an aversion to being touched and seems very alone but her solution of creating a person just feels selfish and reckless. I did love her determination and her passion but I found it frustrating how she separates herself from those around her and doesn’t really try.

I have to confess the relationships between Nell and those around her also confused me. I couldn’t quite figure out how I felt about them and possibly more importantly couldn’t work out how I was supposed to feel about them. Should I be rooting for a romance or upset at their lack of understanding? The characters are wonderfully complex and interesting and I suspect the author may have intentionally written it this way but I found myself moving from like to dislike and back again at a rapid pace.

Potential romantic interest (or sex pest) Oliver was particularly intriguing to me and I’m still not sure how I feel about him. He and Nell more or less grew up together and he’s actively pursuing her but it’s not clear what his motives are. Whether he’s truly interested in a romantic way or whether he’s more mercenary and simply looking for more access to her father. Certainly from her initial reactions Nell seems genuinely repulsed by him despite everyone trying to push them together. He comes on hard and refuses to take no for an answer. But, as the story progresses there’s something about him that grows on you (and Nell) and it seems like her feelings towards him may change.

Similarly best friend Ruby doesn’t always seem like much of a friend. She pushes Nell to do things that she doesn’t want to do, or that make her uncomfortable for selfish reasons. She keeps secrets, talks about her behind her back and is trying to force her into a relationship she doesn’t want. But, there are moments where you really see Ruby and she’s not a bad person, just not perfect, and a lot of the problems are due to Nell keeping her and everyone else at arms length.

It is great to watch how all of these relationships develop and shift over the course of the novel and my feelings did shift and change towards them. Something I’m not sure has ever happened quite so much with any other story.

The world building is also wonderfully done by the author. The aftermath and devastation of what seems to have been an apocalyptic event is all around them giving it a very sinister and gothic feel but the new society growing out of the ashes is also fascinating. There’s so much fear and control, but there’s also the suggestion of something better.

It really is a fascinating story that makes you question just what it means to be human and what it is that makes you a monster while also looking at the role of technology in society. I also have to praise the author for creating such a challenging and unique central character. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

THE BLURB

Nell Crane has always been an outsider. In a city devastated by an epidemic, where survivors are all missing parts—an arm, a leg, an eye—her father is the famed scientist who created the biomechanical limbs everyone now uses. But Nell is the only one whose mechanical piece is on the inside: her heart. Since the childhood operation, she has ticked. Like a clock, like a bomb. As her community rebuilds, everyone is expected to contribute to the society’s good . . . but how can Nell live up to her father’s revolutionary idea when she has none of her own?

Then she finds a mannequin hand while salvaging on the beach—the first boy’s hand she’s ever held—and inspiration strikes. Can Nell build her own companion in a world that fears advanced technology? The deeper she sinks into this plan, the more she learns about her city—and her father, who is hiding secret experiments of his own.

Summer TBR Wipeout – Update (2)

August 5, 2018 Ali@abookishlife11 Comments

Oops I’m afraid I’m a little bit late in posting my second progress update for Candid Cover’s Summer TBR Wipeout but I have a really good excuse, I was busy reading 🙂 I actually can’t believe that we’re more than two thirds of the way through this 7 week challenge as it seems hardly any time since my introductory post at the start of July where I set myself the goal of reading 21 books. I will admit that finishing 21 books from a list was probably never going to happen (I’m too much of a mood reader) but it has proven to be great motivation. So how have I done since my last update, read on and find out.

Read / Currently Reading

I’m actually pretty happy with my reading progress since my last update, yes I’ve wandered off my list a bit (that was always going to happen) but since my last update I’ve finished 8 pretty brilliant books, including a couple I gave 5 stars to.

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers – 5 Stars – Yep you read that right, 5 out of this world stars. I absolutely loved the second book in Chambers Wayfarers series. There’s a bit more of a story than the first book and it’s more contained giving me a greater connection to the characters and making me much more emotionally invested. I cried a lot and I just loved it.
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig – 4.5 Stars – Another great read, the only thing holding me back from 5 stars is that while I loved how Haig pulled together scientific theory, facts, psychology and his own experiences, I’m not sure I could say there’s anything new in it. It’s very readable, informative and uplifting but I wouldn’t necessarily say I learned anything new, other than I should worry about robots.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman – 4 Stars – My first wander off course but it’s one of my fave books so I’m pretty sure it’s allowed. Only 4 stars though I’m afraid as this was an abridged audio version and while Rob Reiner’s narration was great it felt a little rushed and he didn’t do any of the voices (inconceivable).
Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin – 4 Stars – Roughly based on Frankenstein but with a futuristic, post apocalyptic type setting. It took me a little while to warm up to main character Nell, and to get my head around a world without technology (the horror) but it’s a very dark and intriguing story that makes you think (and that’s never a bad thing).

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – 3.5 Stars – I don’t think I was in the right mood for this book as while I loved the concept (a little mermaid retelling) and found it an engaging read it never really wowed me the way I thought it would. I do think it was me and not the book though
The Mermaid by Christina Henry – 4 Stars – Yep another mermaid book but this time with a dash of historical fiction thrown in. It’s a much more serious read and a lot more depressing but has more depth and feeling in it. Also I’m kind of obsessed with the whole Barnum thing so it was fascinating to see him portrayed in a very different way.
As You Wish by Cary Elwes & Joe Layden – 5 Stars – Another wander off the TBR for exactly the same reason as the previous one, my true love of The Princess Bride. I love the film so I was always going to love this look behind the scenes. I swear I’ve been boring everyone senseless reciting Elwes anecdotes about cast and crew. Sorry everyone.
Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire – In progress – OK I’m not quite finished this yet but I only have an hour to go so I’m counting it. Another book not on my list but it is one I’ve been wanting to read for ages so when my hold came in from the library I grabbed it and started immediately and I’m really enjoying it.

Up Next

There are only a couple of weeks left of the challenge so it’s doubtful I’m going to finish every book on my original list but I would really like to read the following four books.

I am however going to replace the other books from my existing list with the following three. The first, The Travelling Cat Chronicles fits a task on a team challenge I’m doing, Down Among the Sticks and Bones is the sequel to Every Heart a Doorway and The Governess Game I received from NetGalley and can’t resist reading asap.

So that’s where I’m at. Unlike when I posted my first update I’m feeling a lot more positive and upbeat about my progress, maybe reading Haig’s Notes on a Nervous Planet has actually helped 🙂

Have you read any of the books on the list? What did you think of them? Are there any on my list I’ve tempted you to pick up?

Happy reading everyone ❤