Review: The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel

The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: November 2011
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Recommended for: fans of detective novels

I got this book as a present and as soon as I saw it I started to read it, I thought that it was an absolutely amazing book to read. It is very well written, keeps hold of your attention. Anthony Horowitz does an amazing job of reviving Sherlock Holmes, he does Arthur Conan Doyle proud,he has captured the style of writing perfectly and makes the storyline really enjoyable. It is a must read for people of all ages.
When I was reading this book I was totally glued too it, it is the sort of books that when you have put it down and walked away, your mind is still thinking about it and still trying to work out what is going to happen next. I spent many nights up late reading this novel, it was just impossible to stop reading. Anthony Horowitz has definitely breathed new life into the Sherlock Holmes novels and opened it up to a whole new age group of people.
The pace and the tense that is featured in this novel is kept at a perfect balance all the way through right until the very last word, which means that there isn't a boring bit too read. I think this book is great for people who have read the original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and also people who have haven't given the books a chance yet.

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Review: George's Marvellous Medicine

George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 1981
Author: Roald Dahl
Recommended for: children and pretty much everybody

This is one of the absolute classic childrens books by the wonderfully talented Roald Dahl and teamed up with the outstanding Quentin Blake for the illustrations. This book features George Kranky who ends up taking care of his Grandma who is possibly one of the most selfish people in his life, so when George gets a change to makes up his Grandma's medicine it is his turn to try and get the poisionous attitude out of her. It is a brilliant and funny book for children and one that is most probably a firm favourite with most families.

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Review: Equal Rites

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 13/09/2005 (first published 1987)
Author: Terry Pratchett
Recommended for: fan's of fantasy novels

First of all I love Terry Pratchett books, alothough this book was incredibly well written by one of the most talented fantasy writers, it isn't my favourite one in the 'Discworld' series. This book features Granny Weatherwax, The Librarian, and Eskarina Smith. Eskarina was born a wizard even though it is very very rare for there to be a female wizard, Eskarina wants to become one and with everything possible in her way to stop her, her determination keeps her going. It is set in Bad Ass where we start the adventure. The characters are very well described and the writing style of Terry Pratchett makes it easy for the readers imagination to be let loose in the amazing and wonderful world that he has created. Even though it isn't my favourite book it is still a really brilliant read and perfect for fan's of Terry Pratchett.

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Review: An Unholy Alliance

An Unholy Alliance by Susanna Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 31/12/1998
Author: Susanna Gregory
Recommended for: fans of historical fiction

In this book we get to go on the second adventure of the 'Matthew Bartholomew' series of stories. Matthew Bartholomew is a physican with amazing ideas that are far advance for his time (two years after the Black Death) who ends up trying to find out who the killer is before he strikes again, he is joined by his friend the portly monk Brother Michael. We go on the hunt with them to find out who the killer is, eavesdrop on a secret conversation in an abandoned church, end up on a chase on horse back to try to save their lives.
Susanna Gregory is an incredibly talented author who engages with the reader and draws them into the mysteries she creates, the characters that feature in the novel are all very well described you get a real sense of who they were and what it was like for them to live at that time. This is a perfect book for fans of historical mystery fiction!

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Review: The Dress

The Dress by Kate Kerrigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 10/09/2015
Author: Kate Kerrigan
Recommended for: fans of YA

I received this book through GoodReads FirstReads competitions for free.

I thought that this book was brilliantly and beautifully written by a clearly very talented author. I was so happy when I found out I had won this book as the storyline had hooked me in straight away and the beautiful front cover made me want to read it even more.
This book is set in the wonderful period of the 1950's in the stunning setting of New York, Joy is trying to hunt down a dress, but not just any dress....the most wonderful and beautiful dress in the whole world, in the hope that it may save her marriage. Her life has always been pretty easy with looks and wealth, however she finds that her life is now a struggle as she starts needing a drink of alcohol in the morning to face the day that lays ahead of her, to make things worse she also feels her husband is drifting away from her but cant think why.
Then there is Honor who is an unknown steamstress who doesnt believe in the talents that she has been blessed with. She has the beautiful setting of Ireland and has the incredible task of doing the dress for Joy but is worried she wont be good enough or skilled enough for the high demanding socialite.
Then we also meet another wonderful character who is Lily, she is a vintage fashion blogger (in the modern day) who comes across the picture of Joy who shares the same last name as her, after abit of investigating she finds out that she is loosely related to Lily. This news has a really good effect on Lily's life.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it was a real pleasure to be able to read it. It is Kate Kerrigan's debut novel and I think that it is an amazing way to kick off her career, I look forward to reading more books by her in the future!

