books – Bibliophile Book Club

January 2019 Book Haul

Hi guys!

Its book haul time! 🙂

*For any of you who don’t know, this is where I list the books that have made Bibliophile Book Club their new home in the previous month. The books are usually bought books, ARC’s sent from publishers, Netgalley review books and just basically any books I get go on here.

So, here’s what I’ve added to my library since last month:

The Bat by Jo Nesbo
The Watchmaker’s Daughter by C.J. Archer
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Food Medic by Hazel Wallace
The Circadian Code by Satchin Panda
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross
Twisted by Steve Cavanagh
We Are Blood & Thunder by Kesia Lupo
The Orphanage of the Gods by Helena Coggan
The Queen’s Wing by Jessica Thorne
I’ll Be There For You by Kelsey Miller
Naked in Death by JD Robb
No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen
Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M. McManus
The Courier by Kjell Ola Dahl
Deep Dirty Truth by Steph Broadribb
The Ringmaster by Vanda Symon
A Modern Family by Helga Flatland
Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech
City of Lies by Sam Hawke
The Rig by Roger Levy
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First Ed) by JK Rowling
Breakers by Doug Johnstone
After The Eclipse by Fran Doricott
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Hunting Evil by Chris Carter
Night by Night by Jack Jordan
The One Who’s Not The One by Keris Stainton
Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhari McFarlane
Dead Lions by Mick Herron
Embers Of War by Gareth Powell
A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell
Sunshine at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson
Tell Him He’s Dead by Tony Parsons
Girl on Fire by Tony Parsons
Ninth and Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver
If You Could See Me Now by Keris Stainton
I’m Still Standing by Colleen Coleman
Love Heart Lane by Christie Barlow

So, there you go! 40 books isn’t too bad at all, I actually thought it was less until I started to compile the list!

Have you read any of these? Would you? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

Recent Reads~Rapid Reviews

Hi guys,

I’m back with more reviews. It honestly feels like I will never get to clear this backlog, but I’m going to do what I can! 🙂

I’m a huge fan of the Bosch series, and I was lucky enough to be approved for this on Netgalley. I really enjoyed it, especially as I got to read about Renée Ballard. I haven’t gotten around to reading the first book featuring her. I loved the story, and it kept my attention the whole way through. I really like the relationship between Ballard and Bosch and I can’t wait to see what’s next for them!

The Midnight Line was another super fun Reacher read. I loved the idea of seeing the West Point ring in the pawn shop and the way everything spiralled once Reacher decided to find out why it was there. Interesting characters in TML too, and I flew through it.

I had a BEAUTIFUL hardback bound proof of this since Harrogate, but I had been saving it until closer to publication. I loved Past Tense. I found the story to be a bit of a departure from the usual Reacher story, in the sense of character motivations and actions, but I enjoyed it. I will now be impatiently waiting for the next one 🙂

I’ve never read any Tamora Pierce so this was a new author and style for me, and I definitely got into it. The main character, Daine, is a young mage and she can communicate with animals and nature. I found myself thinking about it often when I wasn’t reading it, and I had to get the next books in the series to find out what happens! Highly recommended!

This one delves deeper into Daine’s world and it was as compelling as the first book. These are gentler than the usual magical/fantasy reads, but just as captivating.

Lots more happened in this book than the previous two. Questions were answered, more questions were asked. I found myself getting lost in the world, and I really liked seeing the characters journeys throughout the series. Definitely recommend this series, and I’m dying to read the fourth book in the series!

The Importance of Being Aisling: Country Roads, Take Her Home

I’m the first to admit I am not a big fan of Irish fiction, not for any particular reason, I just prefer books set in a different country. But then I met Aisling, and I have never read a more relatable book in terms of being able to see traits in people I know woven through the story. It made me laugh, it had some sombre moments, but it was just a genuine and fun read. It really surprised me!

The Hangmanâs Hold: A gripping serial killer thriller that will keep you hooked (DCI Matilda Darke Series, Book 4)

Absolutely love Michael’s DCI Matilda Darke series and The Hangman’s Hold was another excellent installment. Dark, gripping and unsettling, I would highly recommend this series if you’ve not read any!

