Jul 21
This is another book I had predicted would make it on to the Man Booker long list, sadly Jen has informed me that this is not possible as it was published too early to qualify. Looks like I won’t be winning the predictions league.
Jul 19
Yesterday we posted our predictions for the 2016 Man Booker Longlist nominees. This book made it on to my list. If it does get selected, our panel of judges will read it and post mini reviews along with our special rating system (more on that in the future). Here is my full review. Read more
Jul 15
Book Worm and I were kind of at a loss on how to rate this book. Did we love it or hate it? Check out our reviews and let us know what you thought of this book. Read more
Jul 14
I know we normally review literary fiction and “high brow” literature but we all have guilty pleasure reads and I’m a break from literary fiction to bring you one of my guilty pleasure reads. Check out my review and let us know what sorts of guilty pleasure books you enjoy. Read more
Jul 12
Our next stop in our world tour of literature is Spain. Join us as we explore some of what Spain has to offer in terms of literature and find out which books we selected. Spain is another one of those countries that has produced so much excellent and widely read literature that we won’t claim that there is only one book that represents the country. Instead we will each discuss one selected book and we hope you help us create a list of your favorite Spanish books and authors. Read more
Jul 4
Happy July 4th to those of you celebrating in the U.S. today! Here’s one of the books that Book Worm chose for her read different challenge. If you want to read more about that you can read about it here. If you haven’t already, we hope you join us in pushing your reading boundaries. Read more
Jun 27
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Published in: 2016
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★★
Find it here: All the Missing Girls
This ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Goodreads: Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.
It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched. Read more
Jun 22
Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan
Published in: 2016
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★
Find it here: Dear Amy
This ARC was provided by Penguin UK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Amazon:
In Helen Callaghan’s chilling, tightly-spun debut novel of psychological suspense, a teenage girl’s abduction stirs dark memories of a twenty-year-old cold case…
Margot Lewis is a teacher at an exclusive high school in the English university town of Cambridge. In her spare time, she writes an advice column, “Dear Amy”, for the local newspaper.
When one of Margot’s students, fifteen-year-old Katie, disappears, the school and the town fear the worst. And then Margot gets a “Dear Amy” letter unlike any of the ones she’s received before. It’s a desperate plea for rescue from a girl who says she is being held captive and in terrible danger—a girl called Bethan Avery, who was abducted from the local area twenty years ago…and never found.
The letter matches a sample of Bethan’s handwriting that the police have kept on file since she vanished, and this shocking development in an infamous cold case catches the attention of criminologist Martin Forrester, who has been trying to find out what happened to her all those years ago. Spurred on by her concern for both Katie and the mysterious Bethan, Margot sets out—with Martin’s help—to discover if the two cases are connected.
But then Margot herself becomes a target.
Jun 21
Those of you new to our blog my not know that Book Worm and I are making our way through Boxell’s 1001 list of Books You Must Read Before You Die. This list has been revised several times and 1305 books have been on at least one iteration of the list. You can find the full list on page “1001 books.” We both happen to belong to an online reading group that is making its way through the list so occasionally we post our joint reviews of 1001 books. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym was one of the books we read with that group in June. Keep reading to see if we liked it and thought it worthy of the list. Read more
Jun 8
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
Published in: 2016
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: ★★★★
Find it here: Flawed
This ARC was provided by Harper Collins UK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Goodreads: Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.
But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found flawed.
In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where perfection is paramount and flaws lead to punishment. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything. Read more
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