Summer Life!

I'm back! (Again!)

We all have that time of year that is super busy and it seems like nothing gets done; now is that time for us! The past few weeks have been a blur of revision, exams, school trips, children's parties and more! It's a wonder that I have managed to do any reading, but as any book lover knows, you fit it in somewhere!

For those of you who follow me on Goodreads, you already know what I've been reading! For those of you that don't, see my list below! I have varied my choices quite significantly this year and I am really enjoying reading novels that I would normally avoid. Most of what I have read has been phenomenal, with the exception of just a few. Take a look below and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

The Stranger in the Woods - Michael Finkel
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan
Butter - Erin Lange
The Perks of being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
The Circle - Dave Eggers
Fat Chance - Nick Spalding (hilarious!)
Last Breath - Robert Bryndza
The Caller - Chris Carter
Everything Everything - Nicola Yoon
The Dive from Clausen's Pier - Ann Packer
The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint Exupery
Medical Medium - Anthony William (not a believer in psychic/medium stuff but this book makes a lot of sense!)
Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela (really long book, lots of political references (obviously) but fascinating nonetheless)
Her Husband's Lover - Julia Crouch
Into the Water - Paula Hawkins

Some time has passed since reading a lot of these, hence the no reviews, but one that stuck out for me, surprisingly, was The Dive from Clausen's Pier. A simple tale of young love and small town life and tragedy, it drew me in more than I ever thought possible.

I am looking forward to seeing the movie adaptation (gasp!) of The Circle, mainly because I adore Emma Watson but also because I really enjoyed the book. Into the Wild was another one that surprised me. I often enjoy the tales of free spirited individuals and the story of Chris McCandless is as enthralling as it is tragic. Her Husband's Lover was an enjoyable psychological thriller in the vein of Gone Girl et al. Into the Water, the second novel from the writer of bestseller The Girl on the Train was unfortunately hugely disappointing. It had the bones of a good plot, but was somewhat drowned out by the curious mix of different narratives.

That's all from me today. Keep an eye out for my upcoming 'Must-read books for Summer 2017' post. :-)

Top 10 downloaded books of 2016

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 nightmare is just beginning…

A gripping read, described as ‘Twisty, turny and downright creepy in places Mark Edwards has, yet again, produced an unputdownable psychological thriller. He is a master at creating a tangled web of secrets, lies and red herrings so cleverly constructed that I was kept guessing all the way through. Highly recommended.' —CL Taylor, author of The Accident

At number 9 is The Teacher by Katerina Diamond. I can honestly say that this was the book that made me fall in love with reading all over again. Amazon describes it as "NOT for the faint hearted" and never a truer statement was issued! You need a strong stomach for this! One of the best reads for me in 2016. Go read it!

You think you know who to trust? You think you know the difference between good and evil? You’re wrong …

The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.

Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.

As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.

But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.

And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?

At number 8 is the heartbreaking Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Originally published in 2012 the compelling romance saw a resurgence in 2016 due to it's movie adaptation release. I can honestly say this book is one of very few that has ever made me cry. I cried tears of joy and despair but I can confidently say it is one of my top ten favourite books ever.

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Number 7 is the only book I am yet to read from this fantastic top ten. My Husband's Wife by Amanda Prowse is a Number 1 bestseller with fantastic reviews. It's definitely on my to-read list for 2017.

Once a week, Rosie Tipcott counts her blessings.

She goes to sit on her favourite bench on the north Devon cliffs, and thanks her lucky stars for her wonderful husband, her mischievous young daughters, and her neat little house by the sea. She vows to dedicate every waking hour to making her family happy.

But then her husband unexpectedly leaves her for another woman and takes the children. Now she must ask the question: what is left in her life? Can Rosie find the strength to rebuild herself? More importantly, does she even want to?

At 6 is The Sister by Louise Jensen. I really enjoyed this. Plenty of twists and turns and the usual unreliable narrative from the main character. Definitely worth a read if you are a fan of this genre. Looking forward to reading her new novel The Gift soon.

"I did something terrible Grace. I hope you can forgive me ..."

Grace hasn't been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie's last words, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie's. It soon becomes clear there was a lot she didn't know about her best friend.

When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie's father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie's sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family, and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan's home.

But something isn't right. Things disappear, Dan's acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace's mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger?

There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie ...or was there?

A compelling, gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, I Let You Go, and The Girl With No Past.

At 5 is the thrilling Between You and Me by Lisa Hall. I loved this book. Hall is extremely clever and the huge twist right at the end was kept secret flawlessly. I even had to go back through to see if any hints had been given or mistakes made. There were none. Lisa is definitely one to watch for 2017 and I am looking forward to more from her.

They say every marriage has its secrets.
But no one sees what happens behind closed doors.
And sometimes those doors should never be opened…

Sal and Charlie are married. They love each other. But they aren’t happy. Sal cannot leave, no matter what Charlie does – no matter how much it hurts.

Number 4 on the list is Linda Green's While My Eyes Were Closed. A number 1 bestseller and a cracking read. Yet another nail-biting psychological thriller and well deserving of its 4.3/5 rating on Amazon.

One, two, three . . . Lisa Dale shuts her eyes and counts to one hundred during a game of hide-and-seek. When she opens them, her four-year-old daughter Ella is gone. Disappeared without a trace. The police, the media and Lisa's family all think they know who snatched Ella. But what if the person who took her isn't a stranger? What if they are convinced they are doing the right thing? And what if Lisa's little girl is in danger of disappearing forever?

At number 3 is one of my personal favourites. The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza is phenomenal. Robert is extremely talented and his writing style is exquisite. The perfect mix of suspense and thrills and his character development is brilliant. Two more books, The Night Stalker and Dark Water have been released as part of the Detective Erika Foster series and I can confidently say that book number 4 will be every bit as exciting as its 3 predecessors. 

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one.

When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.

The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London.

What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

The last investigation Erika led went badly wrong… resulting in the death of her husband. With her career hanging by a thread, Erika must now battle her own personal demons as well as a killer more deadly than any she’s faced before. But will she get to him before he strikes again?

Number 2 needs no introductions. Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train is still topping the bestseller lists almost 2 years after its release and has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. With the movie adaptation released in late 2016 readers were once again flocking to the bookshelves to see what all the fuss was about. Another of my favourites and one I am not likely to forget anytime soon.

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. 

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.

Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…

At number 1 and last but most definitely not least is the outstanding debut from B A Paris, Behind Closed Doors. Unsettling, addictive and chilling it leaves you racing through the pages hungry to know more. Paris is sharp and compelling and I am waiting with baited breath for the next release The Breakdown. Behind Closed Doors dominated in 2016 and with the ever growing popularity of its genre, it will slay 2017.

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.

You’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

What a phenomenal 2016 in books, especially within the thriller genre. Some truly outstanding debuts and new releases from well loved authors. If 2017 is anywhere near as good, I am excited! Looking forward to reviewing some fantastic novels and discovering more talented new authors to follow.

Happy New Year, and thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment below with your 2016 favourites or 2017 'can't wait to reads'!

Rachael xo

Review - Blink by K L Slater

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 running out of time before her life support machine will be turned off. Will they find out the truth before it's too late?

Blink had me gripped from the very first page. The main character Toni has so many different layers. One minute you are sympathising with her and understanding her grief, the next minute shaking your head at her questionable parenting skills. There are so many aspects to this story that even an in-depth review would not do it justice. You have to read it to truly appreciate the brilliance of it.

We are only ten days in, but I predict Blink will be one of the most talked about thrillers this year. A rival to cousins Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, it is simply stunning, with one of the biggest twists I've ever seen.

Pre-order your copy now!