Turtles All The Way Down - John Green

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Here we are at the end of the most anticipated book of the year for me.

I adored The fault in our stars, it’s still one of my favourite books, and to be honest the rest of John Green’s books weren’t top of my lists. When I heard what the book would be about, I thought, this was a character I could relate to.

Which I did, I could see some of her actions in myself, I could relate to the way her mind would go into a downward spiral about one little thing, maybe it hit a little too close to home in some ways.

Aza has OCD and anxiety. From the outside, she looks like she has everything. We meet her best friend Daisy who is a brilliant fanfiction writer. There is Davis her sort-of-not-really-almost boyfriend. And don’t forget the Tuatara lizard. As always Green has a very eclectic band of friends, each with their own very distinct personality, and he writes all of them beautifully.  

I did struggle a bit with the book, but in the end, I flew through it. I loved that Green points a big spotlight on some very difficult issues regarding mental health, but the rest of the stories almost felt forced. Each character worked on their own, but once you paired them off, then it didn’t really work for me. Especially Aza and Davis relationship, it felt very forced at some stages.

Overall, it was a good read. Will I read it again? Probably not.

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

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I’m not even sorry this book took me almost 2 years to finish, I started it right after reading the first book, and with it being such a bulky book, I would gladly put it down to read something else. But in the last two months, I made a serious point of trying to finish it.

This one was almost as good as Outlander, we follow Jamie and Claire to France, where they have new challenges to try and stop the battle at Culloden. New and old foes battle it out, new and old friends to help them on their journey. I have to be honest that there was a lot of parts that dragged on for pages, and that’s probably the reason why it took me so long to get into the story again.

I laughed, cried, and heaved a sigh of relief. This series is going to be one of my favourites if I can just finish the next books in the series.

There will probably be a lot of readers that will stone me for this, but it does help that we have a wonderful series that gives faces to characters. There will still be people who say they would rather just watch the series, just remember dear ones, there are some major developments that the series does not show.

Here’s to finding long-running book series that you can spend your non-existent time to try and catch up. 

What Have we Done – JT Lawrence

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In tomorrow's world where the edges blur between addictive virtual reality and real life, would you hurt your daughter if it was the only way to set her free?

Lawrence strikes again in this action pack final book in the When Tomorrow Calls series. She grabs you from the first page and drags you on a virtual rollercoaster ride until the last full stop.

We meet up with beloved characters with a couple of new characters that will draw you into this epic tale of what can happen in the future. This thrilling heart racing Dystopian-thriller makes you sit back and think and realise what Lawrence has concocted isn’t such a far-fetched idea.

Reaching the end of the story I found myself shocked and cursing Lawrence, the reveal, in the end, blew my mind. The way Lawrence picks up all the loose threads from all the books and brings them all together to weave this intricate story is why I love reading her books. This is exactly what I will always expect from Lawrence. The writing as always is beautiful, and she has now proven that she can pick any genre and I will gladly follow along, well maybe I will draw the line at Horror, please don't write horror. 

For this reader who usually stays away from thrillers, I can guarantee you, this book will keep even the technophobes on their toes or give them new fears of technology, either way, this was a fast-paced read. 

Click for reviews of Why You Were Taken and How We Found You

To Conquer a Scot - Tamara Gill

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I know Diana Gabaldon didn’t invent these types of stories, but all I could think while reading this was copycat! While the story of getting transported back into time, and finding yourself a Highlander is intriguing and usually works for me, this book didn’t.

There were so many different things that just happened it felt like the author just threw some of it in to make a full-length novel. There was also a lot of continuity problems, which could’ve been picked up by the Beta readers. Not to mention the ending felt very rushed.

The characters didn’t really speak to me, in fact, our main character Abby was irritating. Sure the laird was one of those tall, broody types, but their chemistry didn’t really work for me.

Needless to say, I won’t be reading the rest of this series.

*I received a copy from NetGalley to review*

Eliza and Her Monsters - Francesca Zappia

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If you are like me and love writing fanfiction, and spending hours on the internet speculating about your favourite authors latest books or the latest episode of your favourite television show, this is the one for you. This is the first book of Zappia that I’m reading, and based on this, she will become one of my auto-buys.

Scott Westerfeld’s Afterworlds meets Nimona in this novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. Features illustrations by the author throughout. Perfect for readers of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

Zappia deals with some very real subjects while blowing life into Eliza’s story, Monstrous Sea, besides the relatability for people who live their lives on the internet, Eliza deals with some issues that affect most people in today's life. The way Zappia introduces these characters to you and makes you fall in love with them makes the journey of seeing them grow worth every heart-clenching moment.

