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Wow, October was a crazy month this year! I apologise for the break in posting - real life intervened, as it sometimes does - however, I'm hoping to be back to a more regular schedule for November.
Between work, holidays, and planning for Christmas (I know it's very early, but my partner has a huge family and we have to start planning in August or we'd never get it all done - I have a spreadsheet... no, seriously.), I didn't have the time to dedicate to blog posts I would be proud of, so I put a hold on writing to get everything else in order.
I did, however, manage to (finally) construct a shelf for the small selection of my books which have thus far made it to Scotland (I mostly read on my Kindle these days) - see right; I tried my hand at organising by colour for the first time, and it's so pretty! - and read a fair few books in October!
So, without further ado, here's what I read in October - and what I rated them on Goodreads!
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1. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (aka. J. K. Rowling)
"When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic.Trying to get to the bottom of Billy’s story, Strike and Robin Ellacott—once his assistant, now a partner in the agency—set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside."
The latest in the Cormoran Strike series by J. K. Rowling under her Robert Galbraith pseudonym; I have been impatiently waiting for this book for a year when it was initially hypothesised to be released, and it was well worth the wait. Rowling has navigated the cliffhanger with which she ended the previous book beautifully, and once again throws us into a mystery fraught with peril. Strike and Robin are both fantastic characters, and I am thoroughly enjoying seeing their relationship and business continue to grow as the series progresses. Now I'm back to anxiously awaiting the next book! 5/5 stars
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2. Hunter Hunted by Keri Arthur
"Christmas is fast approaching, and Lizzie Grace and her witch familiar, Belle Kent, are hoping it’s going to be a quiet one. But those hopes are dashed when, on a quest to find a customer’s errant husband, Lizzie comes across the body of a witch and a dark circle of power neither she nor Ashworth can break. Then werewolves begin to turn up dead—skinned. As the body count rises, and the hunters become the hunted, it’s evident there’s a new evil in town. One that is determined to claim the reservation—and the wild magic—for his own."
Keri Arthur is an author who I have followed across many series, and whose work I almost always thoroughly enjoy. I lover her Lizzie Grace series because, whilst they carry a good thread of mystery and danger, they're still an enjoyable and easy read. Lizzie and her human familiar continue to do the best they can with the (somewhat limited) powers and knowledge they have, whilst trying to keep themselves out from under the watchful eye of their relatives in Melbourne.
A mystery even non-thriller lovers will enjoy! 4/5 stars
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3. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
Does this book actually need an introduction? I mean, really? Has anyone in the world still not read it - except my fiancé; I'm working on it, I swear!
I've been steadily re-reading the Harry Potter series over the past few months, as I realised I haven't read the whole series from start to finish since it was completed; and I have to say, I still adore these books.
There's something so comforting about returning to a world that you know and love so well, and finding all the familiar people and places there waiting for you.
Hogwarts, truly, will always be there to welcome us home. 5/5 stars
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4. Resistant by Rachael Sparks
"In the final battle with drug-resistant bacteria, one woman's blood holds a secret weapon. Rory and her father have survived the antibiotic crisis that has killed millions, including Rory’s mother—but ingenuity and perseverance aren’t their only advantages. When a stoic and scarred young military veteran enters their quiet life, Rory is drawn to him against her better judgement . . . until he exposes the secrets her mother and father kept from her, including the fact that her own blood may hold the cure the world needs, and she is the target of groups fighting to reach it first.When the government, which wants to use Rory to produce a cure and sell it to the highest bidder, comes after her, she, her father, and their new protector are forced to flee. But can she find the new path of human evolution before the government finds her?
An interesting Romance/Sci-fi novel set in a world where antibiotics no longer work, and scientists are desperately searching for a cure to the pandemic that follows. Rory is a young scientist who lives on a rural farm with her father, after her mother (fairly recently) succumbed to the disease ravaging their world. She's clearly brilliant within her field of study, and an interesting main character who I found to be both 'real' and likeable - strong but doubtful of her own abilities, intelligent but aware of her own limitations. There were several surprising twists and turns in this book, but overall it felt... rushed. The romance was almost immediate and therefore felt unrealistic, and the plot often jumped through periods of time in order to expedite the timeline. However, that's not to say it wasn't an enjoyable read.