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Review: You

You by Zoran Drvenkar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 12/02/2015
Author: Zoran Drvenkar
Recommended for: fans of thrillers

I won this book for free on the GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

I thought that this book was a little bit tricky at first to get my head around the writing style of the author as it is written in the second person, but once I could get my head around it I thought that it was a relly good book. It is a very easy book to get hooked on, some of the characters maybe should have been involved more often as it would have been nice to have more strong main characters, the descriptions in the book were great it was very easy to imagine what the author was writing about.
Zoran Drvenkar is a very talented books and this is one of a few books writen by him that is in English, I am really glad this one is as I really loved reading it, the storyline was great and was very easy to get absorbed into. It is a very good read for anyone who likes mystery thriller books.

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Review: The Longest Ride

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published:
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Recommended for: fans of romance novels

Another good book from Nicholas Sparks. It is two stories one about a lifetime of love and the other about the beginning of love, they have an unpredicatable way of coming together at the end.There stories will make you smile, fall in love with them, they are so beautiful and will leave there mark on you and your mind.

This book features the story of Ira Levinson a sweet 91year old man who is stranded and injured after a car accident, his wife died 9 years ago who appears to urge him to remain alert as he is going in and out of consciousness.

The other story is about Sophia Danko who has recently split up from her boyfriend when she meets Luke who is a young handsome cowboy, as they fall in love she finds herself imagining a future that is far away from her previous plans but will Luke's secret come out to destroy all the plans.

The is a really truly amazing books with two very different storylines that will pull at your heart strings and maybe even make you tear up a little bit. It is an unforgetable novel.

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Review: Origins Rising

Origins Rising by Eric Andreas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 08/09/2014
Author: Eric Andreas
Recommended for: I would recommend this book to anybody and everyone not just fans of sci-fi


I received this book in return for an honest review by the very kind Eric Andreas :).


I thought that this book had a very unique storyline which appeals to me as it means it wont be predictable. It is a extremely well written book, with interesting characters and it keeps the same pace which means that there isn't a dull moment to be read. The characters develop throughout the book which is what keeps them interesting as you get to find out more about them, it a layered and very well structured book that keeps hold of your attention and keeps you wanting to read more.

The characters of Himmel, Cirrus and Cetus are three that I really want to keep reading about and i really hope there might be more from them in another book.

Overall a really amazing and great book by a clearly extremely talented author.

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Review: The Champion

The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: Elizabeth Chadwick
Published: 01/12/1998 (first published 1997)
Recommended for: fans of historical romances

I absolutely loved this book! It was one that intrigued me straight away with its beautiful cover, it stood out on the shelf. This book is not my normal type of book with it being a sort of historical romance novel.
The characters that are featured in the novel are very well described so that when you close your eyes you can imagine them and image the places they live in. The novel is set in the 1100's in Normandy, and see's the adventures, the ups and the downs of a girl called Monday. This book quickly captured my mind and was one that I could easily get caught up in, the characters are all very likeable and realistic which makes it all that bit easier to get caught up in Mondays life and you feel for her when she has to suffer through hard parts of her life.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and..... it certainly wont be the last one I read by her, it has me completely hooked on this genre. I thought that this book was brilliantly written and keeps a great pace throughout making you want to keep on reading the novel.

