These two are part of a trilogy, so I’ve lumped them in together
but not in a dismissive way: The Sleeping Price and The Scarecrow
Queen by Melinda Salisbury are the last two books in The Sin Eater’s
Daughter series, the first of which I reviewed ages ago. I said in that
review that fantasy isn’t really my jam when it comes to books but I have to
say, this series has really made me think that I should give it another chance.
The storyline is amazing, and throughout the three books I didn’t spot any plot
holes which is no mean feat. I love the way the books are written, and I found
myself really connecting to the characters even though I don’t come from their
world, where they have moons instead of months and fairy tales come to life.
They’re definitely YA fiction, so they’re easy enough to read but without being
boring or childish – I would highly recommend!
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf is a book
my mum recommended, and we have quite similar taste in books so I was fairly
confident I’d like it – and I did. It’s quite a shocking storyline but really
well written and one of those books you don’t want to put down. It mainly
follows the story of Allison, who has just come out of prison – but it also
follows the stories of her sister Brynn, another girl called Charm, and a woman
named Claire. Each chapter is narrated by or on behalf of one of these
characters and as the story develops, it becomes more obvious how intertwined
these women’s lives are. On the front it says that fans of Jodi Picoult will
love this book and honestly, I couldn’t agree more. If you like her stuff then
this will be right up your street!
Linwood Barclay has been a favourite of mine since I was pretty
young, and I recently read Far From True which starts with the screen at
a local drive-in cinema falling down, and turns into so much more than that. I
love the twists and turns of Barclay’s writing, the interesting character
developments and the little subplots that make his books so interesting without
ever being too confusing. It’s not one of those books that will stick with you
forever, but it’s definitely worth a read.
Hold Back The Stars* by Katie Khan is a book I was
sent a while back to review and I just never reached for it, until one day I
was in a rush to leave for work and realised I needed a book for my hideous
commute – I pretty much picked at random off my to-read pile and this is what I
ended up with. It’s an absolutely fascinating book about love and utopia and
bending the rules; set in the future (I think, or at least in an alternate
reality) after a world-war has pushed Europe into becoming Europia, where
people live ‘on rotation’, moving every three years, not allowed to start a
family until the age of 35. They are completely tech-driven and tech-focused,
and it’s such an interesting concept. And while life on rotation is supposed to
be simple and pretty much perfect, Carys and Max’s love story ends up being
anything but. It’s really well written and I’m so glad I finally got around to
reading it! I know I’ve not explained it well at all but I’d really recommend
it.
My mum and her friend both read Camilla Way’s The Lies We Told on holiday and I ended
up with it on their return – I started it one Monday morning on my commute to
work, and had finished it by 8pm that night. It’s an absolutely gripping story
about a man who disappears, alongside a story set 30 years prior about a
sociopathic child. Of course the two stories end up being deeply intertwined, and
it’s scary/confusing/weird in just the right amounts, with a bit of a twist
thrown in too. It’s an easy read but one that will have you holding your breath
‘til the very end.
So there’s six books I’ve read recently – I’m already onto my
next book, The Passenger by Lisa
Lutz, so expect a review of that (or another one of these posts) some time
soon. If you’ve read anything good lately that you think I’ll like, please let
me know because I’m always looking for good books to get stuck into.
Awesome! Some great ideas for my next kindle purchase and some definitely deserve to have paper space on my shelf.
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