#130 What Beauty There Is

 What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson 

Today im bringing you a spotlight post for 'What Beauty There is' by the lovely Cory Anderson. Unfortunately there was a few issues with the netgalley link and i only received my physical copy (which im super grateful for, thank you so much Dave, Cory and the guys over at Penguin) I have started the book but havent finished it in time to post a review, lets blame toddlers and a stressful house move! I must say though that i have been really enjoying what ive read so far and usually if i wasnt so unusually busy i would have flew through this, i will post a proper review on Goodreads and Amazon when i do finish. A massive shout out to the author as shes been so engaging over on instagram and its been so lovely to see! 

• Publisher: Penguin 
• Page count: 360
• Release Date: 8th April 2021
• Genre: YA mystery/thriller 

Blurb (taken from Goodreads) 

Winter. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.

Jack Morton has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he'd do anything for. Even die for. Now with their mother gone, and their funds quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison. He chooses the money.

Ava Bardem lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one. Trust no one. Now Victor Bardem is stalking the same money as Jack. When he picks up Jack's trail, Ava must make her own wrenching choice: remain silent or help the brothers survive.

Choices. They come at a price. 

Author 

Cory was born in Idaho and grew up an outdoor-girl in the rugged Middle Rockies. Her father, a park ranger, encouraged her to explore the woods and find “what beauty there is” in the world. He taught her to camp, and how to survive in the forest in winter. She later learned they didn’t have a lot of money, but as a child she never knew it. She had two best friends: Nature, and books.

All Cory’s life she’s felt the strong bonds of family and siblings. Her writing is based in these close relationships, and in the gritty experience of growing up in the wild Rocky Mountains. 

(continued on the authors website here) 

Links:

Twitter

Instagram

Amazon UK 

#129 The ABC Murders

 The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

Ive very recently gotten into Agatha Christie's books and ive heard a lot about this book in particular so it was one of the highest on my list to check out. Ive since made a list of both the Poirot and Miss Marple novels and im trying to pick them up and read them in order now. Since reading this one i have also picked up The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Poirot #1) and Murder at the Vicarage (Marple #1), the only other AC books ive read are And then there were none and Murder on the Orient Express so im developing quite a taste for her books to say the least!

The ABC Murders is a Poirot novel written in the 1930's and is the 13th book in the series and from what ive seen on Goodreads, Booktube and Bookstagram this is one of the most beloved AC novels. The book starts off with Poirot receiving an anonymous letter from someone who only refers to themself as 'ABC' and he claims that he will commit a series of murders that both Poirot and the police will not be able to solve. The main plot of the book is that the murderer kills a person with a name beginning with A, the victim also lives in a place beginning with the same letter. The second victims name begins with a B and so on. Poirot is immediatley at a loss of how he will solve these murders and apprehend the murderer. 

Ive heard that this book is very different and unique from the main series that AC has written. Having only read a few Poirot novels i havemt fully got a sense of the style just yet but what i do know is that Poirot is a good detective, very observant and a little bit of a know it all, of all the other Poirot books ive read there is a basic investigation which Poirot tends to keep his cards to his chest and then there will be a chapter towards the end where Poirot reveals the murderer and explains how he worked it out. The ABC Murders is a little different in the sense that Poirot seems stumped for the majority of the book. The killings in this book are very random whereas in the other books there also seems to be a motive and one person that benefits from the victims death more so than the others. There are also very minimal clues to go on which is another unusual aspect of the book. The other thing that sets this book apart is that it is following a serial killer whereas most of the other books revolve around a singular murder. All in all these elements made for a really good read. 

I found this book to be fast paced, interesting and an all round good read. It was a different read from her usual novels. I always love guessing the ending but the ending always has me stumped. I think this would be a good starting place for people wanting to check out AC! I cant wait to continue reading more by her. 

#128 The Castaways

 The Castaways by Lucy Clarke 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Harper Collins UK for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When i requested this one i had no clue what it was about but the cover gave me The Island by CL Taylor (which was another Netgalley arc) and Lord of the Flies vibes. I really adore survival stories and find myself straying towards them more and more. After the first few chapters i realised this was a story about a plane crash that left the remaining surviving passengers stranded on an island off the coast of Fiji. 