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Review: The Brutal Art

The Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Author: Jesse Kellerman
Published: 2008
Recommended for: fans of crime fiction

This book took me a little while to get into it and understand it, but once I did I was hooked on it! I haven't read a book by Jesse Kellerman before or his parents so I was new to his style of writing but it certainly kept my attention throughout the book and it is one that does stick in your mind.
The pace of the book is kept up throughout it doesn't have a lull in it where you think if you should continue with it or not. It does contain alot of unexpected twists and turns which keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing. Even though this book contains two stories that at first seem seperate end up twisting together nicely at the very end, you have the story of Ethan Muller who is an art dealer and then you also have the story of Victor Cracke, who is one of the most essential characters in the book.
The way that Jesse Kellerman has described the characters gies you a real sense of who they are, they have alot of depth too them which draws the reader in as it makes the characters seem real. It is excellently written and one that I would happily read again and again. I am glad that I stumbled across this book and I would definately recommend people to read this book!

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Review: Waiting For Columbus

Waiting For Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: Thomas Trofimuk
Published: 03/09/2010
Recommended for: fans of historical fiction/romance

When I started reading this book it immediately caught hold of my attention and just wouldn't let it go at all! This book was extremely addictive I just wouldn't put the book down. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it really showed how amazingly talented the writer is.
This book is set in an insane asylum (which is what first drew me into this book), where there is a man who is claiming that he is Christopher Colombus, and is taken care by a caring nurse called Consuela. It is a very intriguing book to read and it is very easy to get wrapped upto it as you hear 'Christoper Colombus' telling his life story, you look forward to reading more of what he believes is happening in his life. It shows a nice caring side of the nurses that worked in insane asylum at that time.
All of the characters are very vividly described and they make the book all that bit more exciting and realistic. The author has done an amazing job in describing the characters, the setting in such a way that it makes the reader feel like you are actually there. I also loved how the author manages to tie up all of the loose ends so that it nicely finishes the book. The character of Consuela was my favourite one I found her easy to get along with and easy to read about, she was a character that could easily have been a real people, her feelings toward 'Christopher Colombus' are totally believable and relatable. A truly excellent read and one that I could happily read over and over again without getting tired of it.

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Review: Teaching The Boss

Teaching The Boss by Mallory Crowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: 11/03/2015
Author: Mallory Crowe
Recommended for: fans of billionaire romances

I saw this novel on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought I would give it a try. This is part of the Billionaires in the City series of books, it is a story about a college student (April) who is in love with her 'hunky' boss Sam Hunt. This book takes us on the journey with April through quitting college, losing Sam then working for his nemesis. It is a good story to read and one that will keep your attention, the characters are well developed and are realistic. I will definately be reading the rest of the series to see the characters develop even more.

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Review: Dogfight

Dogfight by Craig Simpson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Author: Craig Simpson
Published: 07/02/2008

I received this book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

This book is the first in the Special Operation series, and what a start to the series it is! This novel is set in 1940 in Norway when the country has been invaded by the Nazis and taken over. However best friends Finn and Loki (both only 15 years old) are determined to fight back against it. The two boys must take on the might of the Nazi's and succeed in steal an enemies plane to fly to freedom.
This book was very well written and described by the author making all of the scenes seem realistic and like you are right there in the action with them trying to escape. This is the first book I have read by Craig Simpson and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. When a book says that it is about the Second World War they are mostly about either Britain or Germany so it is refreshing to find that this one is set in Norway, it makes it more unique. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy action adventures set during the Second World War. It kept hold of my attention right until the end, it wasn't weighed down with lots of technical words, it held a good pace throughout.

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Review: Dreamland

Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: Robert L Anderson
Published: 24/09/2015

I received this book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

This book features the fascinating Odea Donahue who has been able to travel through people's dream since she was just 6 years old. She follows her mothers rules about walking in dreams until there is a new boy Connor in town. She opens up to him and begins to wonder whether she should tell him about walking through dreams. Then for the first time Odea breaks the rules and suddenly the boundary between the dreamland and the real world, she finds herself not sure of what is real and what is dream.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and I was absolutely completely addicted to the novel, I just couldn't put it down. The way that the author uses the words he has carefully picked opens up the readers mind and makes the images vivid, almost like it is happen too you. The descriptions he uses for Odea make her seem extremely realistic and like you are reading a biography, even though the thought of walking through dreams seems far-fetched it feels like that it could be real.
This is a unique book, I have never read a book like this before but I would definitely read more like this and read more by this author. There are some rather chilling moments, which made me grip onto the pages and not let it go. I can tell this is a book that I will read many times and pass on to people so they can also enjoy it. I truly loved this book and I am so happy that I got to read this novel.