If you're looking for a short, interesting sci-fi romance with some great characters, then Resistant is the book for you. 3/5 stars
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5. Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
"What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all . . . ?Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we? But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them. . . ." Pieces of Her bases itself around an intriguing concept - what if it turns out you don't know someone you love at all? What if they had a whole different life before you became a part of it?
Andrea is a realistic lead who develops fantastically throughout the novel - from an anxious woman in a dead-end job to someone who is willing to go to the ends of the earth to find the truth. Along the way she discovers a lot about her mother, but even more about herself and how far she'll go for those she loves. With so many twists and turns it's impossible to predict them all, Pieces of Her kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what would happen. 4/5 stars
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6. A Dreadful Fairy Book by Jon Etter
"Readers, beware: what you hold in your hands is a dreadful fairy book. I wish I were narrating almost any other fairy story, but alas, this is my lot. Whatever expectations you have of delightful and whimsical fairies are sure to be disappointed. There are certainly fairies, but most are not proper fairies. Some who are supposed to be nasty are disappointingly nice, while some who should be kind and helpful are disconcertingly surly, dishonest, and generally unpleasant company. Our heroine is, perhaps, the worst offender—a sprite more interested in books than carefree games, who insists on being called Shade even though she has the perfectly lovely fairy name of Lillyshadow Glitterdemalion. She is on a quest, albeit with rather questionable companions, to find a place she can call home. A place of companionship, comfort, and, most importantly, positively filled with books."
A Dreadful Fairy Book uses 'Series of Unfortunate Events' style narration to warn you that this is not going to be happy or fulfilling fairytale.
Our protagonist, Shade, is a bookish fairy who looks down on her neighbours for their daft/dangerous/selfish ideas, and for having no interest in learning. Shade's house is accidentally burnt down at the start of the book, leading to her deciding to set off on a quest to find more books. Along the way she encounters a variety of other unusual fairies, and she makes friends for the first time in her life.
All of this should make for a good book for younger readers, however, it is unfortunately tarnished by two things.
The first is the near constant faux swearing which Shade (and other characters) use throughout the book - whilst the first few instances of this can be seen as endearing, after a while it becomes increasingly ridiculous and overused.
The second is the stereotyping of accents which occurs throughout. Several characters, including one of the main characters, are given stereotypical accents which are not necessarily flattering to their real-life counterparts, and also make it rather hard to read and understand some sentences.
As a teacher, adding an extra element of difficulty to a book - which children could otherwise tackle alone - would discourage me from buying it, as it can cause confusion for developing readers. Similarly, I wouldn't want to encourage younger children to even faux-swear.
Overall, it wasn't an arduous read, but unfortunately there were several elements which would prevent me from recommending it to children within its intended age group. 3/5 stars
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7. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
"Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself."
I've had this book on my to-read pile for months; I actually ventured all the way to Edinburgh to track down a signed copy, because all my other Schwab books are signed, and it's a trend I'd hate to break! Oops. I read it all in one sitting on the plane to Prague, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Middle-grade fiction which even adults can enjoy is a genre I love, and Schwab has successfully written a novel which I loved and would also have no qualms about recommending to my 8 year old niece. Cass and Jacob are delightful main characters whose adventures are both intriguing and amusing; even more so for being set in a city which I know and love. I'll be eagerly awaiting more books in the series! 5/5 stars
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8. Vengeful by V. E. Schwab
"The sequel to VICIOUS, V.E. Schwab's first adult novel. Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there's Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn't know about his most recent act of vengeance. Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done."
