What Rachael Reads

Rattle by Fiona Cummins My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! Just, wow! The first novel I have read by Fiona and I just loved it! I knew from the first few chapters that it was going to be a good one! I love her style, the ease of reading and attention to detail. The pace of the story was perfect and the character depth was just enough to get to know them, without all the extra baggage. Overall it was much better than I had expected. The synopsis didn't scream at me to make me want to read it, but having done so, I would highly recommend it and I am looking forward to more from Fiona. View all my reviews

Happy Publication Day to the amazing Ruth Ware and The Woman in Cabin 10! I gratefully received an advance reader copy of this last year and I loved it! Read my short review and grab your copy today! The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved In A Dark Dark Wood by Ruth and I hoped that The Woman in Cabin 10 would be as good. It was better! The mysterious plot outline of a supposed murder occurring on a ship where all its passengers are present and accounted for is riveting. Fantastic thriller and looking forward to more from Ruth Ware. View all my reviews Get your copy today!

Whilst browsing online book stores yesterday I came across a book called Speed Reading; How to increase your reading speed and comprehension by Bryan Botwin. I like to think of myself as a relatively fast and competent reader, but thought I would read it anyway. Any of us bookworms will admit that being able to read faster can only be a good thing as it enables us to read more and more books in less time. Speed Reading: How To Increase Your Reading Speed And Comprehension by Bryan Botwin My rating: 3 of 5 stars A few helpful tips to increase your reading speed. Short and sweet. View all my reviews I have encountered the notion of speed reading before and vaguely remember doing an online test to discover my reading speed. Taking an online test is recommended by the author to establish your current speed and to be able to monitor any progress made in future. I took this speed reading test today and I was genuinely shocked by my results. The site says that the average speed...

Wow! What a read! After the halfway point I genuinely could not put this down!! I became a huge fan of B A Paris after last year's Behind Closed Doors (who didn't?!) and The Breakdown has only cemented my opinion. Fast-paced and gripping, it will leave you wanting more and more. Just as with Jack and Grace in Behind Closed Doors, here we are introduced to Cass and Matthew, a seemingly ordinary couple with run of the mill jobs and a few close friends to hang out with. Paris' character development is pure genius and the attention to detail second to none. On a personal level I really connected with Cass as someone who has suffered with anxiety and memory problems. We follow her as her life is almost falling apart at the seams, with the ever present and dependable husband to lean on. When a murder occurs a little too close to home, and with a murderer still at large, will the strange things going on around her be enough to send Cass over the edge before its too late? Pre-...

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan My rating: 5 of 5 stars What can I say about this book, other than beautiful? It just confirmed everything I love about literature. The author really drew me in and allowed me to be a part of the story. I read it as if it were my own adventure, and what an adventure it was! Heart-warming and awe-inspiring, I want to read it all over again. View all my reviews

Watch Me by Angela Clarke My rating: 5 of 5 stars Angela Clarke is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Having devoured her debut Follow Me last year I couldn't wait to read more from her. The ultra-modern take on the serial killer thriller is fantastic and bang up to date. Watch Me is another cool, crisp thriller that's right at home in 2017. View all my reviews

Amazon recently released it's list of the top 10 downloaded Kindle books in 2016. Since I've read 9 out of the 10, I thought a post with brief reviews would be a good idea. Unsurprisingly, they almost all fell into one category; psychological thrillers. Since blockbusters such as Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train were released this genre has seen a staggering rise in popularity. Starting at number 10 is Follow You Home by Mark Edwards . The page-turning psychological thriller from the author of #1 bestsellers The Magpies and Because She Loves Me . It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, a final adventure before settling down. But after a perfect start, an encounter with a young couple on a night train forces Daniel and Laura to cut their dream trip short and flee home. Back in London, Daniel and Laura vow never to talk about what happened that night. But as they try to fit into their old lives again, they realise they are in terrible danger—and that their nightma...