The Hermitage: A DCI Ryan Mystery (The DCI Ryan Mysteries Book 9)

I love this series, and I really liked The Hermitage. I enjoyed the dual locations and I found the story to be quite engaging. I kept reading and before I knew it I had it finished. The camaraderie and friendships between the characters are what make this series for me. It feels like catching up with friends when I pick up LJ Ross’s books !

Storm Rising (An F.B.I. K-9 Novel Book 3)

Another awesome installment in the FBI K-9 series. Hawk is such a cool dog, and I love reading these books because they are always so insightful from a technical aspect while being completely absorbing in terms of the story. I couldn’t put it down when I started it! Highly recommend this as another series to add to your TBR!

Recent Reads~Rapid Reviews

Hi guys,

So, I’m 44 (yes, FORTY-FOUR!!!!) reviews behind. Which sucks. But, I am adamant that I will get through them and this is once again, the ONLY way I can play catch up! These are all books I read towards the end of 2018 and I feel terrible that I haven’t gotten around to doing this until now, but hey, better late than never, right? 🙂

I will hold my hand up and say until last year, I had never read an Agatha Christie novel. I rectified that by buddy reading Murder with some lovely twitter folk and I really enjoyed it. It is definitely a cosy crime novel, and it was exactly what I needed to read. So much so, that I’m now reading another AC novel, And Then There Were None and enjoying it just as much.

Very much a character-driven book, Do You Dream of Terra-Two is one for fans of Becky Chambers. It’s got a really good premise, and I enjoyed the journey that the characters take the reader on.

I’m a sucker for anything that uses books/libraries as a selling point. Ink and Bone is a promising opening for the Great Library series. Good world-building, intriguing characters and plenty of action. It took me a while to get into, but I would happily continue on with the series!

Trust No One: I Am Pilgrim meets Orphan X in this explosive thriller. You won't be able to put it down

This one was on my Netgalley shelf for far too long so I picked it up late last year. It reminds me of the Jason Bourne movies, it reads quite cinematic in that sense. Its a good thriller, with a lot to keep the reader turning the pages. Read this if you enjoyed I Am Pilgrim!

I am deep into my YA fantasy phase at the moment, and this one was top of my want list last year. I was lucky enough to get a Netgalley copy so I dove right in. Epic world-building, some seriously good characters and beautiful imagery in this one!

Zero Hour is a tense and emotive book. It is short, but packs a proper punch. It will leave you thinking about it long after finishing it. If you like Hugh Howey you will love Zero Hour!

The Masked City (The Invisible Library series Book 2)

I’m really enjoying this series. I found The Masked City to be hard going at the star though. There was a lot going on, and I couldn’t follow it initially, but once I figured it out I couldn’t put it down. I love the characters in this series, and I can’t wait to read the next ones!

Rosewater: Winner of the Nommo Award for Best Novel (The Wormwood Trilogy Book 1)

Rosewater is one of the more different books I’ve read lately. Speculative, graphic and immersive, it is an intriguing read. I thought it was a bit confusing at times as it jumps around a bit, but it was the premise that kept me reading!

An absolutely beautiful book. Emotive, beautifully-written and with a truly captivating story, this is a book with real heart. I can’t do it justice with my words, but I would highly recommend picking it up.

Another stellar YA fantasy series. I loved The Last Namsara. It is stunningly immersive, characters that will have you rooting for them from the start, and DRAGONS! Super fun read.

I read this one before Namsara (I obviously went and bought Namsara as soon as I had finished this one!!!) and I was hooked. It was such an engaging read, and it had enough tie backs to the first book that it made the reader question a few things, but it didn’t give everything away. Loved it!

Recent Reads Rapid Reviews

Hi guys,

I’ve got some more mini-reviews for what I’ve been reading lately!

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven

The accident that killed Eddie left an indelible mark on Annie. It took her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached. Injured, scarred, and unable to remember why, Annie’s life is forever changed by a guilt-ravaged mother who whisks her away from the world she knew. Bullied by her peers and haunted by something she cannot recall, Annie struggles to find acceptance as she grows. When, as a young woman, she reconnects with Paulo, her childhood love, she believes she has finally found happiness.

