The Restaurant Critic's Wife - Elizabeth LaBan

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Thank you Net Galley for approving me for a review copy.

I went into this book completely blind, only knowing I liked the cover after seeing it on Net Galley. It was a quick read and quite captivating, once I started I couldn’t put it down.

The characters are lovable, well most of them, I wanted to strangle the husband, Sam Soto, throughout the book. He irritated me so much.

The book follows Lila Soto, a housewife and mother of two, who gave up her fast passed career as a Crisis Manager at a large hotel chain to move to a new town where her husband is a restaurant critic at one of the leading newspapers. Obsessed with keeping his identity a secret, Sam has kept Lila from making friends in their new neighbourhood.

Lila soon realises that she isn’t cut out for this, and craves the fast passed life she used to have, even doubting her choice to leave her ex-boyfriend, marriage and getting pregnant again. She soon makes friends with exactly the people Sam did not want her to befriend.

I really enjoyed this book and could relate to Lila. The descriptions of food and restaurants were wonderful and I found myself drooling and craving the dishes that were described.

All the Light we Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

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This is the Pulitzer Prize for fiction winner of 2015, and reading this I can understand why.

The writing was beautiful and the way Doerr paints with words is inspiring. The timeline in the book jumps a little from pre-war time to during the war.

The main characters Marie-Laure and her father has a beautiful relationship, the way he decided that after she became blind that she will not sit in a corner and wallow about it, made me feel motivated. He turned a bad situation around and helped Marie-Laure learn her surrounding area by building a scale model of their town. Teaching her how to get around without help from others. Doerr pulls you into this world of his.

It also follows Werner and his sister Jutta, who are orphans. Werner is fascinated by radios, and he and Jutta finds one, he repairs it and they listen to stories being told by a voice late at night.

The book jumps between the point of views of Marie-Laure and Werner.

I found the way Doerr weaved the two stories together was captivating and it kept me enthralled throughout the book.

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel

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This book has been on my TBR list for far too long. I finally picked it up when it was the Secret Book club’s book of the month. The whole time I kicked myself for waiting so long, but definitely worth the wait.

The book follows a couple of characters, during the aftermath of a flu epidemic that wiped out most of the human population. The stories of six characters are being told and they are intricately woven together and in the end you find out they all have something in common at some time throughout their lives.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, it kept my attention and that is a big positive for a book in my eyes. 

Grey - E.L. James

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This book...

I understand that E.L. James wants to cash in a little bit more on this franchise under the presumption of giving you Christian's point of view, but honestly I think it isn't needed.

I liked Fifty Shades of Grey, the story line was good, I admit to skipping most of the sex scenes as some of them was just too intense for me, the writing wasn't really breath-taking, and sometimes I'm sure my own would be better, but the story line was good. There are a lot of people who want to hammer on about Christian being abusive, I don't agree with them but each person has his/her own opinion.

Okay back to Grey. you do get a little more insight into Christian and why he is like that, I thought his inner 'goddess' voice was funny. You learn a little more about how his childhood affected him, and how he tried to fit in with his new family.

I am sure if you were over the moon with Fifty shades trilogy, you will enjoy this book and will then recommend reading it, but if you didn't, don't bother. 

Landline - Rainbow Rowell

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This book follows Georgie McCool (Yes I loved her name) who realises her marriage could be over if she doesn't give more. She still loves her husband Neal, and want her marriage to work. A couple of days before they were supposed to go on Christmas holiday to Neal's family in Omaha, Georgie finds out she has to stay to work on her new tv show. Neal and their children leave and Georgie isn't sure if their marriage is over. She goes over to her mother's house and when she calls Neal on the landline in her room she finds that something is off in the way they talk. It is not until after a while that Georgie finds out that she is talking to her husband in the past before they were married.