The story follows the story of sisters Lori and Erin who were meant to be going on a luxery holiday to Fiji to escape their lives in London. Lori has just split from her husband after he admitted to having an affair and Erin is living from paycheque to paycheque doing a job that doesnt make her happy. The sisters are planning on taking the holiday to reconnect but when the night before the flight they have a huge argument only Lori makes the flight.

The story is told is past tense Lori during and the aftermath of the plane crash and present day (2 years later) Erin who has never given up on knowing what happened to sister and her search for answers. At the very beginning of the story the planes pilot Mike Brass turns up in Fiji very much alive with only one problem, hes not talking. Erin immediatley realises there is more to the story and flies out to Fiji to get her answers. 

Meanwhile in Lori's chapters we get to know the other survivors, Mike, Daniel, Felix and 4 month old Sonny. It has a very Lord of the Flies feel in that you dont know who you can trust and as rations dwindle the group become more and more tense. I was constantly wary of Daniel and Felix and less so but sometimes of Mike too and the fear of what might come of the baby was terrifying! 

For me the thing i really enjoyed about this was that the chapters felt like very different stories but they merged so beautifully. Lucy Clarke is an excellent writer and definitely one to watch. Just when i would find myself favouring one timeline over the other the author would draw me back in with a little twist or mini cliffhanger and i was constantly left wanting to know more. I enjoyed both sisters and they were so realistically done, they felt so real to me and that really amped up my enjoyment levels. This book is 100% worth a read, i wont say too much more as i dont want to ruin the mystery/thriller elements of it but pick it up and read it. 

#127 The Aether Ones

 Aether Ones By Wendi Coffman-Porter

Publisher: Brown Books Publishing Group

Release date: October 13th 2020

Genre: Scifi/Mystery

Pages: 280

I am excited to be taking part in yet another @TheWriteReads blog tours! Today is is for the wonderful 'Aether Ones'. I was immediatley drawn to this one as the cover reminded me of Ready Player One which is my favourite sci-fi book of all time. I do love the genre but dont tend to read as much of it as i should really. 

Synopsis:

'Leilani Falconi is a top agent for the Imperial Investigative Service, tasked with policing the veil between two realities. Long ago, the Great Sundering tore the universe into two mirrored halves; aether space, which progressed using magical energy or eldrich, and kuldain, which advanced via electromagnetic technology. But now a series of suspicious deaths stretching back more than a decade has the agent trapped directly between secretive bureaucracies and their peoples. If she can’t solve the mysterious crimes in time, existence as she knows it could erupt into chaos.'

The book is a mystery with softer sci-fi elements which ive never really read before, so refreshing! The book was a nice mix of sci-fi, mytsery with just a touch of fantasy. 

One of my biggest struggles with the book was the lack of world building, i wanted to know more and a bit of expansion on the world would have really put the story in context. We are from the first page thrust into the action without much of an introduction which was unusual, I must admit i struggled with the writing at first but i got used to it the more i read and i did end up really enjoying this book. There was so much fast paced action to keep me enthralled throughout. 

Leilani was an interesting protagonist for sure, she was smart, interesting and independent with a little dash of sass for good measure. I enjoyed reading about her and constantly felt myself wanting to know more. 

I read a ton of SFF and have recently been straying more towards adult rather than YA so i do wonder if that has in some way affected my reading experience of this book but none the less i did enjoy it and i was glad the main story was somewhat wrapped up in the first book. Im excited to check out more from this author as this book was packed to the brim with potential. 

Rating: 

#126 Bad Habits

 Bad Habits by Flynn Meaney

Thank you to @TheWriteReads for another amazing blog tour, this time for Bad Habits by Flynn Meaney. I was immediately drawn to this book due to the amazing cover! The synopsis also drew me in, i love feminist stories especially in YA!

Bad Habits follows the story of rebel Alex from San Francisco, when she finds herself in an elite catholic boarding school called St.Marys in Minnesota. Side Note: (I also went to a catholic school called St.Marys! so i immediatley related haha). Alex is spunky, outspoken and a raging feminist in the best way, Alex misses her life in San Fran and her friends so makes it her mission to get expelled from St.Marys by any means necessary but ultimately decides that her best chance of success is by putting on a show of The Vagina Monologues through her feminist society which she hopes will shock the nuns so much that they will have no choice but to kick her out.  