As the novel opens, Annie is marrying Paulo. But when her wedding night day ends in an unimaginable accident, Annie finds herself on her own heavenly journey – and an inevitable reunion with Eddie, one of the five people who will show her how her life mattered in ways she could not have fathomed.

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

I really liked The Five People You Meet in Heaven when I read it so I was eager to check this one out. And while it was still a nice read, I found it to be less enchanting than the first one. I think I just wanted more Eddie because he was such a pillar in the first book. That being said, Annie’s story is still a good read, and I liked how it was all interwoven. I think if you loved the first book, you’d enjoy this one!

Snapshot

Anthony Davis and his partner Chaz are the only real people in a city of 20 million, sent there by court order to find out what happened in the real world 10 days ago so that hidden evidence can be brought to light and located in the real city today.
Within the re-created Snapshot of May 1st, Davis and Chaz are the ultimate authorities. Flashing their badges will get them past any obstruction and overrule any civil right of the dupes around them. But the crimes the detectives are sent to investigate seem like drudgery – until they stumble upon the grisly results of a mass killing that the precinct headquarters orders them not to investigate. That’s one order they have to refuse.
The hunt is on. And though the dupes in the replica city have no future once the Snapshot is turned off, that doesn’t mean that both Davis and Chaz will walk out of it alive tonight.

Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson

I found the premise of Snapshot really clever, but I felt like I never got into it properly. I liked the idea, and its a short book, but it fell a little flat for me. I really wanted to enjoy it, especially as I had never read any of Sanderson’s work before. But I think I’ll be sticking to the sci-fi/fantasy side of his stuff.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

I decided to start re-reading this series because I haven’t read them since they came out, and I wanted a little comfort reading. I can honestly say I loved this as much now, as I did when I read it the first time. It is magical, heartwarming and a really great start to the series. I love it as much now, and I can’t wait to read all of the others!

Loyalty

Don’t look back. That’s where the danger lies.

With Grace left reeling from choosing between Hayden and her family, she knows she needs to accept her decision.

Meanwhile as the youngest leader of Blackwing, Hayden is coping with the demands placed on him to keep the camp alive. Can he protect his friends from their violent rivals? And should he trust himself to do the right thing?

Demand loyalty. Protect your family. Trust no one.

Loyalty by Megan DeVos

I am loving this series. It has so much action, and I love the relationship that is developing between Grace and Hayden. There is a lot of “sexy-tension” (thanks to Ellen, this phrase will always make me laugh!), and in a way, it reminds me of Bella and Edward in Twilight! There is so much more going on than that obviously, but I enjoy watching their dynamic changing as the series progresses. I am eager to read the next book in the series as I find I CANNOT put these books down when I start them!

Recent Reads Rapid Reviews

Hey guys,

I’m back again with another batch of recent reads for review. I swear, I’ll get back to fuller reviews soon, but this is really helping me clear the backlog of books…

I think! 🙂

The Gods of Love

Meet Frida: divorce lawyer, cynic and secret descendant of the immortal love god Eros. She’s about to have a really bad day . . .

When a handsome but clearly delusional man named Dan bursts into Frida’s office and insists that she is fated to save the world, she has him ejected faster than you can say ‘prenup’.

But a creepy meeting, a demon or three and one attempted kidnapping later, Frida is beginning to face the inconvenient truth: Dan is in fact The Oracle, the gods of Greek mythology are real and Frida herself appears to be everyone’s only hope.

The world is doomed.

I had seen this one popping up on social media, and Ellen had read it too so I figured I would give it a shot. I actually enjoyed it more than I expected! It is a super fun read. It reminded me of something, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it was. Anyway, yeah it was definitely a quirky read, with some unexpected turns in the story. I would happily pick up book 2 whenever its out!