She brought in the fact that internet friends are as important as real friends, with that fine line of balance between the two worlds, it made this book come to life and you know the author ‘gets’ how it feels to be a part of such a community.

I loved the art throughout the book, and wouldn’t have minded if Monstrous Sea was a real comic.

Well done Francesca on this book that will probably be one of my favourites for the year. 

Textrovert - Lindsey Summers

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This is one of those books that if you frequent Wattpad you get excited that someone’s story made it to the big league. I personally did not read the original, and it's okay that I didn’t.

Keeley is about to start her senior year when disaster strikes, she accidentally picks up the wrong phone and it turns out to belong to arrogant jock, who just left for football camp with her phone.

I really enjoyed the banter between the two characters in the beginning, but it did seem to drag on for a while during the middle. This story really had a lot of promise.

The characters were a little immature and you could see some growth throughout the book.

My only real complaint is that although it started out fast-paced, it slowed down to a snail's pace in the middle with an abrupt ending, leaving the reader wanting for more.

Definitely, a quick read especially if you are looking for something that doesn’t require a lot of thinking.

Play Dates - Maggie Wells

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This is one of those stories with a cute premise that just fell short of delivering an unforgettable tales. I can probably put money on the fact that I won’t remember this story for too long, so here is a review straight from the last page.

Monica Rayburn is a workaholic, not so doting aunt who eyes the hot dad at the park. They go on a date, some truths aren’t revealed and that is the start of the story.

There were some parts where I felt that the author might’ve forgotten about continuation, it felt very rushed and the two main characters could’ve saved themselves a lot of trouble by just communicating. Guess there is a life lesson that can be learned from this.

If you like corny romantic comedies with some one-liners, this is the book for you. 

Unravel - Christine Bernard

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This one is difficult to review, you can't say too much without giving away the plot.

Meet Rose Madison, a senior at college, a budding writer with the shadow of her best-selling author mother hovering over her. She is beautiful, funny, intelligent and she seems to be headed for success in the literary world.

In this suspenseful debut novel by Christine Bernard, you can’t help but develop trust issues in the people around you, thinking twice about that sound you just heard behind you.

It is well written and even though I had an idea about the outcome from the beginning, I couldn’t help second guessing myself every time a new twist came along. 

If this is the first book for Christine I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve with her new books that will surely follow this one. 

Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

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This is one of those classics that loomed like an ominous mountain in front of me. Then I downloaded the audiobook narrated by Juliet Stevenson and she made all the difference to the experiencing. She is a true entertainer, the voices and accents that she made for each character brought a whole different level to the experience.

The story was dark and bewitching, with a love story that could’ve ended differently if the two characters weren’t stubborn. Catherine really worked on my nerves, she was selfish and with her betrayal of Heathcliff that set the wheels in motion of the plot, I found her very childish.

To a certain degree, I can not really understand why people always reference Catherine and Heathcliff as the perfect couple. Heathcliff is an emotional abuser and Catherine is a spiteful young woman who damned everyone with her actions.

I am however very glad that I am only reading this now as an adult since I can see where a younger person would romanticise the relationships, but as an older reader, I can say it is disturbing to think so many people have these two characters as their ideal of how a relationship should be. 

Please children, spiting one another and then ruining each other does not make a great relationship. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas

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Oh man, this book took me a while to get in, but once I got over my reading slump, it sucked me in and the story really worked for me.

This book has been on my TBR since I found out it was a beauty and the beast retelling, which is one of my all time favourite stories. So of course when I finally got round to reading it, it was just plain bad luck that I was going through a reading slump. It felt like the book took ages to kick off. So I did what I always did, put it down and went to one of my go to authors to pull me out of it, which didn’t work.

After finding a different type of book, it got me back on track. And boy did ACOTAR then finally kick off, the story pulled me in, and true to Maas’ writing style the characters are well written and you find yourself rooting for them.

There isn’t a lot that you can say about this book since it is the first in the series and I am really scared since I haven’t read the rest yet that whatever I say in the review will be a spoiler.

I would definitely recommend this, just look at the cover it is absolutely gorgeous

The Law of Tall Girls - Joanne Macgregor

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Who would’ve thought that a book about a tall girl will appeal to this short girl?

