Title: Driven (A Women of the Otherworld Novella)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: 31st January 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press who gave me an ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review.
As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong's 'Women of the Otherworld' series I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read this novella. Elena and Clay are exactly as we remember them and it felt wonderful to be back in their world again. I didn't realise just how much I'd missed them until I started reading this story, and found myself being drawn back into their world right from the very first page.
Being familiar with the other books (and novellas) in the series is a must, as 'Driven' goes right into the meat of the story without giving much backstory, which is exactly what you would expect for a book of this type.
A fantastic treat for fans, I would highly recommend this story for anyone who (like me) has missed the supernatural world inhabited by the many varied characters of the 'Otherworld'. A fabulous 4 stars.
Thursday 21 January 2016
Thursday 14 January 2016
Book Review - Beside Myself by Ann Morgan
Title: Beside Myself
Author: Ann Morgan
Release Date: 14th January 2016
Rating: 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who gave me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A sad and dark story about identical twins Ellie and Helen, who decide to switch identities in a prank that goes horribly wrong. Mental health issues are the underlying theme here and it makes for uncomfortable reading at times.
Once started this book is very difficult to put down and whilst I can't say it was a book I 'enjoyed' in the usual sense of the word, it was nevertheless a fascinating read. Most of the characters aren't particularly likeable, but even so I did find myself feeling some empathy for them at times, even when I really didn't want to.
'Beside Myself' is a darkly disturbing but fascinating book that kept me gripped right to the very end. A highly recommended 4.5 stars.
Available to buy now.
Author: Ann Morgan
Release Date: 14th January 2016
Rating: 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who gave me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A sad and dark story about identical twins Ellie and Helen, who decide to switch identities in a prank that goes horribly wrong. Mental health issues are the underlying theme here and it makes for uncomfortable reading at times.
Once started this book is very difficult to put down and whilst I can't say it was a book I 'enjoyed' in the usual sense of the word, it was nevertheless a fascinating read. Most of the characters aren't particularly likeable, but even so I did find myself feeling some empathy for them at times, even when I really didn't want to.
'Beside Myself' is a darkly disturbing but fascinating book that kept me gripped right to the very end. A highly recommended 4.5 stars.
Available to buy now.
Monday 11 January 2016
David Bowie - There's a starman waiting in the sky...
I (like most people) was shocked to wake up to the news that the iconic David Bowie had passed away. But other than being understandably shocked, what took me by surprise the most was the immense feeling of grief and sadness I felt when I heard the news. I love David Bowie's music and have listened to it all my life, but I can't say I was a 'fan' in the usual sense of the word. So why do I feel such a huge sense of loss at his death?
For me, I think it's because he is someone who has always been there, someone whose voice and face has been instantly recognisable to me for as long as I can remember. There has never been a time when I didn't know who David Bowie was, so I didn't realise what a huge impression he'd made on me or what a gaping hole he would leave when he was gone. David Bowie (like we all feel about our own parents until they're no longer here) was going to live forever!
I admired his changing style, and how he reinvented himself so many times in his long and varied career. But most of all I loved the fact he was a 'misfit' like me. Someone who didn't fit in with the crowd, who gloried in his own weird and wonderful oddness. He made it okay to be different.
David Bowie's music will last forever and was the playlist of my life (as it was for so many other people) without me even knowing it. I have a feeling it will influence future generations just as much as it did ours. And that is a powerful legacy for anyone to leave behind.
A true artist in every way, even to the last. David Bowie released his final farewell to the world on his 69th birthday, only to be taken away just a couple of days later. A coincidence? Maybe, but I can't help but think he timed it to perfection, the same way he did everything. Listening to 'Blackstar' now - especially the haunting 'Lazarus' - the lyrics hold a poignancy they would never have done before. A beautiful swan song to a life well lived.
There's a starman waiting in the sky tonight. I hope he can see the tributes pouring in for him, but wherever he goes next, you can bet your life it won't be boring!
RIP David Bowie.
For me, I think it's because he is someone who has always been there, someone whose voice and face has been instantly recognisable to me for as long as I can remember. There has never been a time when I didn't know who David Bowie was, so I didn't realise what a huge impression he'd made on me or what a gaping hole he would leave when he was gone. David Bowie (like we all feel about our own parents until they're no longer here) was going to live forever!
I admired his changing style, and how he reinvented himself so many times in his long and varied career. But most of all I loved the fact he was a 'misfit' like me. Someone who didn't fit in with the crowd, who gloried in his own weird and wonderful oddness. He made it okay to be different.
David Bowie's music will last forever and was the playlist of my life (as it was for so many other people) without me even knowing it. I have a feeling it will influence future generations just as much as it did ours. And that is a powerful legacy for anyone to leave behind.
A true artist in every way, even to the last. David Bowie released his final farewell to the world on his 69th birthday, only to be taken away just a couple of days later. A coincidence? Maybe, but I can't help but think he timed it to perfection, the same way he did everything. Listening to 'Blackstar' now - especially the haunting 'Lazarus' - the lyrics hold a poignancy they would never have done before. A beautiful swan song to a life well lived.
There's a starman waiting in the sky tonight. I hope he can see the tributes pouring in for him, but wherever he goes next, you can bet your life it won't be boring!
RIP David Bowie.
Friday 8 January 2016
Book Review - The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
Title: The Darkest Secret
Author: Alex Marwood
Release Date: January 7th 2016
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK who gave me an ARC of 'The Darkest Secret' in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a fabulous read to kickstart 2016 with a bang! Alex Marwood has written a brilliantly complex story that builds up the tension slowly, revealing the full details of what happened to Coco Jackson bit by bit, switching from past to present narratives seamlessly. The back and forth timelines work extremely well here and the payoff is so well worth the wait!
'The Darkest Secret' tells the story of what happened to three year old Coco Jackson, who went missing in the summer of 2004. Filled with a cast of largely unlikeable characters, whose appalling behaviour is shocking to say the least, it is nevertheless sadly plausible to believe that something like this could actually happen in real life.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and even though I did eventually work out what had happened to Coco, the final revelation still made for uncomfortable and distressing reading.
A dark and grim read, but an easy 5 stars from me. Highly recommended.
Available to buy now.
Author: Alex Marwood
Release Date: January 7th 2016
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK who gave me an ARC of 'The Darkest Secret' in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a fabulous read to kickstart 2016 with a bang! Alex Marwood has written a brilliantly complex story that builds up the tension slowly, revealing the full details of what happened to Coco Jackson bit by bit, switching from past to present narratives seamlessly. The back and forth timelines work extremely well here and the payoff is so well worth the wait!
'The Darkest Secret' tells the story of what happened to three year old Coco Jackson, who went missing in the summer of 2004. Filled with a cast of largely unlikeable characters, whose appalling behaviour is shocking to say the least, it is nevertheless sadly plausible to believe that something like this could actually happen in real life.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and even though I did eventually work out what had happened to Coco, the final revelation still made for uncomfortable and distressing reading.
A dark and grim read, but an easy 5 stars from me. Highly recommended.
Available to buy now.
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