The Gods of Love by Nicola Mostyn

World After

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what’s left of the modern world. When a group of people capture Penryn’s sister Paige, thinking she’s a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige.
Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels’ secret plans, where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can’t rejoin the angels, can’t take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

Ok. So I loved Angelfall. It was a cracking opener to the trilogy and it set everything up really well for the subsequent books. Enter World After. I got about halfway into it and it just kinda got stuck. I found it lost pace, and there was a lot of focus on lesser characters, when all I wanted was Penryn and Raffe! Less explosive than Angelfall, but it was still an ok middle for a trilogy. I will definitely be buying book 3 because I need to know what will happen with these two characters!!!

World After by Susan Ee

Night School

Jack Reacher is having a bad day.

It would be a dumb idea to make it worse.
Reacher sees a West Point class ring in a pawn shop window. It’s tiny. It’s a woman cadet’s graduation present to herself. Why would she give it up? Reacher was a West Pointer too, and he knows what she went through to get it.

All he wants is to find the woman.

He’ll have to go through bikers, cops, crooks, and low-life muscle.
If she’s ok, he’ll walk away. If she’s not … he’ll stop at nothing.

Best advice: stay out of his way.

I love the Jack Reacher series of books, and The Midnight Line was no exception. Reacher is like a dog with a bone in this one. Spotting a West Point Class Ring in a pawn shop while on a bus rest stop, he wants to know who owned it and why it was pawned. So begins a story that ticks along slowly, unfolding layer by layer until we are presented with the unexpected towards the end of the story. I really enjoyed The Midnight Line, it was a great story and it kept my attention. Not quite the Reacher of old, but still a goodie all the same!

The Midnight Line by Lee Child

The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (aka Confessions of a Shopaholic)

Meet Rebecca Bloomwood.

She has a great flat, a fabulous wardrobe full of the season’s must-haves, and a job telling other people how to manage their money. She spends her leisure time … shopping.

Retail therapy is the answer to all her problems. She knows she should stop, but she can’t. She tries Cutting Back, she tries Making More Money. But neither seems to work. The letters from the bank are getting harder to ignore. Can Becky ever escape from this dreamworld, find true love, and regain the use of her credit card?

I was eager to read a non-crime book, and this one was on my TBR for ages. I actually love the movie, so I was interested to see how different (similar) they would be to each other! I’m not going to lie, I spent a lot of the book comparing it to the movie, so I can ony imagine what I would have been like if I went about it the other way around! I definitely enjoyed this one. It was light-hearted, fun, and it definitely catered to my shopaholic heart. Although I am not as bad as Becky, thankfully! I actually went and bought the others in the series after finishing this one, so its safe to say I enjoyed it!

The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Ok! That’s it until the next batch. If I have time, I have a couple of actual reviews to get done so keep an eye out for those too!

Until next time, happy reading 🙂

Recent Reads Rapid Reviews

Hi guys,

I’m back again with the next batch of reviews, and these are all books I have read in the past couple of months. I actually think I’m up as far as August now so YAY! 🙂

Percy Jackson and The Battle of the Labyrinth

Half Boy. Half God. ALL Hero.

Honestly, blowing up another school was the last thing I wanted to do.

As the son of a Greek God, I’ve had my share of near-death disaster – and now my arch enemy Luke wants to invade our camp via an ancient labyrinth.

If he succeeds, thousands of bloodthirsty monsters will attack. So it’s goodbye sunshine, hello darkness as four of us descend into the terrifying underground and beyond . . .

So I ploughed through these, begging the library to get them in if they weren’t available on BorrowBox and I’m so glad I did. These books are just so much fun, I love the relationships between the characters, and I really enjoyed the plot in this one. Plenty to keep me turning the pages and it made me eager to read the final book in the series!

Percy Jackson and The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Angelfall

It’s been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain.

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Including making a deal with the enemy.

Angelfall had been on my kindle for ages and in need of a change I picked it up one night to read. I was hooked immediately. I feel like I’ve gone through a thing of reading about fallen angels, as Laini Taylor has angels in her books too. And before either of these series, I hadn’t read any! Angelfall was a great opener. Chock full of action, avenging angels, the odd bloodbath, genuinely tons of stuff to keep me reading. I was so glad I had book two waiting for me as well because this one ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Definitely recommended!

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Percy Jackson and The Last Olympian

Most people get presents on their sixteenth birthday. I get a prophecy that could save or destroy the world.

