fantasy

On the Shelf: September 2023 reads

| linleysarah1

I went through a strange, and very unusual, period in September 2023 when I didn’t feel like reading! Fortunately, I’ve got my mojo back now and more than made up for it in October.

I did finish four books in September:

  • The Guilty Couple by C L Taylor
  • Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth (non-fiction)
  • The Apartment Upstairs by Lesley Kara
  • A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab

Both Lesley Kara and C L Taylor are favourite authors of mine and I have read everything they have written. I really enjoyed The Guilty Couple. A woman comes out of prison determined to get revenge on the husband who framed her and win her daughter back. Although I did guess the reveal, I enjoyed all the twists and turns of the plot and loved the characters.

The Apartment Upstairs wasn’t my favourite book by Lesley Kara but if you love a well-written psychological thriller with a strong plot then you can’t go far wrong with this author. However, if you haven’t read any of her books before, I would start with her first novel, The Rumour.

I won’t lie, Being You by Anil Seth is a very difficult read. Consciousness is a complex subject and as a lay person, I probably only understood about 10% of this book! It did raise some very interesting questions though and made me re-evaluate what I thought I knew about the nature of consciousness.

Lots of people have recommended V E Schwab to me and I enjoyed immersing myself in this fantasy world across four parallel Londons. I will definitely read the others in this series. Really strong, interesting characters and vivid world building made for a propelling read.  

On the Shelf: August 2023 reads

| linleysarah1

In August 2023, I read:

  • The Maid by Nita Prose
  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler
  • In Other Worlds: Science Fiction and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood (non-fiction)
  • Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
  • The Butcher of Berner Street by Alex Reeve
  • Lasting Damage by Sophie Hannah
  • The War of the Worlds by H G Wells
  • Fairy Tale by Stephen King
  • End of Story by Louise Swanson
  • Maddadam by Margaret Atwood (audio book)

The highlights for me were The Maid by Nita Prose and Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler.

What really stood out for me about The Maid was the voice of the main character, Molly. I loved her naivete and the way she wanted everything done properly. The back story was very believable, the romance subplot was very touching, and the main plot line kept me guessing. It was everything you want from a classic murder mystery. I’m really looking forward to the next in the series.

Parable of the Sower was very harrowing. I’ve been reading a lot of dystopian fiction recently and this is one that will stay with me. It’s very uncomfortable reading in places but again the main character, Lauren, is very engaging and the plot line was gripping. Written in 1993, it imagines a future heavily affected by climate change and social inequality. Again, I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

I love Cara Hunter’s books and always find I can’t put them down once I start reading them. Murder in the Family is very different in that the format is scripts for a TV true crime drama, evidence from the investigation, emails and WhatsApp messages between the characters, etc. but no actual narrative. Once you got used to the format, it’s very easy to read. The characters were great, and the first plot twist was brilliant, but I found the resolution disappointing.

I haven’t read Stephen King for a long time, and I found Fairytale very immersive. I particularly liked the relationship between the main character and the dog he inherits. King weaves a horror out of familiar fairy tale tropes and takes inspiration from Jack and the Beanstalk and The Wizard of Oz. It was quite a strange book overall, but I did enjoy it.

Maddadam was the conclusion to the Maddadam trilogy. Listening to it on audio book was quite disjointed and I felt like I missed bits so I might read the trilogy again in paperback. The second book, The Year of The Flood, was my favourite of the three books but I liked all the backstory in this book and the ending was very poignant. I feel like I miss the characters already!

On the Shelf: March 2023 reads

| linleysarah1

In March 2023, I read:

  • It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
  • A Writer’s Diary by Toby Litt (non-fiction)
  • The Red House by Roz Watkins (proof)
  • Babel by R F Kuang
  • The Marriage Act by John Marrs
  • The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson
  • The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah
  • The Change by Kirsten Millar

I’m a big fan of Roz Watkins’ novels so I was honoured to be sent a proof of her next book. Brimming with tension, The Red House is a fast-paced thriller with an intriguing premise and a contemporary twist.

Watkins uses her intimate knowledge of the Peak District to produce an atmospheric and gripping novel which features a sinister house surrounded by marsh land, a young woman desperate to leave her past behind her, and a constant search for justice. 

The Red House will be published on 22 June 2023.

Babel by R F Kuang was one of my favourite books this month. This fantasy adventure takes us to an alternative history where scholars are able to weave magic through translation. Robin, the hero, is at first overwhelmed and excited when he is accepted into the elite Royal Institute of Translation, nicknamed ‘Babel’, but quickly realises the devastating power the institute yields. The book explores the relationship between language and colonialism. It was a wonderful, thought provoking and challenging read.  

My other favourite book this month was The Change by Kirsten Millar. The menopause brings about the emergence of dormant powers for the heroines of this novel: Harriet, Jo and Nessa. The women team up not only to hunt down the killer of young women in their neighbourhood, but to avenge their deaths. The novel delivers a powerful message about the way women are treated in society wrapped up in a satisfying and pacy thriller.  

On the Shelf: October 2021 reads

| linleysarah1

In October 2021, I read:

  • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
  • Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly
  • Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara 
  • Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
  • Crossing the Lines by Amanda Huggins (proof copy)
  • The Strangeworlds Travel Agency 2: The Edge of the Ocean by L D Lapinski

I am a big fan of The Hunger Games trilogy, so I was excited to read the spin-off which takes us back to the origins of the Games when Cornelius Snow is a young man, acting as a mentor to one of the tributes. I wouldn’t recommend starting with this book if you haven’t read the others, or you weren’t a fan of the original books, but it was great to be back in this world and I am hoping this is the start of a new series.

Watch Her Fall is set in the world of ballet, and it was fascinating to get a peek behind the curtains of a professional dance school. I was a bit disappointed though that the whole book wasn’t set in this world though. A very enjoyable read and a good, twisty plot that kept me guessing.

I had come across Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line when it was appearing on the shortlists of writing competitions before it got a publishing deal. I’d always loved the title and the opening sequence, and the rest of the novel didn’t disappoint. It follows a group of street kids in India solving the mystery of the disappearance of children from their shanty town. Heart-breaking at times, and hard-hitting in its depiction of poverty, I am definitely following this series.

Confessions of a Bookseller is a non-fiction book I was given for my birthday. I enjoyed the wry humour and the ups and downs of running a book shop.

Crossing the Lines is an atmospheric and haunting coming-of-age story of a young girl escaping her fate and returning to her roots. With compelling characters and evocative prose, this is a journey of self-discovery that will stay with you long after you read the last line. Crossing the Lines was a proof copy and was published in November 2021.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Strangeworlds Travel Agency 2: The Edge of the Ocean. It’s a middle-grade book so I am not its intended audience, but I just love the world(s) L D Lapinski has created. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of this series. I’ve bought these books as Christmas and birthday presents and they always get the thumbs up from young readers.