This is not just your average romance novel, there are some deeper lessons that you can learn, something that you can either know about yourself or about the people around you. This is definitely not just a story about a tall girl that learns to accept who she is but also that everyone should learn to love themselves for who they are.

Admittedly Peyton did work on my nerve with her constant complaining and to this self-confessed mama’s girl, her relationship with her mother got me worked up. But true to Macgregor’s style, all was revealed in an epic twist and I could then understand the relationship a little better.

I adored the whole misfit crew, you could see all of the characters grow throughout the story.

There was laughter with a couple of very witty jokes, my heart raced with Peyton as she fell for the tall boy, I could feel the weight of keeping her secret, cried with her at 1 in the morning.

Well done Joanne this is another great read.

Lastly, can we have a round of applause for the cover design, it grabs your eye and draws you in. It is gorgeous.

Dirty Little Secret - Kendall Ryan

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Sorry for the long wait, I had one of the longest reading slumps and it took me a couple of books to get me out of it. After searching for something on Netgalley, I came across this little gem. It is a quick, dirty book that pulled me from my slump so fast and sent me catapulted into more books.

This is everything you would want from the first book in a series. The build up, the anticipation of what is sure to come and the sweet cliff-hanger that makes you want to shake the author by the shoulders to make her write faster.

We meet Emma a mousy librarian and Gavin the CEO of a multi-billion dollar escort agency. The two characters have chemistry oozing from every pore. The sexual tension between these two characters was almost palpable and throw in the little hint of a love triangle and it makes you giddy and binge read the book in one sitting. The only problem I had with Emma, she did come off a little naïve at some parts and that irritated me, but not enough to put the book down.

The anticipation leaves you gasping for more and to me, that is the sign of a good author, someone I will recommend to more people. The characters are well written and you get to know them and see where they are struggling with themselves.

This is my first book by Ryan and I have to say the way this book pulled me from my reading slump I am more than willing to delve into her other work. 

The Memory of Water - JT Lawrence

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This settles it, Janita can basically write any genre and I would read it. The way she draws you in no matter what her subject is, just blew my mind. At first, I was a little sceptic about the book, as it doesn’t fall within my normal genre’s but then I read it and she has opened a whole genre for me.

I listened to the audiobook of The Memory of Water, the narrator has a rich, deep voice that lulls you into a false sense of security, and then Janita’s words rocks your world and makes you think twice about what you just listened to. I actually listened to the ending twice, it was just that good.

This story follows Slade Harris, an author whose past catches up with him and he goes through writer’s block. He then come’s up with a dangerous idea, an idea that will be the making of his next best-seller.

There were a lot of characters who played a big part in this book, and they all grabbed your attention, pulling you along with the story. Slade was a well-rounded character and in the end, I couldn’t believe all that he had been through, I felt sorry for him, agitated with him, frustrated for him. The writing is beautiful and just confirms in my mind that Lawrence is one of my favourite writers.

This book has something for everyone, if you like thrillers, this is the book for you. In the mood for something a little bit more steamy than your average book, this one is for you. Looking for a book that is character driven and makes you want to finish it in one sitting, yet still stretch it out as long as possible. This is the book for you.

You can get your copy of either the Audiobook or the Kindle 

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

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I have listened or watched every adaption of this book but every time I started the book since I was in school, I just thought the language was too difficult and never persevered to finally read it. This time though it was different. I flew through it, the book pulled me in immediately and now I understand why this is one of the most loved classics. Jane Austen had a way to bewitch you with words, they draw you into this story and I couldn’t put it down.

The characters were more detailed and I could understand them better, I fell in love with Mr Darcy, I grew frustrated with Lydia, Mrs Bennet irritated me (in a good way) and all the other characters just crept deeper into my heart. The way they all played their part in this story made you either like or dislike them more and to me, this will be one of my favourite character driven books.

I truly wish I read this book earlier, but then I also believe that if a book doesn’t hook you it is not your time to read you. If I pushed through with all my earlier attempts this wouldn’t have had such an impact on me.

If you struggle reading this one, I would also recommend you spend the money and get the audiobook narrated by Rosamund Pike, she does different voices for each character and it really helped me get into this book. I combined the audiobook with my physical copy and in the end only read the book once I got accustomed to the language.

Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers

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This is one of those books when it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve read it, it still draws me in and I get lost in the tale.