I loved the writing style, the plot was intriguing, and I enjoyed it. I am slowly but surely falling in love with Rainbow Rowell's writing style and have now finished reading all of her books. It was a quick read, and a true page turner as I wanted to find out what is causing them to be able to chat like that. The characters are lovable and I could relate to them. I know there are a lot of people who did not like this one, but for me I loved it. Try to get your hands on a copy, it will be worth it.

The Art of Asking - Amanda Palmer

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First off, I only know about Amanda because I like Neil Gaiman books/ Doctor Who episodes. I've heard of her but never paid attention. How wrong was I?!?

My friends suggested reading this book as part of our church group, at first I thought how you get these two together. Then I downloaded the audiobook on Audible and was hooked.

I would definitely recommend getting the audiobook, Amanda Palmer narrates it and sings, and it's just amazing. Her voice is soothing, the jokes comes alive, and the songs fill your head and make you want to hum along. Her concept of having to learn to overcome your fear of asking for a favour helped me a lot. I hate asking for help, I hate admitting I need help, but this book changed that entirely. You learn how she became the 8 foot bride statue to make money, how she explains that the exchange of a flower for a dollar was a deep experience for her, I could imagine standing in front of her and being the person that smiles at her as she hands over the flower. Her book centres around her TED talk and the aftermath of it, how she fell out with her music label and how she ran the start-up to fund her CDs.

If you aren't sure if this book is for you, just listen to her TED talk (attached below) and you will want to run and get this book ASAP

Point of Retreat - Colleen Hoover

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Spoilers ahead if you haven't read Slammed!

Beautiful sequel to Slammed. The story continues on for Layken and Will. Layken's mom, Julia, has passed away and Lake and Will fall into the routine of raising two young boys while going back to school. 

Will's old girlfriend shows up again and he is surprised that she wants to go back to being in a relationship with him, she regrets dumping him all those years ago. 

The book revolves around Lake and Will as they try to find a balance between school and the boys and their relationship. They are also planning their first night together after the allotted time passed that they promised Julia they would wait. Both are extremely excited, until an unexpected guest shows up on the night and ruins their plans. 

Will has to convince Lake that he loves her for her and not just because of their circumstances. 

Hoover introduces new characters that you fall in love with instantly. 

Your heart breaks in the heart stopping moment when Lake gets in a car crash and you aren't sure if she is going to make it. 

Hoover has a way with words, in the way she sucks you in from the moment you open the book until you close it in the end. And of course more amazing slam poetry. 

Slammed - Colleen Hoover

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When choosing this book I was in the mood for a light contemporary type romance. I am honest when I say the first couple of chapters had me rolling my eyes and I was very close to putting the book down. I didn’t want to read a book where the boy and girl fall in love after 2 days, but as soon as she introduced the twist of Will being Layken’s teacher I thought, okay this can work.

Slammed follows Layken and Will, Layken is a senior in high school whose mother moves them to a new town, on their arrival Layken’s little brother Kel and Will’s brother Caulder becomes best friends instantly. When Will and Layken meet the attraction was immediate and they go on their first date to a club that has a slam night. Will and Layken spend every waking moment together, the two fall in love with each other.

Until Layken walks into her poetry class on Monday and find out that Will is her teacher. They realise that as Will is Caulder’s guardian and needs the work he cannot lose his job because of their attraction and they decide that it would be for the best if they don’t see each other socially anymore. Of course through the course of the book they can’t keep away from each other and their love grows more.

The book is full of twists and turns and I wasn’t bored for a second, couldn’t put it down once Hoover hooked me. It was also a relatively quick read. The students’ poetry was written beautifully and there was definitely an abundance of Chuck Norris jokes. The character development was phenomenal and I cried for Eddie when she shared her poem that revealed her story, my heart broke for Layken when she discovered her mother’s secret.

Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee

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As someone who only recently discovered To Kill a Mockingbird and loved it, I was very excited to read this one. I am honest in saying, I don't care about the controversy surrounding this book, and all I wanted was another glimpse into the life of Scout, Jem and Dill. 

