Let's talk #ReadingGoals...
Did you set any? Are you on schedule to achieve them?
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One of mine is to read more #nonfictionbooks, so I joined @reads.and.reveries #mynonfiction19 challenge, and I'm please to say I'm right on schedule!
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I just finished my 10th book towards my goal of 19 - The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale.
This book is the story of Robert Coombes, a Victorian child murderer whose crime echoed the plots of the 'penny dreadful' novels he loved to read. This book documents the crime and the aftermath.
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#BookReview: Such an interesting case, but fluffed out too much with unnecessary information, particularly in the latter part of the book. It's quite a dense read, so reads slowly, which wasn't a problem in the parts I enjoyed, but in the other parts... 🙈.
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My favourite thing about the book was its location, set in East London, where I grew up, areas I know well. It was fascinating to see how things have changed, buildings that no longer exist and those which still stand today.
Happy Publication Day to Jacqui Rose, her latest gangland thriller, #Sinner, is out today. Published by @avon_books - thank you for sending me a copy.
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Swipe for synopsis.
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I love me a gangland thriller, diving into the dark criminal underworld of London, where the 'faces' of Essex and London do their deeds! This is the most tense book I have read from Rose, it had me on edge because I could just sense things were going to implode, it was only a matter of time. Now I'm itching for the sequel!!
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Some real dark content but always written with heart. You'll get more out of this one having read the previous book, #Fatal, as there's continuity to the backstories, but I think you could just get away with reading this one at a standalone 🤔.
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Anyone else a fan of books set in the East End of London? I f*cking love them!
Each month I read a #StephenKing book with an amazing group of people. In May we read #GeraldsGame.
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Stephen King cranks up the suspense in a different kind of bedtime story. A game of seduction between a husband and wife goes horribly awry. But the nightmare has just begun...
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#BookReview: What I found in Gerald’s Game was a story of suspense, with some real great parts to the plot, and some not so much…
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Where I think this novel succeeded was much of it took place in exactly the same location. With no change of scenery, King managed to have me invested in the fate of Jessie (the wife). I can name no other author who had me holding my breath, praying that a character would reach a glass of water – I was emotionally invested, the glass must not smash, come on Jessie, you can do it! So love or hate this novel, there’s no denying King’s ability to draw the reader in!
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However, where this novel didn’t succeed for me was Jessie recalling memories - it should have been the emotional aspect, but it wasn’t, it just read so blasély, like the author didn’t care, so why should I? Yes, there was an element of Jessie being detached from the memories, but at the same time it should have been written with intention, with meaning, instead of the unconnected way it was.
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And don't get me started on the ending, which felt like it belonged to another novel, I dunno what happened there 🤔.
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There were elements of true horror in this novel, which is what you want when you pick up a King novel, those moments of classic horror. They worked well with the suspense to keep the momentum going, and while this novel wouldn’t be in my top King recommendations, it’s not in my least favourite Kings either.
#gifted
I really wanted to love this one, it had all the historical crime potential - "1885. Born in the gaol and raised in a workhouse, Cora Burns has always struggled to control the violence inside her" - but after 118 pages, I'm still waiting for it to grip me, to feel engaged and invested. I don't hate it, but it's going to be a DNF 😔 #CoraBurns.
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The joys of reading multiple books at once, I won't dwell on it, I'll get back to reading 'Beasts: Beginning of the End' by Ana Levley, a sci-fi novel set 1,000 years from now, where telecide is a crime and Atlia is accused of murdering her father! This one has my full attention!
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Wishing you all a happy Tuesday, filled with good books and strong coffee ♥️
#Fatal
Dying is easy. It's living that's hard.
An eye for an eye.
A tooth for a tooth.
A daughter for a daughter...
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I love Jacqui Rose's books - gritty, gripping, gangland fiction! Thank you to @avon_books for sending me this one! Swipe for synopsis.
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Fatal would appeal to fans of Martina Cole, Kimberly Chambers and Jessie Keane; fans of London’s gangster underworld.
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Fun fact: it was these gangland thrillers that sparked my love of #crimefiction many, many years ago. They have such huge appeal because they're set in London and Essex, areas I know and go to regularly. They're addictive, dangerous and exciting reads.
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QOTD: Is there a book(s) that made you fall in love with a genre?
*Ad #RoughMagicInstagramTour
Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer
🐎
At 19, Lara Prior-Palmer became the youngest ever winner of the world's toughest horse race, The Mongol Derby, riding 25 horses across a distance of 1000km over 10 days.
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What an inspiring memoir, full of adventure, poetry, and sheer willpower, Lara shares her journey to victory - the dehydration, the determination, entering oblivion and not only coming out the other side, but coming out victorious as the first woman, and youngest ever champion.
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I loved the incorporation of Mongolian culture and history. "The prophet in Mongolia is often called an uzmerch, 'someone who sees'.
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Before entering the race, Lara didn't have it all figured out but felt this desire within herself to do something different, something great. A desire I'm sure many of us can relate to, and that's why you root for Lara - the conditions are rough but there's magic there too! "Endings fade, but the force behind a story lives on".
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*Book gifted by @eburybooks as part of a paid promotion.
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(9 of 19 #mynonfiction19)
