The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

A year after the intense cat and mouse chase that culminated in the imprisonment of  Warren 'The Surgeon' Hoyt, Detective Jane Rizzoli finds herself facing a series of  murders that are uncomfortably familiar. With traits similar to the surgeons exactly what is Rizzoli dealing with- an admirer? a copy cat? or worse an Apprentice? The novel follows Rizzoli as she faces the trauma of the past and breaks down the demons that stand before her. Joined by the guarded and secretive Agent Gabriel Dean and introducing Maura Isles- can the team stop the Apprentice before they become fully qualified? 

Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Excuse me whilst I collect my jaw up off the floor. Never ever has a book ending made me feel so utterly enraged, thoroughly deceived and unexpectedly shocked as this one has.

Imagine a world in which animal meat is no longer fit for human consumption. Where do we turn for our meat fix? I'll give you a clue-it's not plant based. Humans are bred for consumption. Raised like cattle with no rights. 

Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi

Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi is unlike anything I've ever read before. It's a book within a book. There's a collection of individual and stand alone murder short stories collectively known as The White Murders that are interspersed throughout the main book, Eight Detectives in such a unique way. Eight Detectives focuses on publisher, Julia and the illusive and socially withdrawn author Grant as they discuss the upcoming publication of Grant's iconic work "The White Murders". As a reader we get a short story from The White Murders followed by a chapter that involves Julia interviewing Grant discussing the short story, how we wrote it and what it meant to him at the time. It's a fantastic format and not nearly as complicated as I've made it sound.

Haven't They Grown by Sophie Hannah

Beth and Flora haven't spoken in years, not since their children were little. Now the children are all grown up, well, some of them are.... Haven't They Grown by Sophie Hannah follows Beth as she attempts to unravel how and why her former best friend's children haven't aged in twelve years. Is it a web of lies and deceit? Is Beth slowly losing her sanity or are unaging children merely the tip of the iceberg? 

Review | Things In Jars by Jess Kidd

This book isn't what I expected it to be. I was under the impression Things In Jars by Jess Kidd was a dystopian, science fiction novel but it's actually a victorian crime novel mixed with historical fiction and a hefty dose of science fiction and fact. 

Books I Want To Read In 2022

At the beginning of 2021 I made a list of the books I wanted to read throughout the year and I found it really helpful having a list to guide me. It helped me avoid becoming overwhelmed by choice and helped me to read 14 out of the 17 books on the list. Throughout the year I've been taking note of any books that have piqued my interest and have therefore created a list of books I want to read this year.

Books I Read In 2021

At the beginning of 2021 I had rekindled my love of reading and through my love of Bookstagram my TBR (to be read) list had grown exponentially, I keep a list on my phone notes of all the books I like the sound of and keep an eye out for them at the local library and via the library's ebook lending service. I also like to save up any vouchers I get from my side hustles to use towards buying books. In order to keep some kind of order and to avoid being overwhelmed with choice I wrote down a list of Books I Wanted To Read In 2021 to help keep me focused and I think it worked rather well, so well in fact I've written a list of Books I Want To Read In 2022. Here's the books (and links to my reviews) for the books I read throughout 2021.

The Tin Ring by Zdenka Fantlova

Having read the Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey last year I was recommended this book by a friend. I borrowed her copy and it is the only physical book I've read this year. I really love my Kindle but it was wonderful to hold a physical book, there is something about well thumbed pages and that unique paper smell that makes my heart soar. It's like holding history in your hands (so thank you Susan for the experience ❤️) 

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

The Hunting Party is set in the Scottish wilderness. A group of thirty somethings have booked the entire lodge for their annual New Year's Eve getaway. There's the 'perfect couple' with their new baby, the 'university sweethearts' that have been together since forever and the 'new couple' that are eager to please. Then there's the eternally single one. Factor in a perky hostess and a surly groundskeeper an you've got everything you need for a classic 'whodunnit'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Mercies is the tale of a small coastal fishing village that suffers a great tragedy, one that disrupts the entire nature of the people that live there. An almighty storm killing almost all the men and leaving the women behind to grieve, strive and ultimately aim to survive the harsh realities of their new lives. Help arrives from foreign shores, shores that are ran by patriarchies and religious zealots. What will happen to the women of Vardo? 

Review | The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is a classic must read novel so it's hard to believe that this is the first time I've read it at the grand old age of 33! I think a lot of people read this book at school alongside other classics such as Of Mice and Men, The Diary of Anne Frank and To Kill A Mockingbird- can you believe I've never read any of those? I'm starting to understand why the secondary school I attended was closed down after my year group left and ultimately demolished. The reading list seems to be severely lacking but secondary school gripes aside- is this book as powerful as I've been led to believe?

