Hey everyone. So if you follow my Youtube channel you probably already know about this by now but for those of you who only follow my blog I thought I would let you in on a little project I am taking part in. Along with two other Booktubers, Erin and Ryan, I will be taking part in a 'Buddy Read'. All this basically means is that each month we will all decide on a book and read along together. Last month we chose Acid by Emma Pass and we met on the 10/07/2013 to discuss it. I will post a recording of the live stream below if you're interested in finding out what we thought about it. I will create a separate post announcing our choice of book for July and please feel free to read along with us. You can keep up to date with our thoughts over on twitter I will post all of our accounts below.
I absolutely loved this book and was hooked from the first chapter. As a child Helen witnesses her mother's murder but due to an epileptic fit her memory is a bit hazy, rejected by her family and handed over to child services Helen grows up seeking revenge on her mother's killer.
After reading the first couple of pages I was totally sucked in to the book, resulting in a very late night and a whole day spent with my nose in this book. It was gripping and I became completely lost in the story.
Gyland has a fantastic writing style and not once during this book did I feel bored, the plot is well paced and flows well. I was eager for answers along with Helen and by the last 50 pages I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the big finale.
The characters were my favourite aspect of this book though, each and everyone of them are three dimensional and have interesting back stories, Gyland must have took an awful lot of time creating these characters and their lives. They're all entertaining and engaging and they really brought this book to life.
I enjoyed the romance aspect of this book and I loved how protective and caring Jason was, he is man all women dream of meeting and I suspect many women will swoon at the thought of him after reading this book.
I gave The Elephant Girl 5 out of 5 stars it was a fantastic, thrilling and engaging read and I cannot recommend it enough. Definitely one of my favourites of 2013 so far.
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion was a highly addictive and pleasurable read that may very well be one of my favourites of 2013.
We are introduced to Don Tillman a middle aged Professor of Genetics at a prestigious university who has Asperger's syndrome but doesn't know it. He designs a questionnaire in order to find the perfect mate and names it 'The Wife Project'. Enter Rosie Jarman a bartender / student who does not meet the ideal criteria and is the complete opposite of what Don is looking for.
These two are polar opposites and make for some pretty funny reading, there is one particular dance scene that had me laughing out loud. Don as a character is so lovable and I loved every moment spent with him whilst I read this book, he is socially awkward and lacks empathy but still managed to capture the heart of the reader.
Don Tillman reminded me very strongly of Dr Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory which is not a bad thing at all being that I am a huge fan of the show. If you are a fan of The Big Bang Theory I cannot recommend this book enough. In fact I cannot recommend this book enough to everybody it is funny, engaging and heart warming with lovable characters.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars and I will definitely be re-reading this book again and again for many years to come.
Another great edition to the Last Policeman series as we all anxiously await the arrival of the deadly asteroid Maia.
Hank Palace as we know from the first book has been dismissed from his duties as a detective but after being contacted by an old friend decides to take on the case of Martha Cavatone's missing husband. The people around Hank can't seem to understand why he goes out of his way to solve this case, especially when he is not being compensated, but he remains moral and determined. In my opinion I believe he stays so focused on his cases in order to distract him from the end.
Throughout this book we see society slowly breaking down and it becomes a more dog eat dog world with people rioting and taking supplies from one another. The one thing I love most about this series is Hank Palace, he appears to be the last moral person on earth and he brings a slice of normality to the chaos. He is witty and I thoroughly enjoyed getting inside of this characters mind and reading his inner monologues with himself. He truly is a unique and upstanding character.
Countdown City was a fantastic edition to the series and although I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book I was hooked from the very beginning. I have become attached to the characters in this series and eagerly await the next instalment. Ben Winters does an amazing job of making this world on the brink of apocalypse come to life and it is a world I will enjoy revisiting as I plan on rereading the books again and again.
