That’s a Wrap!
The month of May has seen winter creep into Pretoria and our sunny days have turned a lot colder and wetter than normal. This has been great for weekends spent in front of the fireplace with a book, yet somehow this month has been a little thin on reviews. As Alicia prepares for her midyear exams, she has not reviewed as many books and her absence shows with this month’s wrap up.
Few as there may have been, here is a recap of what we reviewed during May.
02 May – Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Alicia’s first review of the month earns a 5-star rating and she says: “This book was truly extraordinary. It was written extremely well. I cannot believe it took me so long to read this as it is the sequel to ‘A good girl’s guide to murder’, which I loved.”
04 May – How to Spot a Psychopath by MQ Webb
This book stole my heart. I could not read this fast enough. You can expect an intriguing read with this. The characters all seem to be hiding something and when the final twist brings this tale home, you too will be keen to read more books by this author.
05 May – Vanda by Marian Brunet
This was an unusual read for me. It’s a book way out of my comfort zone. At times, I was not sure if I completely understood where the story was headed. However, as a mother, I found this story both disturbing and deeply moving. Vanda is a troubled single mother of a six-year-old boy. She lives in a changing world and senses an end is near.
10 May – Keep Her Sweet by Helen Fitzgerald
When you open Keep Her Sweet you are introduced to the Moloney-Sigh family. A family on the brink of disaster. The author gives you a front-row seat view of this troubled family as she takes you down a windy road that you know will only end once you have hit a brick wall at full speed along with this wacky family. This is an original tale that is guaranteed to keep you intrigued.
12 May – Doctor Glass by Louise Worthington
Thank you to the publisher for reaching out with a review request on this book. This was my first time reading a Louise Worthington book and I was quickly lost among the pages of this one.
Doctor Glass is a gripping read that keeps you curious. It is filled with colourful characters with their own little side stories. The author tackles maternal filicide and the effects it has on a father as well as touching on eating disorders and grief. While these may sound like rather bleak topics the author manages to weave them into a complex, entertaining read that will keep you engrossed right to the last page.
13 May – The Agatha’s by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
The Agathas is a murder mystery told from two points of view. Alice, who used to be popular and one of Brooke’s best friends, until her own mysterious disappearance. Iris is Alice’s tutor and she needs the reward money that comes with information about Brooke. Together this duo must find out what happened to Brooke Donavan.
16 May – The 13th Girl by Sarah Goodwin
Can you imagine what life would be like if everyone around you was controlling you, bending and moulding you to their needs? When you open this book you will meet Lucy, a woman haunted by nightmares, or are they memories? The 13th Girl is a gripping page-turner that will see you reading into the early hours. This book is full of twists, making it a fantastic read you will not want to miss out on.
18 May – Initiate by Jenny Sandiford
When a fellow blogger reaches out with a request to review her debut novel – we jump at the chance to support her!
I enjoyed the world-building in this book, which is unusual for me as I normally find it extremely boring. However, I think the author did an amazing job describing this world and the magic in it. I found myself being able to understand and enjoy this world quicker than I normally do with other fantasy books.
20 May – Impossible by Sarah Lotz
This book is so far out of my comfort zone, but what a fabulous read. I have no idea what about this book appealed to me, but I sure am glad that I added this one to my wishlist. This is not the genre I would normally select, yet I found this book extremely entertaining.
This is a clever, creative story that will leave you wondering about it days after you read the last page
23 May – The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan
Oh boy, this book turned out to be everything it promised to be. I genuinely loved this book, it will most likely be my book of the month. (I doubt I will find another book to wow me in the same way before the end of May).
The Murder Rule looks at a relationship between a mother and her daughter, with one trying to put the past behind her and the other hunting for the truth. This book is both creative and hugely interesting. The author adds her experience as a lawyer to this gripping psychological tale and mixes legal facts with emotion to bring her characters to life.
25 May – The Curfew by TM Logan
The Curfew is a gripping page-turner that will not disappoint. This book will have you flicking from page to page until the early hours as putting this book down is simply not an option. I have been converted to an instant fan with this read, and I have already ordered more books by this author. Loved TM Logan’s writing style and the way I was glued to the pages from start to finish. I understand why reviewers around the world enjoy his work.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Selecting my book of the month was a difficult pick between The Curfew and The Murder Rule…… but the final decision had to be, The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan – this is a remarkable story about the relationship between a mother and daughter that will stay with me. I highly recommend reading this book. I loved every minute of it.
That’s it for May, another month at its end. Thank you for your continued support, II hope you enjoyed our May reviews and that you are looking forward to seeing what we have to offer during June…. Until next time, Happy Reading!
A great months reading!
Not quite as many as I would have liked – but thank you