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2017

Force of Nature by Jane Harper

5th February 2018 by Jax Blunt Leave a Comment

Buy at Amazon I absolutely loved The Dry by Jane Harper when I read it last year (review here ) so I was thrilled to be offered Force of Nature to read as well.

There is always a moment of trepidation when you face up to reading a sequel to a well loved book, particularly when said book was a debut. Can the author really keep the flow, will the sequel be a let down, should you just stick with reading the one?

However, I’m happy to report that book two is absolutely as good as book one. Just as immersive, although a little different in style. Again there are multiple time lines, but the past time line is only a few days ago, and takes you slowly through Alice Russell’s disappearance. The present line rides with Aaron Falk again – if you haven’t read The Dry and made his acquaintance, while it’s not necessary to understand this book, I’d highly recommend you give yourself that treat as well.

Falk is a great character. He’s not your classic criminal detective, but instead a Federal Agent in the financial investigative unit. It appears that financial investigation doesn’t necessarily stay in the office the way you might expect. In this case they end up out in the bush as Alice disappeared on a team building exercise right in the middle of the territory of a serial killer from 25 years back.

The tag line on my proof copy says “Where did Alice Russell go?” It’s a good question.

I’m not going to go any further into the story – what I’ve shared so far is spoiler free. But there’s a lot going on in all these people’s lives, and you are going to find out all about them, and their offspring. You’re also going to get to spend a fair bit of time stumbling around the bush, and discovering what happens when a group of people sent out to build a team are up against the force of nature.

Force of Nature is available now on kindle and publishes in hardback on the 8th of February. The Dry is currently (4/02/18) 2.99 on Kindle, which is an absolute bargain to be honest. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to check out the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.)

What happened to Alice?  Force of Nature blog tour banner

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Filed Under: 2017, Book club, It's where it is

Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

7th November 2017 by Jax Blunt Leave a Comment

Otherworld – the game is compulsively playable. The book is compulsively readable. Utterly immersive, with a story that rocks along despite its main character striving to be unlikeable. He’s not fond of himself, and doesn’t see why anyone else would feel otherwise.

Give it a try, but make sure you’ve plenty of time. Once you stop, you won’t want to start.

Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller - affiliate link to Amazon

Buy at Amazon

Are you ready to play?

There are no screens. There are no controls.

You don’t just see and hear it—you taste, smell, and touch it too.

In this new reality there are no rules to follow, no laws to break.

You can indulge your every desire.

Why would you ever want to leave?

Step into Otherworld.

Leave your body behind.

VISITOTHERWORLD.COM – WHERE THE NEXT PHASE OF REALITY BEGINS 31.10.17

Having read books about gaming before, I was a little blase when I approached Otherworld, expecting more of the same. However, there’s a reason these are bestselling authors – they are very very good at what they do. Otherworld is beautifully constructed, and there’s far more to this book than a story about a gaming system. Layers upon layers of complexity pile up here, with acute insight into human nature, technology and where we could easily be headed if we don’t keep a close eye on ourselves.

On one level this is a fantastic technological adventure with a strong and varied cast (not all teenagers!) and interesting premise. On another there are conspiracy theories galore, just who is behind the experimental developments to the Otherworld system? What is the real purpose of it all? But the conspiracy never overpowers the personal interest or action, and that’s how I like it.

Will appeal to readers of YA SFF, gaming fans and those into their technology I suspect. Well worth a look, and currently a reasonable price on Kindle. My biggest problem is that I’ve got to wait a year for the sequel!

Banner listing stops on blogtour

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Filed Under: 2017, Book club, read52 Tagged With: Jason Segel, Kirsten Miller, Oneworld, Otherworld, SFF, YA

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

6th November 2017 by Jax Blunt 3 Comments

I don’t know what I was expecting from Little Fires Everywhere, but what I got was a compulsively readable book, filled with fascinating characters on a slow but inexorable dance towards the disastrous start of the book in ways that I couldn’t have anticipated, and couldn’t wait to see unfold.

Buy at Amazon

Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principal is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother- who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When the Richardsons’ friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town and puts Mia and Mrs. Richardson on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Mrs. Richardson becomes determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs to her own family – and Mia’s.

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of long-held secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood-and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak.