     Jean Louise (Scout) Finch returns home from New York to visit her father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. 

I didn't read the first chapter when it came out a week before the release, as I didn't want to finish it and then have to wait once again. So was shocked when I learned one of the main characters was killed off so callously, and disappointed that Dill didn't make a return except for flashbacks. The flashbacks to their childhood brought back happy memories of reading To kill a mockingbird. 

The controversy surrounding Atticus being a racist; in my opinion you need to take into account that this was 1955 in the South, people were scared of change and as I read it, Atticus did it to infiltrate the group to see who was part of it and to limit damage when they wanted to do things. Jean Louise's outburst towards her father had me in tears, as I could feel how she realised that Atticus wasn't this person she had on a pedestal, that he was just a human. 

The writing was moving and gripping, I read the book in 2 days. Overall I liked the book but still prefer the first one.

The Gracekeepers - Kirsty Logan

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First things first...
    A round of applause for this cover! It is absolutely stunning!

There aren't words to describe how much I loved this book, if I really tried very hard and went and found a dictionary I might be lucky and strike it. I have wanted to read this book since Jen Campbell recommended it on Twitter and the cover is simply spell bounding, beautiful hardback cover with embossing on the coversheet, the end papers had a map of the world in which Callanish and North lived. Simply stunning. 

     The Gracekeeper Callanish performs shoreside burials for damplings, the word they use for people who live on the water. She lives alone on her little island, tending to the small graces that are used in the rituals of burial. Meanwhile on the other side of the world is North, who works on the circus boat Excalibur, they sail from one island to the next performing at each stop to earn coins, cold and food. 

     The world is divided into two groups, those who life on the mainland (landlockers) and those who sail the seas (damplings), both women experience loneliness, and their worlds collide when a sudden storm offshore brings the two together and both realise there are more than what they understand. 

     Inspired in part by Scottish myths and fairytales, The Gracekeepers tells modern story of an irreparably changed world: one that harbors the same isolation and sadness, but also joys and marvels of our own age. 

This book did not disappoint, Kirsty Logan has a way with words, even the way she described an apple made my mouth water for one. She has a way to play with words, and even though this book was a standalone, she managed to paint this elaborate world where you could imagine the vast open areas of water where Callanish lived in isolation, only seeing people when they brought their dead to be buried at sea, straight through to where North, Red Gold and Ainsel walks through the forests, I could imagine walking in the woods, the mossy smell of the undergrowth, to the tall trees towering over me. 

You immediately realise that although the ocean has flooded most of earth, the people has adapted to their new situation. The two groups of people have different sets of beliefs and didn't mingle with one another, The landlockers sneering at the damplings, the damplings ridiculing the landlockers. 

Rainfall - Melissa Delport

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This is one of those books where you can't say too much without ruining it for someone, and when reading the back summary you will see they didn't give away anything. As a South African myself I am ashamed to say this is my first new South African author that I've read in years, and I am so glad that I did. 

Paige's fiance is shot and killed just after they move in together and her father has Alzheimer's. Paige fights depression and just seems to get her life back on track, living life to the fullest, doing one dangerous and exhilarating thing a month. When Paige meets Adam the attraction is instantaneous. There isn't a lot the Paige knows about Adam's past just that he grew up in an orphanage. They fall head over heels in love with each other, and Paige starts believing that she has found her happily ever after. Until she finds Adam in bed with another woman. 

Paige runs and cuts Adam off, she doesn't answer his calls and tries to fight her way though another bout of depression, until Adam's psychiatrist shows up at her door, revealing Adam's secret that shocks Paige. She is determined to fight for him, to help him get through this and to work towards their happily ever after. 

Beautifully written, emotionally draining in a very good way. The story is both beautiful and heartbreaking especially when the climax is reached. One of those books that stays with you days afterwards. Prepare yourself for the book hangover that will rival all others! The characters are lovable, and they crawl into your heart immediately. 

Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma

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What a book! At first a disclaimer, I by no means condone such a relationship, I am not saying because I liked this book that such relationships are appropriate.

     The book centres around seventeen-year-old Lochan and his sixteen-year-old sister Maya, although they are siblings they have a much deeper relationship with each other. Their mother only shows up once a week to give them the weekly shopping money and then she goes back to her boyfriend. Lochan and Maya look after their 3 younger siblings and they somehow make this dysfunctional family work. This has caused both Lochan and Maya to grow up quickly as their younger sibling’s look up to them as parents.

     The way these two work together and has to deal with everyday life has made them grow closer together than just brother and sister, so close that they realise that they have fallen in love with each other.

     They know that their kind of relationship cannot work as it’s against the law and that they can never truly be together, yet this also causes them to cling to each other and their love to grow more deeply.

     The novel ends explosively with a shocking finale

This book, this book's review took me a while to put together, because although you can't help but root for the pair, you know deep down that it isn't right, but still as I turned the pages and read the desperation in these two I couldn't help but want it to work out for them. You could see Lochan climbing out of his shell, getting better in social situations, his social anxiety getting better. Their younger brother who acted out because their mother was never home also started to calm down as the book progressed, and this is because of the way Lochan and Maya works together as a team.

The writing is stunningly beautiful and the plot is absorbing. I kept reading late into the night, wanting to finish the story and yet also not wanting it to end. I am not ashamed to admit that by the end I did have tears streaming down my face. I would recommend this book any day.

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

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I was sceptic to start this book as hyped books and I usually don't go together. I am always scared the book won't life up to it but this intrigued me. I got a copy on my Kindle and started on the journey. 

     The book follows Rachel, who goes on the same commute train each morning and evening. As she watches the houses flash by the window she spots one particular house and has a made up story regarding this house. She imagines the occupants to have an amazing life, that they love each other and all sorts of different scenarios. She feels like she knows Jess and Jason as old friends. Until one day when the train stops on the tracks next to the house and Rachel sees something that shocks her. 

     She finds out that the woman, whose real name is Megan, went missing and Rachel volunteers information to the police that she saw from the train window. The police at first doesn't believe her accounts of what she saw and Rachel somehow befriends the woman's husband, without telling him who she is. 

     It comes to light that Rachel used to life a couple of houses away from the couple that she sees each day.

The thing about this book is that you can't go into too much detail or you will spoil it for people, I loved how the story slowly unfolds and you keep turning the pages to get to the next part.

There are some people who said it was predictable, and I must say I only realised who it was just before it was revealed, so to me it wasn't predictable.

I loved this book and it was a great read, it didn't take me too long to finish the book. Will definitely look out for more books by Paula Hawkins when they come out. 

Orphan Train - Christina Baker Kline

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Five star read! This book has been on my TBR list for some time and when I finally drew the name I actually let out a whoop of joy, the cover is simply gorgeous and definitely was one of the contributing factors in choosing this one. 

     It follows the story of Molly who is in foster care and after being moved several times she is on her final warning at her current home. After stealing a copy of Jane Eyre she is sentenced to community service, her boyfriend gets his mother to ask the rich elderly woman she works for to help Molly. Vivian agrees that Molly can help her sort through her belongings in the attic. 

     By spending time with Vivian, Molly gets glimpses into the old woman's life and she discovers that they have more in common than meets the eye. She learns how Vivian's family moved to US from Ireland, how her parents passed away and she was then placed on the orphan train heading into USA carrying children of all ages. At each stop children were chosen to go and live with families. 

     Molly then decides to help Vivian find answers to her countless questions about her past.

I thought that the book was well written and captivating, I couldn't put it down when I started it, and it was both shocking and heart-warming. Vivian's struggles as a child touched me and opened my eyes to what it was like in those times.