Review | Blue Ticket by Sophie MacKintosh

Blue Ticket by Sophie MacKintosh imagines a world in which your parental destiny is decided by the luck of the draw, I suppose in the real world whether we are able to have children is predetermined by genetics, health and personal fertility but imagine if it was decided literally by a draw. White ticket means your future includes children. Blue ticket means it does not. No questions, no re-draws just blind acceptance of your fate depending on the ticket drawn. What ticket would you wish to be?

29 Seconds by T M Logan

Regular readers of the blog will know that I love T M Logan novels. I've read The Holiday, Lies, The Catch and now 29 seconds. This book is the second book that T M Logan wrote but each book is standalone and unrelated to the others so the order in which you read them doesn't really matter though a word of warning- don't read this one first. If I'd have read this one first I would have been significantly less likely to read any of the others. It pains me to say this but this is the one and only T. M Logan book that I've not enjoyed- so much so I almost gave up reading it!

Q by Christina Dalcher

Imagine a world where everyone was perfect. A world where everyone is equal in terms of intellect. A school system with ample time for students because they'd be no 'dunces' to take up the teachers time. No genetic abnormalities or predisposition to certain illnesses. Constant screening and testing to ensure your 'Q' score remains within an appropriate range. No divorce, no rule breaking, no freedom. A world of fear where every choice you make can effect your score and cost you your place in society. Sounds...perfect, doesn't it?

Review | Two Of Us Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus

Having read 'One Of Us Is Lying' by Karen McManus I was under the impression that this is the second book in a series but it's actually an entirely separate story. Two Of Us Can Keep A Secret focuses on a pair of twins sent to live with their grandmother in the eerie town of Echo Ridge. A town famous for disappearing teens and dead homecoming queens. Will history repeat itself or will Ellery and Ezra's arrival unveil the secrets this town has kept hidden all these years? 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

I've heard so many good things about The Guest List by Lucy Foley so I was eager to dive in. Set on a now uninhabited Irish island the novel focuses on the upcoming nuptials of successful online magazine editor Jules and the suave, charming and privately educated Will.  Bride and groom must face some unexpected truths as  family and friends disembark onto the mysterious island bringing with them more baggage than expected. The exclusive wedding, the first of its kind on this island, may bring more attention than originally planned.

Review | The Catch by T. M Logan

T. M Logan has quickly become one of my favourite authors. I came across his work by chance in the first lockdown. The library ebook lending service had barely anything available except The Holiday. I judged a book by it's cover and thought it perhaps looked a little cheesy but I couldn't have been more wrong. This is my third T. M Logan book and every one has kept me up later than I wanted reading 'just one more chapter'. Here's what I thought about The Catch.

Review | 1984 By George Orwell

Title: 1984, Author: George Orwell,  Pages: 384, ISBN: 9780141187761, First Published on: 8th June 1949

1984 by George Orwell is a dystopian classic. In fact it's THE dystopian classic. Even if you've not actually read it  you will have more than likely heard of Big Brother, The Thought Police and Room 101. 1984 was incredibly ahead of it's time, so much so that modern life shares many parallels with this book that was written in 1948.It's a book that everyone quotes but I  think very few have read.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

I'd heard a lot of glowing reviews for Karen McManus' work and downloaded the first one, One Of Us Is Lying eager to begin. Upon seeing the front cover and the tagline 'A Geek. A Jock. A Criminal. A Princess. Who Would You Believe?' I thought it sounded like a cheesy American teen novel so I left it for the best part of a year before picking it up again to read and I am so pleased that I got over the somewhat trashy front cover as this book is actually a very well written and cleverly thought out murder mystery.  So good in fact that a television series is currently in production. So what made this teen fiction such a good read?

The Doll Factory By Elizabeth MacNeal

Title: The Doll Factory, Author: Elizabeth MacNeal, Pages: 384, Published by: Picador, Publication Date: 2nd May 2019, ISBN: 978-1529002393

Iris and Rose spend their days creating dolls for the oppressive and most often comatose, Mrs Salter. Though fortunate to be employed, the passionate and creative Iris longs for more than the monotonous life she currently leads. Iris yearns to escape, to paint more than doll faces. She wishes to paint freely and with no constraints- to be an artist in her own right.

Could a chance encounter with Silas Reed, collector, taxidermist and prop creator for the Pre-Raphealite Brotherhood set Iris on the path to freedom? Will love, life and art blossom? Or is death and decay the only fate for those that wander the dark, dank streets of Victorian London?