I’ve heard a lot of people say this past month has been so slow but it’s flown by for me. I had a good reading month too, hopefully it’s a good omen for the rest of the year.
Fiction books:
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
Blurb:
Down-and-out drunk Terry Lennox has a problem: his millionaire wife is dead and he needs to get out of LA fast. So he turns to his only friend in the world: Philip Marlowe, Private Investigator.
He’s willing to help a man down on his luck, but later, Lennox commits suicide in Mexico and things start to turn nasty. Marlowe finds himself drawn into a sordid crowd of adulterers and alcoholics in LA’s Idle Valley, where the rich are suffering one big suntanned hangover.
Marlowe is sure Lennox didn’t kill his wife, but how many more stiffs will turn up before he gets to the truth?
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this one as it had a good, fast paced story and I was interested in finding out who the murderer was throughout. The main character was intriguing and I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author. There are things in this book that haven’t aged well though. I was drawn to this book because the writer of the TV show Veronica Mars was apparently inspired by Raymond Chandler’s private detective series. After reading this book, I can definitely see where the inspiration came from.
Rating: 4/5
The Thousand Dollar Tan- Line by Rob Thomas
Blurb:
Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.
My thoughts:
This book (and its sequel) follow on from the Veronica Mars TV show (season 1-3) and the movie. It takes place before the fourth season. I didn’t know what to expect going into this one as it’s an adaption from a TV show but it was brilliant. I love Veronica and she comes across as wonderfully on the page as she does on the screen. The story was gripping and didn’t feel like I was reading a book based on a show – it’s genuinely a great detective story. I’m excited to read the next one.
Rating: 4/5
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Blurb:
At school and university, people find Keiko odd, and her family worries she will never fit in. To make them happy, Keiko takes a job at a newly opened convenience store where she finds peace and purpose in simple daily tasks.
But in Keiko’s circle it just won’t do for an unmarried woman to spend her time stacking shelves and ordering green tea. As the pressure to find a new job – or worse, a husband – increases, Keiko is forced to take desperate action…
My thoughts:
This started off very well and I was hooked. I liked the character and the shop setting. I thought it had quite a few funny moments too. I was a little disappointed by the turn in the plot by the mid-way point, especially with the introduction of one of the workers at the store. I found their character a bit annoying but maybe that was the point. I did think this was a solid story and a nice quick read too because the writing flows so well.
Rating: 3/5
The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk
Blurb:
Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas – countryside, a mountain of food and festive films –
will salve the sting of her career hanging by a thread and her heart being trampled on. Because everyone else has their life sorted: even Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. She can’t help wishing her future was clearer.
Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. Like Groundhog Day but with turkey. And family arguments. On repeat.
As she figures out how to escape her own particular Christmas hell, Dev is the one bright spot. He might be all grown-up but underneath he’s just as kind and funny as she remembers. Maybe, just maybe, her heart can be mended after all. But how do you fall in love with someone who can’t remember you from one day to the next?
My thoughts:
Lindsey Kelk is one of my go-to authors and I swear her stories just keep getting better (if that’s possible). This one was a fun female centred comedy with a Groundhog Day twist. I loved that it focussed on the family dynamic, focussing on building stronger relationships with the main character’s loved ones. It was a hilarious read and definitely one I’m likely to revisit during the festive season.
Rating: 4/5
Five Survive by Holly Jackson
Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident.
There’s a sniper out there. He’s watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.
As a game of cat-and-mouse plays out, the group desperately tries to get help. Buried secrets are forced to light and tensions within the group reach deadly levels. Only one thing is for sure. Not everyone will survive the night . . .
My thoughts:
I adore Holly Jackson’s books! Her writing always has me gripped. This book is completely different to her A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series but it’s still thrilling. I thought the setting of the entire book being in an RV van made it all the more eerie. None of the character’s were particularly likeable but I don’t mind that in a thriller. The only thing I would say was there were a handful of chapters that felt like the story wasn’t moving as fast as the rest of the plot, but overall it was great.
Rating: 4/5
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Blurb:
At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots – neighbours who can’t reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d’etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents’ Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.
My thoughts:
The writing in this book is beautiful. I was fully immersed in the wonderful story about a man who has suffered great loss and deals with depression. Though some parts of the story are sad, I thought the addition of humour in sad times was a great touch. I adored the relationship Ove built with his neighbours and how they saw the good in him even when he couldn’t see it in himself. I’ve already picked up some of the author’s other books as I’ve heard they’re just as good, if not better.
Rating: 4/5
Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman
Blurb:
The full-colour Heartstopper Yearbook is packed full of exclusive content from the Heartstopper universe – including never-before-seen illustrations, an exclusive mini-comic, a look back at Alice’s Heartstopper artwork over the years, character profiles, trivia, and insights into her creative process – all narrated by a cartoon version of Alice herself.
My thoughts:
It was interesting to read about the evolution of this series and how it all started. I particularly liked the extra content featuring the well-loved Heartstopper gang. It’s a great read for any fan of the comics, Oseman and the show.
Rating: 3/5
Non-fiction books:
I read two autobiographies this month but I’m not a huge fan of rating this type of book as it’s someone’s personal experience. I enjoyed both and would recommend audiobooks for all autobiographies as it’s great to hear the story told through the voice of the writer.
Spare by Prince Harry
Blurb:
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow and horror. As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling-and how their lives would play out from that point on.
For Harry, this is that story at last. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
Have I Told You This Yet? by Lauren Graham
Blurb:
Lauren Graham has graced countless television screens with her quick-witted characters and hilarious talk show appearances, earning a reputation as a pop culture icon who always has something to say. In her latest book, Graham combines her signature sense of humor with down-to-earth storytelling.
Graham shares personal stories about her life and career–from her early days spent pounding the pavement while waitressing in New York City, to living on her aunt’s couch during her first Los Angeles pilot season, to thoughts on aging gracefully in Hollywood.
Have you had a good reading month? What was your favourite book? Let me know in the comments. I’m also on Instagram and Twitter – @bookwormgirl_24
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