You realise that in that period of time, there were children whose parents died and I didn't know that children was gathered in such a way as this. Piled into a train, with little to no supervision that they had to care for themselves and younger children. These children came from broken backgrounds and being on the train didn't necessarily mean that they would go somewhere better.  

Christina Baker Kline touches on this in her book, and I love that she didn't sugar coat this. 

Definitely a must read for everyone!

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

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This was my first Neil Gaiman book and I absolutely adored it. 

“Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.”

This was the first book that I actively looked for in a long time, I heard about the author, Neil Gaiman, after watching Doctor Who, he was the writer for two of my favourite episodes and after doing some research I found that he writes books as well, so I started with his latest book. Ocean at the end of the lane was first published in June 2013.

Another thing that surprised me as I read was the fact that I usually don’t like fantasy books; this book captured my attention from the beginning.

The thing that really impressed me was the fact that when the narrator was at the Hempstock farm, you could feel how safe he felt with them. On the other hand you could feel his anxiety when he had to go home and face Ursula.

The other thing that also impressed me, it was a fairly short book for fantasy, usually they are fairly big books for the authors to be able to paint their world, this one was different as the author got ones attention immediately, the plot moved quickly but not with such haste that you felt something was lacking in the book.

Synopsis of the book:

The book starts with a man who returns to his hometown for a funeral, he visits the house where he grew up, and this stirs memories of his childhood. He remembers a young girl, Lettie Hempstock, who told him the pond in her backyard was actually an ocean. He then visits her house, and the pond.

The story of his childhood begins where he remembered that they had a lodger who committed suicide in his father’s stolen car. His death sets the events of the story in motion. His death allowed a supernatural being to come into our world. After a coin got lodged in his throat one night, he asked Lettie for help, she insisted he should join her on a journey to find the being, she instructed him to not let go of her hand, but in a moment of shock he did and he felt pain as something lodged in his foot, that night he pulled something that looked like a worm out of his foot, but a piece got left behind.

The next day he was told by his mother she will be starting a new job and they will be looked after by a woman named Ursula Monkton. He took an instant disliking to her, but the woman won over his father and sister. He realised that this woman was the worm he pulled out of his foot. He was locked in his room after several attempts to escape to the Hempstock house. Late that night he got his chance while Ursula’s attention was focused on his father, and he barely makes it to Lettie’s house.

Lettie and the narrator confront Ursula, who refused offers from the Hempstocks to leave peacefully for a world that is less dangerous for her. She did not believe them and was attacked by “varmints”, they have a purpose similar to scavengers. After she was destroyed they turned on the narrator, insisting they needed to eat his heart since a piece of Ursula remained there. The Hempstocks swore to protect him; Hemptstock brought him back to the safety of their property through the ocean from their house, which Lettie carried in a bucket.

The Hempstocks promised to keep him safe, but the varmints began to eat his world. This proved effective since the narrator then attempted to sacrifice himself, only for Lettie to jump in between him and the varmints. Lettie’s grandmother threatened the varmints with annihilation if they did not leave. The complied but Lettie was near death. The Hempstocks placed Lettie’s body in the ocean behind their house, where they said she would rest until ready to return to this world. After this the narrator’s memory of the incident faded, he had no recollection, instead believing that she had gone to Australia.

The book then returns to the present day, where the narrator finished remembering and is shocked to find out that this is not his first visit to the house.

“You don’t pass or fail at being a human, dear”

Welcome!

Welcome to my new book review blog, I am going to try and post reviews as quickly as I possibly can. By day I keep myself busy working in IT, but whenever I can find a spare second I devour books.

I hope that this blog will introduce you to new books or if it doesn’t do that, that it will help you make up your mind about your next read.

Over the next couple of days I will be posting all my previous reviews from my personal account on here. 
Sit back relax and tell me which one you would be reading next

I am always open for book recommendations, so feel free to leave a message!