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Review: The Seven Natural Wonders Of The EARTH

The Seven Natural Wonders Of The EARTH by Anna Othitis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: Anna Othitis
Published: 16/04/2014

I received this little book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

I thought that this was a really brilliant and fun little book. I did actually learn quite abit about the seven natural wonders of the earth, which I will be able to use in quizzes in the future! This book is perfect for children who are wanting to know more about the seven wonders, it has plenty of pictures for them and facts in short sentences which will help the children to learn the facts without feeling like they are being bombarded. In this book we go on the journey with Captain Frankie which adds abit of fun too the book.

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Review: Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: Nicola Yoon
Published: 03/09/2015

I received this book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

I thought that this book was brilliantly and expertly written, that grabbed hold of the readers attention from the very first word. This book is about Madeline Whitter who is actually allergic too the outside world, it is so bad that she hasn't left the house in all of the 17years on this earth. When things are looking down for Madeline suddenly there is a little bit of light that enters her life when Olly moves in next door too her, the protective bubble that her mother has put round her starts to disappear bit by bit.
This is an amazing book with thrills, heartbreak/heartache that shows the reader just what crazy things can happen when you do it for love. It is a beautiful book that opens up the readers mind and makes the lives of Madeline and Olly seem real, the way that the author describes what is happening creates a very vivid image into the readers mind. I really really did love reading this book and would definitely read more books by this author!

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Review: The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts by K.C. Tansley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: K.C Tansley
Published: 01/08/2015

I received this book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

I thought that this book was absolutely brilliant! I absolutely loved reading it and found it very hard to put down even for a second. This is the first book in The Unbelievable series and I will definitely be reading more books in this series.
This series features the wonderful Kat Preston who is trying to not believe in ghost and refusing to believe is the only way that she can stop the ghost that tried to steal her life. This is an amazing and magical book that takes you on a journey with Kat, with the powerful words that the author uses it creates a unique and mesmerising world in the readers mind. I think this is perfect for readers who enjoy books with a bit of magic and fantasy in it.
This book isn't a particularly long book to read (256 pages) but it is one that has a very memorable space in the readers mind and I am sure it will become a firm favourite with a lot of readers and it is suitable for young adults and older readers.


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Review: The End-Of-The-World Delusion: How Doomsayers Endanger Society

The End-Of-The-World Delusion: How Doomsayers Endanger Society by Justin Deering
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Author: Justin Deering
Published : 29/05/2012

I received this book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

I thought that this book was a very good take on the doomsayers, there are some very good points that a featured in this book and there is also some points that I think are quite debateable. However I thought that it was a very good read, even though it isnt my normal kind of book to read but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book and appreciating how talented the author is.

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Review: Between Two Rivers: A Story of Life, Love and Marriage from an English Woman in Baghdad

Between Two Rivers: A Story of Life, Love and Marriage from an English Woman in Baghdad by Dorothy al Khafaji
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: Dorothy al Khafaji
Published: 01/11/2013

I received this book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions

I thought that this was a really brilliantly written novel, that grabs hold of the readers attention and does very well to keep hold of it all the way through until the very last word. This novel shows you the reality of what it is like for an English woman to marry a man from Baghdad, how the two very different cultures manage to forget their differences and focus on their love for one another. This book is a very inspirational and uplifting type of novel, it is one that shows you that no matter what might be 'in the way' of two people being together love conquerors all.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and I would definitely happily read more books by this wonderful and talented author! This shows you the truthful and raw inside story as to what really happens in a relationship with mixed faiths. I was extremely happy when I won this book and just couldn't wait to dive into it and start reading and this book did not disappoint me at all I absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend it too other people.

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