It happens when you’re the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea.According to an ancient prophecy, I turn sixteen and the fate of the entire world is on me. But no pressure.

Now Kronos, Lord of the Titans, is beginning his attack on New York City. And the dreaded monster Typhon is also heading our way. So it’s me and forty of my demi-god friends versus untold evil . . .

I was so sad to get to the end of these books. Honestly, it left me a bit bereft because I had devoured them and become wholly invested in everyone’s fate. The Last Olympian was a fitting end to the Percy Jackson books though, and while there are no more of his exploits to read, there is a TON of other books in the Camp Halfblood universe. I can’t recommend this series highly enough, for both kids and adults. Wildly entertaining, and with real heart, these are books that have so much going for them that it’s hard not to love them!

Percy Jackson and The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Hold Back The Stars

Ninety minutes.

A few years from now, not too far in the future, two people meet.

It is a classic story of boy meets girl.

Except that it’s not.

When we find them, they have an hour and a half left.

Unless they can save themselves, they won’t survive.

The clock is ticking.

Hold Back The Stars confused me a little if I’m honest. I enjoyed it, but I kinda got lost a little bit on the way. I know loads of people have read this and loved it, but I think that because I got lost I found it hard to stick with it. But I did. And it was a lovely story.

Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan

Have you read any of these? Would you? Let me know 🙂

Recent Reads Rapid Reviews

Hey everyone,

I’m back with the next batch of super speedy reviews, and I’m still catching up so I think these four books were read back in June. It feels like AAAAAGES ago!

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess.

When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can’t ignore her feelings and memories any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser’s warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn’t expect to develop feelings for the Prinz.

Forced to make impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she’s willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice to become Queen.

I really enjoyed Ash Princess. I borrowed it from the library as I had seen it pop up on BorrowBox a couple of times so figured I’d give it a go and I’m glad I did. It’s got strong characters, an interesting and twisty plot and I found it really engaging. It’s a YA fantasy book, and it kind of reminds me of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas’s books, so of course I was hooked early on. Definitely recommended if you enjoy these authors!

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

‘I’m still playing games. This is just the deadliest yet.‘

Darrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind’s last hope. Until Darrow discovered that it was all a lie, and that the Red were nothing more than unwitting slaves to an elitist ruling class, the Golds, who had been living on Mars in luxury for generations.

In RED RISING, Darrow infiltrated Gold society, to fight in secret for a better future for his people. Now fully embedded amongst the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his dangerous work to bring them down from within. It’s a journey that will take him further than he’s ever been before – but is Darrow truly willing to pay the price that rebellion demands?

I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t love Red Rising. It was only ok for me, but boy oh boy did Golden Son redeem that! I was sucked back into Darrow’s world, and I was absolutely blindsided with how things went in this one. There is so much going on, lots to take in, but I was absorbed in this one compared to Red Rising. I loved Golden Son, and I am dying to read Morning Star to find out what happens next. Highly recommended if you’ve not read it already!

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Blood Lines by Angela Marsons

How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace?

A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.

When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.

Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.

As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

Angela kindly sent me a copy of Blood Lines as I was playing catch up with the DI Kim Stone books so I was eager to read it! Not only does it bring back one of my fave baddies, Dr. Alex Thorne, but it’s chock full of tense moments! So much so that I actually had to put this book down for a couple of weeks before I could finish it. It was absolutely brilliant though, and I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the series!

Blood Lines by Angela Marsons

Percy Jackson and The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

Half Boy. Half God. ALL Hero.
It’s not every day you find yourself in combat with a half-lion, half-human.
But when you’re the son of a Greek God, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a Goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.
Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive . . .

Another rip-roaring read here. This series is just so much fun that it’s impossible not to enjoy them while reading. I love Percy and this book was no exception. Witty, fast-paced and with plenty of monsters to fight, the Titan’s Curse was another brilliant read. Super fun for children and adults alike!

Percy Jackson and The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

So that’s it for now. I’ll have another one of these posts up soon as I’m still working my way through the backlog of books to be reviewed! The joys of taking a break 😂

Until next time, happy reading 📚