I've been reading a lot lately - it's my way of escaping the everyday and I'm really enjoying it. I asked in Instagram stories if anyone was interested in a blog post about what I've been reading lately and I got a resounding yes from so many of my followers. It seems you guys would definitely like some book recommendations so here is a list of the books I've read recently, my ratings and a quick review with my thoughts on each one. I hope you find something you'll enjoy reading too...
A couple of disclaimers:
Most of these books are crime/thriller genres as that's what I enjoy most.
These are not high-brow reviews, I focus on the story, if it grabs my attention and I enjoy reading then I rate it 4 or 5. Anything getting less than a 3 doesn't tend to even get finished, I don't want reading to be a chore.
Some of these books are not yet released but will be soon, I've indicated the ones I received as free advance copies via NetGalley and the kind publishers who approved me to read and review these books on Goodreads.
I've included Amazon affiliate links to the kindle versions below, a couple of them are on sale at the moment for 99p!
5 stars
A tale about a woman who suddenly shot her husband multiple times and then refuses to speak another word. No-one knows why she did it but one therapist thinks he can figure it out and get her to talk.
Loved it, fascinating from start to finish, it had me hooked and I loved the mystery involved wondering what had actually occurred and why on earth Alicia wouldn't speak. I love a good twist and did not see this one coming. Well written so that the shocker really was shocking.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley - currently 99p!
4 stars
I really enjoyed this one despite the cast of unlikable characters. A group of friends head to a remote lodge in the Scottish Highlands for New Year's Eve for their traditional getaway having known each other since University. One goes missing, later found dead.
This is a good whodunit which had me gripped even though I disliked pretty much all the characters. I don't usually guess twists but I basically got everything right about this book! I read it quickly as I wanted to see if I was right and how the ending might play out. Even though I guessed, I still enjoyed reading.
Q by Christina Dalcher - released on 30th April
4 stars
This was an advanced reader copy via Netgalley, due for release in a couple of weeks. I found the idea behind this futuristic dystopian novel intriguing and a bit scary as I could see how something similar might happen! Told from one mother's perspective, it's the tale of the education system and how it's now geared towards perfection, you don't score high enough, you get demoted to a worse school. With 3 tiers, the rules keep changing and there's a whole lot of propaganda and secrets going on.
It makes for uncomfortable reading as you can pick out similarities in today's politics, an interesting read and a stark warning perhaps!
Perfect Remains by Helen Fields - currently free on kindle!
5 stars The first in a series about DI Callanach, I got into this really quickly and have since read the next in the series. I like the main detective and a couple of others as well as disliking a couple more. These will be keeping me going during lock down! Easy reads which keep me guessing, I definitely recommend these if you like crime thrillers. With the first one being free on kindle, what have you got to lose?
(Books 2 and 6 are currently 99p, I haven't yet read 3-6 but I also rated book 2: Perfect Prey with 5 stars).
Eve of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher (part one of a trilogy)
4 stars
I received an advance reader copy of the second book in the trilogy (The Eve Illusion which is out in two days) so I bought the first one which I finished this morning and can't wait to start the second!
Eve is the first female born in 50 years and the story revolves around her being the hope for mankind and how her life and future have been shaped as a result. It's dystopian YA fiction which I think you'll like if you liked The Hunger Games (which I did). It's not perfect but if you just let the story take you, it's interesting and the second half gets quite exciting, I finished it very quickly once passed halfway and am looking forward to reading more in the next instalment.
Not yet finished
The only non-fiction book in this list, I never read autobiographies or "self-help" books and I'm not sure this falls into either category but it has elements of what I imagine both styles might include. I haven't finished this one yet, it's a good one to dip in and out of if you struggle to maintain concentration at the moment. Shonda is the creator of Grey's Anatomy, one of my favourite TV shows, and she's hilarious! This book has already had me laughing and feeling inspired which I think is the main point of it.
5 stars
Absolutely love this book! I've already recommended it to several people. It's a very sad tale about the sole 12-year-old survivor of a plane crash and how he adapts to life after.
The storytelling was perfect, switching back between pre and post-crash to let us in to each character's story a little at a time but without being frustrating, as we find out what happened leading up to the crash and Edward's life afterwards. Edward himself was written perfectly, I was emotional often throughout this book, caring about the character and loved the overall story and message within.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary - currently 99p!
5 stars
This is so much fun! A proper rom-com with likeable characters in a rather odd scenario of sharing a flat (the same bed in fact) but never meeting due to alternating shift patterns. I really enjoyed this lighthearted, hopeful escapism. I also think Tiffy and I have a very similar wardrobe!
5 stars
This one was not a quick read but I liked it all the same. I wasn't entirely sure what genre this was, a bit of mystery, a touch of the supernatural, historical fiction and revolving around love and families. I was intrigued throughout and had no idea where the story was heading. This was another ARC I downloaded from Netgalley.
5 stars
Another one filled with unlikable characters but I found this really fascinating, the whole premise of a pact/club to help keep your marriage on track was intriguing and soon exposed as cult-like. I was quite shocked at where they went with this, it kept me guessing and despite not really liking any of the characters I did enjoy reading about them all.
If you're interested in keeping up with my reading habits, you can follow me on Goodreads where I rate every book I read as I read them. Leave me a comment below if you've read or plan to read any of these. Would you like to see more of Bex's books here?