This book is such a quick read, Alex reminded me a lot of myself finding herself in a super catholic school when she really didnt want to be. The writing is funny and moments had me laughing out loud. I enjoyed a few of the side characters mainly Mary-Kate who is Alex's hopeless romantic roommate. Mary-Kate is the absolute polar opposite of Alex, she is a good girl, innocent, a great student and a rule follower but she is so sweet in every way, i couldnt help but root for her even more so that for Alex. 

The book is so fun, its basically one girls exploration of how far she can go to get kicked out of her boarding school. I must admit i did get confused between all the nun and priest characters and couldnt keep up with who was who. I would have liked to have seen more of the ice hockey as that was a really fun element too. I loved the coming together at the end and the new members wanting to join the feminist club, it really felt like Alex had found her tribe and that she had a clear focus going forward. I also would have really liked more from her family as they werent mentioned too much. 

All in all i would say i really enjoyed this book, it was fun, quick and everything i would have wanted to read as a teen! 

#125 White Trash Warlock

 White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton 

• Goodreads: Check it out here
• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
• Genre: Urban Fantasy
• Page count: 307

Thank you as always to @The WriteReads for yet another opportunity to be a part of this amazing blog tour and to the publishers and author for sending me a physical copy of the book. I was immediatley drawn in by the really cool cover and couldnt wait to get started with this, i also have a very deep love for deckled edges!

The book follows Adam Binder who has the power of the sight, meaning he can see into the spirit world which includes gnomes, elves and spirits. Adam unlike most people in books with an ability has always seen it as a hinderance causing friction in his family, friendships and triggering his fathers rage. When Bobby, Adams brother has him committed to a psych ward it takes Adam years to begin accepting who he is and to try and use his ability to help people. When Adam tries to find his missing father, he follows a trial of cursed artifacts only to find that a spirit has possessed the wife of his brother Bobby. It isnt long before Adam attracts the attention of the spirit, he must use his abilities like never before in order to bargain with dangerous entities to save his sister in law and to find out the truth of his missing father. 

The story is set in modern day Denver but with the inclusion of many paranormal entities, the author did a great job of writing both aspects parallel to each other. I actually cant fault the writing at all. I really enjoyed the characters and the LGBTQA+ elements, surprisingly this is still quite rare in fantasy books! I thought Adam as a protagonist was particularly intriguing with his history of trauma and childhood of abuse, he was such a complex character with his flaws and insecurities, i enjoyed watching him grow in confidence and learn to accept who he is. Other stand out characters for me were definitely Vic and Argent. Im not normally keen on romanace elements in fantasy books but i will make an exception as it wasnt overdone and felt really natural between Vic and Adam. I would have liked more background from Vic's character but perhaps the author is leaving this to later books in the series. 

I would say this book was definitely a grower, it took me a few chapters to become completely hooked! I usually dont like reading both urban fantasy or paranormal fantasy so i really wasnt sure how it was going to go but i was so surprised by how this book hooked me in. I enjoyed the twists along the way (as a thriller reader the twists were much appreciated and kept me enthralled) The themes of acceptance, anger, grief and family strife were what made this book such a great read. The book has an excellent set of characters who are realistic, complex and flawed, an interesting world and an awesome plot. I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us! 

More info on the author can be found here

You can buy a copy of the book on:

Amazon or Book Depository 

#124 A Little Life

 A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 

(Review will contain spoilers so please dont read if you havent read the book yet)

Where do i even begin with honestly the most emotional, harrowing yet stunningly beautiful book ive ever read? A Little Life follows the story of Jude St Francis and his 3 college friends Willem, JB and Malcolm. The book follows the 4 boys into adulthood, we follow the main story which is set in present day New York but we also get a glimpse into each of their childhood and how they came to be the men they are. Firstly i will say that i have never ever in my years and years of being an avid reader become so emotionally invested in a set of characters before, they felt like family to me which made the reading even more harrowing. As we learn about each of the main characters back stories and of their families and up bringings you notice immediatley as you are redaing that we skip over Jude, he is described as mysterious by his friends and all they know if that he doesnt have parents. Jude is not like other guys his age, he doesnt express attraction for anyone, he doesnt have intimate relationships and he doesnt like being touched all that much. His friends have their theories but no one knows the true story of what happened to Jude. 