It’s set in 1850’s during the California gold rush. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel has had a hard life and doesn’t expect anything from men that is until she meets Michael Hosea. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly but surely he breaks down Angel’s walls until her frozen heart starts to thaw.

We read this as part of our reading with friends for July. At first, I thought maybe it won’t be the same experience I had when I first read it many years ago. I was right, it wasn’t the same, but in a good way. I drew a different message out of the book and experienced it on a whole different level.

This is one of the most inspiring Christian Fiction books that I’ve read and that just gives more credit to Rivers. The story pulls you in, it’s heart-wrenching, and shows you a different side to the gold rush. Of course it isn’t a straight forward story, there were scenes that really makes you uncomfortable, but in my opinion, Rivers doesn’t just add it in to shock you. Everything in the story has a purpose and will tie up the threads to weave a beautiful story.

The characters are very well written. You can’t help but fall in love with Michael and wish for a love story where a man will go to all that trouble for you. The way Rivers had written Angel and how you can see her grow throughout the book is the inspiration for my own writing. 

Windfall - Jennifer E. Smith

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First off, whoever designed this cover was a genius, it pulled me in immediately and that was the main reason why I picked up this book. Secondly, this premise is one that will make anyone one run out and buy a lotto ticket.

Alice who has been pining for Teddy, her best friend, buys him a lottery ticket for his birthday. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.

This is probably everyone in the world's dream, to win so much money, but I believe the author captured the burden that comes with instant millions and what effects it can have on you and the people around you.

The characters were well written, all of the characters have extremely well planned out backstories to show the reader how they got to where they are. And when this lucky win does happen you can’t help but feel elated for the characters.

There was a small section where Alice really worked on my nerve, but probably just because I wouldn’t have made the decision she did. But other than that, this was a very enjoyable quick read. I might actually pick up one of the authors other books. 

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

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I really wanted to like this book. I read this one with my friends as part of our monthly Books with friends, they had both read this on previous occasions and raved about it. Since our tastes in books are very similar I thought this was going to be a great read, how wrong was I?

The circus arrives without warning, no one knows when or where it will pop up. Inside the boundaries of the circus unique experiences full of breathtaking amazements awaits. Only one catch, it is only open at night. There is a competition that has been going for years and the two major players have been chosen when they were children and have since been training. They don’t know the rules of the game, especially the one where only one can survive the game.

It wasn’t that the book, that was supposed to be filled with so many wonderful things, was boring but it just felt like something was off. It took me more than half of the book to finally be pulled into the story, the jumps in the timeline had me confused most of the time and I had to reread several passages to finally get back on board.

There were some colourful characters in this story, and this was probably the only thing that really kept me reading, I wanted to find out what was going to happen to the characters, and in the end, if the circus will be able to survive the game. 

The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons

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Here we go, it took me a while to compile this review, which isn’t a surprise considering it took me almost 84 years to finish this book. I usually love war stories, even with the backdrop of the horrible events during that time period, most authors get to write wonderful tales that pull you in and make you want to fight for the characters. This was not the case with this book. To me, it felt the torture just kept continuing.

No wonder this book was so thick, there was so much useless information in it, and I usually like descriptions of settings in books, but here I learnt how one can overdo descriptions.

The characters were shallow, with little to no growth throughout the book. Almost everyone dies and that just makes you stop caring about any of the characters. Alexander had a horrible temper and what could be considered as an emotionally abusive relationship with both the sisters, but of course he is an officer and girls just fawn over him.

I knew this was a series of books before I started it, but honestly, I can’t think that I would ever pick up the rest of the series or in this case, anything by this author.

Riven - Lissa Del AKA Melissa Delport

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 After reading Rainfall I thought to myself, don't think this will be just your average contemporary romance, expect the unexpected. Lissa Del AKA Melissa Delport did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat, my phone had a couple of very purposeful flings across my desk, and she had me chocked-up with emotion. Exactly what I want from this author.

One thing that I both hate and love about Riven is that you can't really tell someone what it is about without giving the plot away. The safest I can do is say. It's about a girl who meets a boy, their love story is something that makes you yearn for your own version of it, and then there is a major plot twist that even though I was waiting for it, I did not expect.

This book was angsty with just enough frustration added to leave you gasping for more.

The characters are well written and I fell in love with them all almost right away. The one thing I truly appreciate is that all the characters in the book had a role to play, it wasn't just a reason to fill some pages.

Overall this was another great book by Lissa Del and I would recommend her books in a heartbeat.