I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this! I think it's probably safe to say that K L Slater's Blink is one to watch out for in 2017. Her previous novel Safe With Me was outstanding and Blink is even better. Toni Cotter has recently moved to Nottingham with her 5 year old daughter Evie to be closer to her Mother after losing her husband to the war in Afghanistan. She is grief stricken and struggling to cope, often relying upon her dead husband's prescription meds to get her through the day. Things seem to be looking up when she gets a part time job at a local estate agency and the people around her seem nothing but friendly and helpful when it comes to beautiful little Evie. Three years later, Evie has disappeared, taken from her Mother. Where is she? Who has taken her? It seems that the only person missing her is lying in a hospital bed after suffering a severe stroke. She cannot move, she cannot speak, she can't even blink. She is runnin...

Happy Sunday readers! Can't believe we are already eight days in to the new year! I've been working hard on a few posts that I would like to share with you, so coming soon is my 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge list, an in-depth review of my brand new Kindle Oasis and the top ten Kindle downloads of 2016 via Amazon! Hopefully these will all be uploaded be the end of the week, plus my review of my current read Blink by K L Slater . I would like to thank the amazing guys at Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Until next time, Rachael xo

Kate Rafter is a successful war reporter. She's the strong one. The one who escaped Herne Bay and their father. Her sister Sally didn't. Instead, she drinks. But when their mother dies, Kate is forced to return to the old family home. And on her first night she is woken by a terrifying scream. What secret has Kate stumbled upon? And is she strong enough to uncover the truth . . . and make it out alive? A completely unputdownable story about the secrets families hide, with a twist that will knock your socks off, this thriller is the hottest debut since The Girl on the Train. I have literally just finished this book and couldn't wait to review it. My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood was breathtaking! I didn't realise how good it was until 75-80% through and then I couldn't put it down. At 400 pages ( Kindle Edition ) it took me 2 days to finish reading it around the 3 little ones, but I enjoyed it, a lot! The author's style is beautiful and well crafted....

So, my first read of 2017 was Christobel Kent's The Loving Husband. This book had been recommended to me by a friend and had been on my to-read list for quite a while. A Sunday Times Bestseller and popular among various book clubs and social media, I finally decided to read it. Blurb (courtesy of Amazon): Fran Hall and her husband Nathan have moved with their two children to a farmhouse on the edge of the Fens - a chance to get away from London and have a fresh start. But when Fran wakes one night to find Nathan gone, she makes a devastating discovery. As questions about her husband and her relationships start to mount, Fran's life begins to spiral out of control. What is she hiding from the police about her marriage, and does she really know the man she shared her bed with? I am a huge fan of this 'domestic thriller' genre and with blockbusters such as The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl making such a huge impact over the last 12 months or so, it seems I ...

At the dawn of a new year I thought it fitting to look back at 2016 as a whole and, wow, what a year it was! My thought process wasn't in the least bit encouraged by my Goodreads Year in Books tool!!  66 books officially read and logged. Probably around 70 in truth, which is not bad considering I was extremely busy at the start of 2016 with another project and so I didn't really get started until around late April/early May. My goal for 2016 was 100 books, so I have set it again at 100 for 2017 and I'm pretty confident I will do it this year! My genres varied a little more in 2016, from business and self help to psychological thrillers and timeless classics. I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. To see my full list, take a look at my Goodreads Year In Books https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2016/42351815 I intend to make the most of 2017 and widen my choices even further, paying more attention to reviews and my blog, and re-reading some of my sch...

Happy New Year fellow book lovers! I sincerely wish you all the best for 2017! I intend to start the year as I mean to go on! Keeping on top of my blog, keeping up with the latest best sellers, and some of the more obscure titles, and of course reviewing some of the latest tech including my brand new Kindle Oasis! My first read for 2017 is one that's been on my pile for a while. The Loving Husband by Christobel Kent. Enjoy the rest of your New Year break, see you on the other side! Rach xo