Jude is very central to the book and his storyline is what makes the story so tragic. Jude had a horrically tragic childhood, he was forced into prostitution from a young age, he was beaten and kidnapped and exploited by someone he though he could trust. After Jude escapes that chapter in his life he is once again taken in and exploited and then run over and left for dead. As a direct result of this Jude walks with a noticeable limp and this makes him very self conscious. From being beaten throughout his young life Jude is left with raised scars of his back and he also has many scars on his arms and legs from the self harm he used as a tool for escape from the terrible things that happened to him. He experiences the horror of being a victim of domestic violence (i think those were the worst chapters for me, it was just so raw and so real and i felt so much for Jude that i couldnt help but let it upset me) This information is fed to the readers through drips and drabs throughout the 700+ page book. Theres also trigger warnings for suicide as well. 

Willem has had a difficult childhood, his parents were very cold and he was raised going through the motions pretty much. Willem was raised with his severely disabled and wheelchair bound brother Hemming. When Hemming passes away Willem loses touch with his parents and moves away for college and to pursue his dream career of acting. Willem is one of the best characters ive ever read about and i feel that he often gets over looked in this story, his compassion and understanding and the way he accepts Jude for who he is and never expects anything from him is just the most beautiful thing and hands down the best friendship in a book ever written. 

JB is an openly gay POC, he is often deribed as the funny one in the friendship group. JB has of all the guys the best home life, he was raised by a mother and his aunts who absolutely adore and empower him. JB is an artist and for a period of time in the book really struggles with drug addiction. I thought this part of the book was so well written and so realistic. JB pushes away his family and closest friends in favour of his addiction and the friends that he has made that feed into that addiction. 

Malcom grew up in a home where his father always favoured his sister Flora and made it known to the entire family, as a result Malcolm works extra hard to earn not only his fathers respect but also his love. Malcolm is an arcitect and is extremley talented at what he does. He is a good friend but always feels as if he is in the background of the story, i never felt like he was a pivotal character or as prominent as the other 3 friends. 

Andy is another important character and staple in this story. Andy is Judes friend and doctor. He is the only person (apart from Willem) that has seen Judes scars and that knows of the pain and the cutting that Jude deals with on a daily basis. Andy often berates Jude and calls him crazy whilst telling him he needs therapy which may seem harsh but it is made clear to the reader that Andy wants what is best for Jude. There are numerous examples of how selfless Andy is in regards to Jude throughout the book, he often drops everything for Jude and he was such an important character in the overall story. 

Harold is a professor of Judes in college and immediately realises how bright he is, the pair become close and Harold invites Jude and his friends to his house for dinner with his wife Julia. This becomes a bit of a tradition and the couple grow very close to the boys over a number of years. Harold and Julia eventually ask to adopt Jude which was possibly the most precious thing and one of the only decent things to ever happen to Jude. How they took him on when he didnt allow them to be physically affection with him or to answer any of their questions was just so wholesome! I think this book has one of the strongest found family dynamics that ive ever read and that was in large part thanks to Harold and Julia. We get a lot of insight into Harold and Judes relationship but i would have liked a few more scenes with just Julia and Jude as i really wanted to see more development of their relationship.

I loved this book, it made me feel things that i didnt ever think words on a page could make me feel. Its a wonderful character driven story and you really get to know these 4 friends and how they interact with each other. The story follows them through the highs and lows of their lives and it just superbly written. 

I think one thing i did struggle with was the structure of the writing, like something big would happen ie. when Willem is in a car accident with Malcolm and his wife Sophie and the next chapter the author starts with some BS that happened 7 years ago, now im all for intrigue but come on now tell me what became of my beloved Willem! Dont just leave me hanging. I can see why the writing has been described as both pretentious and wordy but i got on with it ok and it was no more pretentious that some dark academia books ive read. 

Overall this book was just gorgeous, it broke my heart over and over again but my heart belongs with each and everyone of those characters, for 700+ pages they really felt like friends to me. I dont think ill ever read this book again, parts of it (mainly the DV scenes really messed with my sleep) but i will always look back with such fondness for this book. Definitely up there with my favourite books of all time.