If you follow Schwab on Twitter, as I do, you'll have seen the drama that was the creation of this book. She wrote it. She finished it. Her agent and her decided it would be so much more, so she rewrote the whole thing. (Obviously) I have never seen the original draft, but I am so, so glad that she rewrote it, because this book is the sequel that Vicious deserved. A few months ago I went to a Q&A and book signing for Schwab and several other authors, and she stated that Vicious had been a challenge to herself, could she write a book with no good characters and still cause the audience to root for one more than the others? Victor is not a nice person, he's not a good person, and yet you find yourself firmly on his team regardless. The progression in Sydney's character through the intervening years was fantastic, and the way that all the threads came together at the end was superb. If you haven't read this series, you're missing out. 5/5 stars
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9. Still Lives by Maria Hummel
"Kim Lord is an avant-garde figure, feminist icon, and agent provocateur in the L.A. art scene. Her groundbreaking new exhibition Still Lives is comprised of self-portraits depicting herself as famous, murdered women—the Black Dahlia, Chandra Levy, Nicole Brown Simpson, among many others—and the works are as compelling as they are disturbing, implicating a culture that is too accustomed to violence against women.As the city’s richest art patrons pour into the Rocque Museum’s opening night, all the staff, including editor Maggie Richter, hope the event will be enough to save the historic institution’s flailing finances. Except Kim Lord never shows up to her own gala. Fear mounts as the hours and days drag on and Lord remains missing. Suspicion falls on the up-and-coming gallerist Greg Shaw Ferguson, who happens to be Maggie’s ex. A rogue’s gallery of eccentric art world figures could also have motive for the act, and as Maggie gets drawn into her own investigation of Lord’s disappearance, she’ll come to suspect all of those closest to her.Set against a culture that often fetishizes violence, Still Lives is a page-turning exodus into the art world’s hall of mirrors, and one woman’s journey into the belly of an industry flooded with money and secrets."
Still Lives was actually recommended to me based on my enjoyment of Leave No Trace by Mindy Meija. I was sent a hardback proof of the book to read, and I'm ashamed to say I realised how long it had been since I had actually read a hardback, because I had forgotten how awkward they can be! Not one to read in the bath, that's for sure. Still Lives is a fantastic thriller which kept me hooked, and the ending is phenomenal. Not only is the huge twist expertly written and genuinely surprising, there were some really well considered moments at the end of the book which I loved that the author had included - Do you really want to be known as the one who got away? Do you want to be forever remembered as the 'almost victim'? Or would you rather continue to live your life, as yourself, in obscurity? A great insight into the fascination society has with murdered women, and the reality of being personally involved in these macabre cases. 4/5 stars
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10. Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire
"Things are not okay. In the aftermath of Amandine's latest betrayal, October "Toby" Daye's fragile self-made family is on the verge of coming apart at the seams. Jazz can't sleep, Sylvester doesn't want to see her, and worst of all, Tybalt has withdrawn from her entirely, retreating into the Court of Cats as he tries to recover from his abduction. Toby is floundering, unable to help the people she loves most heal. She needs a distraction. She needs a quest. What she doesn't need is the abduction of her estranged human daughter, Gillian. There's no question of whether she'll take the case. The only question is whether she's emotionally prepared to survive it. Who in Faerie remembered Gillian existed? And what do they stand to gain? No matter how this ends, Toby's life will never be the same."
Seanan McGuire. Need I say more? I don't think I've actually reviewed anything by Seanan yet on this blog but, let me tell you, I have never read anything by her which I didn't love wholeheartedly. The October Daye books are no different. A modern take on faeries, and a great urban fantasy series. October (Toby) Daye is a protagonist you can't help but love. I have so many favourited quotes from this series on my Kindle, and at least 50% of them refer to the fact that Toby really needs to try and keep more of her blood in her own body - for her loved ones' sanity, if nothing else. A mix of traditional folklore and the reality of modern California, Night and Silence is the twelfth book in the October Daye series, and if you haven't read them yet, then I highly recommend them. 5/5 stars
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11. The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
"A generation ago, powerful mage Constantine Madden came close to achieving what no magician had ever achieved: the ability to bring back the dead. He didn't succeed . . . but he did find a way to keep himself alive, inside a young child named Callum Hunt.Facing up to what he is, Callum has battled chaos and evil across four years of magical training at the Magisterium, eventually defeating the armies of chaos in an epic battle.It came at a cost.Now, triumphant and heartbroken, Callum Hunt has just about had enough, and is ready to complete his training. But the evil Callum faced has not given up just yet..."
The final book in the Magisterium Series; The Golden Tower is a satisfying conclusion to a great series. All the Is are dotted, all the Ts are crossed, all the threads are drawn neatly together in a way which ends the story well. I don't know if I've just been reading more adult fiction recently, but I felt the writing of this book was slightly more child-oriented than the previous books? While it was still an enjoyable read, I did find myself ready for it to be over by the time the ending came. For a secondary school age child, I would thoroughly recommend this series - younger than this would be a judgement call, as the books do contain a lot of death; for an adult I would say they're still enjoyable, but perhaps less so than other, similarly targetted, books I have read recently. 3/5 stars