I absolutely loved this book – although when I read the first page I really didn’t expect to. I don’t generally like books that spoil their own ending as it were, but it turns out there’s so much more to this book than the way it starts (or ends). The characterisation is superb, and the plot unexpected in some places, which scream at the character obvious in other parts. Not that I mean it’s cliched, more that you can see what’s coming before the character does, and you get so invested in them that you want them not to make that bad decision. But they do, and it’s still deliciously well written so you keep on going, hoping against hope it will all turn out for the best in the end.

I’m definitely going to track down and read her other book – if it’s half as good as this I’m in for a real treat.

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Filed Under: 2017, Book club, read52, review Tagged With: blog tour, Celeste Ng, Little Brown UK, Little Fires Everywhere, review

Stories for homes blog tour

26th September 2017 by Jax Blunt Leave a Comment

Tonight I’ve a slightly different type of review post for you. In the stories for homes anthology, published and unpublished writers come together to create this selection of stories about what ‘home’ means.

There are 55 writers included in this second charity anthology that brings issues around housing, poverty and crisis to life through the power of storytelling. Volume One of the Stories for Homes Project raised over £3K for housing charity Shelter alongside raising awareness of housing issues. Volume Two of the anthology includes stories, poems and flash fiction and again all proceeds will be donated to the charity.

Stories for Homes volume 2

Release Date: 28th September 2017

In Support of: Shelter Charity

In Response to: Grenfell Tower

Format: Ebook

Link: Stories for homes

I haven’t read all of the anthology yet – there’s a lot of material involved, and I didn’t get quite as much reading time this weekend as I’d anticipated. What I have read I’ve enjoyed, and I’m particularly liking the fact I’ve recognised various author names too.

I love the first story by Jan Carson, the Tiger who came back to Apologise. (If you haven’t read The Tiger who came to Tea you should read that first, and also how have you not?) I was also intrigued to spot a story by Leigh Forbes who I’ve known on twitter for a while but not read anything from before. (It was good in case you’re wondering. ) And I’m saving up the story by Antonia Honeywell until I need a treat.

All in all, while short stories/anthologies aren’t usually my thing, I’m really pleased to have got involved in this blog tour, and as I got my copy of the book for free for review, I’m going to make a donation to Shelter of my own accord – seems only fair really.

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Filed Under: 2017, Book club, review Tagged With: blog for good, blog tour, blogtember

Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren

12th September 2017 by Jax Blunt 4 Comments

Book cover - figure with bow takes aim at wolves in a snowy landscape

When 13-year-old Valor is sent to jail, she couldn’t be happier. Demidova’s prison for criminal children is exactly where she wants to be. Valor’s twin sister, Sasha, is serving a life sentence for stealing from the royal family, and Valor is going to help her escape…from the inside. Never mind that no one has escaped the prison in centuries.

Valor has a master plan and resources most people could only dream about. But she didn’t count on having to outsmart both the guards and her fellow prisoners. If Valor’s plan is to succeed, she’ll need to make some unlikely allies. And if the plan fails, she and Sasha could end up with fates worse than prison.

Buy at Amazon (affiliate link)

I love a good fantasy adventure, and this ticked all the boxes for me. It’s Middle Grade, which is the age level before YA, which made it a very quick read for me, but nonetheless enjoyable. Fun main characters inhabiting a well drawn world – this is an accomplished debut and I look forward to the next instalment. (There *is* going to be a next instalment, right?) It is a little dark in places (these are not adventures where you bruise your knee, dust yourself off and are home for supper), and I certainly wouldn’t hand it to Smallest just now, who is on the nervous side as a reader, but it’s definitely one I would keep on the shelf for her in a couple of years time. By which time I’ll have the next instalment, right? If I had a criticism it’s that some of the supporting characters could do with a bit more attention to flesh them out a little, but I think that’s a casualty of the age category rather than the writing.

Very much looking forward to seeing what comes next, and hoping that it’s soon!

Find out more about Ruth at her website, Twitter Instagram

Disclosure: I was supplied a copy of this book by Bloomsbury via Netgalley for the purposes of review. Amazon links are affiliate links.

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Filed Under: 2017, Book club, It's where it is, read52 Tagged With: blog tour, bloomsbury, fantasy, MG, Ruth Lauren

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