Spring has Sprung! With the warmer weather that the start of our spring has brought it’s been lovely to sit outside reading among the green shoots on all the trees in our garden. My orchids are in bloom again too which always adds a smile to my face.
September left me feeling just a tad stressed as I seemed to finish my blog tour books just a little too close to the deadline. I still managed to reach all my deadlines and did not let anyone down, even if I felt as if I was cutting it close once or twice.
During September I posted ten blog tour reviews, three general reviews and one young adult review by Alicia. With the upcoming school holiday and Alicia’s discovery of an online library she promises a few interesting young adult reviews for October, so keep an eye out for those.
If you missed out during September, here is a recap of what we reviewed this month.
02 September – Gambling Wives by Katarina Mayer
Katarina Mayer brings us a creative tale filled with fun and excitement that is guaranteed to leave you amazed. Her gripping writing makes it hard to walk away from this book and I found myself racing through this book in two days
06 September – The Woman in The Woods by Mark Hill
Thriller and crime fanatics can expect a dark twisty tale with a touch of humour thrown in. The Woman In The Woods is a brilliantly entertaining read that is guaranteed to leave you missing out on some sleep. I loved this book and cannot wait for more!
07 September – The Necklace by Matt Witten – Celebrating Publication Day
I cannot recommend this book highly enough – please get yourself a copy – you will not be disappointed; Matt Witten created a true masterpiece with this story. I am sure you will hear a lot about this book
08 September – Little Bones by Patricia Gibney
Get ready for Patricia Gibney at her best. I need to mention that I am a fan of this series and that I love Patricia Gibney’s writing. This Lottie Parker mystery is true to form with poor Lottie up to her ears in cases that all appear to be linked and not a clue of how to solve them.
09 September – A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
Paula Hawkins has done it again with her new book A Slow Fire Burning – This book will have you reading late into the night as you try to figure out who is innocent and who is guilty. It is a brilliantly clever tale filled with damaged characters, loss, deceptions and so much confusion you will be left baffled as you race to reach the end.
10 September – The Chateau by Catherine Cooper
The Chateau’s blurb appealed to me when I received the invite to participate in the blog tour, however, I did not expect it to be such an exciting read. I read this book for two days and found myself glued to the pages. The story starts rather slowly, allowing you to escape to the French countryside. But before too long you find yourself caught up in a complex story with dark little secrets spilling of the pages making it impossible to drag yourself away as you long to find out more.
13 September – Taking Baby For A Walk by Kathryn Gossow
This is a horribly sad story, I would suggest bracing yourself before you open it. Taking Baby For A Walk leaves you experiencing a child abduction from the child’s point of view. While this is based on extremely sensitive material the author keeps it light on the surface. There are no hardcore scenes, but you can expect a harsh story that will bring a tear to your eye.
14 September – The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Alicia says:
I only read this book for my English class for school. Overall, I was very disappointed. I remember watching the movies when they first came out and although I wasn’t all that impressed with the movies the books seemed to be worst somehow. This was very shocking for me as I always think the book is better.
15 September – The Secret Keeper’s Daughter by Samantha King
The Secret Keeper’s Daughter is a little outside my usual genre of choice, however, this story rooted in family, secrets, and the need to do what’s best for those you love is a powerful read. What do you do when you know something is troubling your child, yet they do not want to or cannot voice their concerns? The author also explores how well we truly know our family members. Can you know someone when they do not share every truth with you? And do you want to know everything there is to know or are some truths best left unknown?
17 September – Stalker Stalked by Lee Matthew Goldberg
Stalker Staked digs into the obsession people have with reality TV, how it can affect your day to day life and explores just how healthy it is for people to become obsessed with these reality stars. The character in this book has a range of dependencies – alcohol, drug and a tendency towards stalking. When reaching for this book you can expect a rather troubling read as you are thrown headfirst into Lexi’s world.
20 September – Keep Me Close by Jane Holland
Oh my word, why do I do this to myself? Keep Me Close is one of the most heartbreaking stories I have read in a while. Yes, it’s a fictional thriller, but I have a mother-in-law who suffers from dementia, so this book was just a little close to home.
You can expect a gripping read that will keep you engrossed from start to finish. I loved the story, even if it was heart-breaking to read what was happening to Celest. This book will keep you guessing while delivering twists and turns all the way.
21 September – Safe At Home by Lauren North
Lauren North is another “new to me” author and she has won me over with this book. I found myself completely engrossed, snapping at my family to leave me alone as I raced from page to page, eagerly wanting to know what happened to Harrie. The author tells this story beautifully keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I cannot wait to get my hand on more of her books. (Oh boy, there goes my TBR again.)
22 September – Black Reed Bay by Rod Reynolds
Sit back and brace yourself – this book will blow your mind! Black Reed Bay is a breathtaking crime novel that will keep you in the dark while your head spins trying to figure out who the guilty party is. Filled with everything you would expect of a crime novel, murder, a missing person, a police officer on the chase while dealing with the possibility of corrupt co-workers and office politics. If you enjoy the Harry Bosch series – you will love this book.
23 September – The Family Man by Kimberley Chambers
This was my first ever extract post, it’s so exciting to share an extract from the book. I cannot wait to read this title and it has been added to my TBR. Have you read this one yet? Let me know what you thought.
24 September – The Red Grouse Tales by Leslie Garland
All these stories are told from The Red Grouse Inn where a group of friends meet every Thursday to have a few pints and tell old stories.
Despite the stories being exceptionally slow, once you got into them they were great. Overall I loved how the book took on some serious topics and how well they were all handled. I would definitely recommend this book.
27 September – Asylum by Tamara Lawrence
Asylum is an intense read, telling the story of orphan brother’s who lost touch, brothers who suffered during their early childhood and the scares that suffering left them carrying onto their adult lives. The storyline highlights the shortcomings of psychiatric facilities in the past, touching on how badly people in these facilities were treated.
28 September – The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell left me in awe with this novel. I have always enjoyed her writing, but this book has certainly pushed her a little higher on my list of favourite authors. I cannot wait to get my hands on her next book.
Psychological suspense fans can expect a truly gripping, suspense-filled, page-turner when they reach for The Night She Disappeared.
Even if you have never read Lisa Jewell before, I highly recommend this book.
29 September – Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas
Overall despite the power dynamic not being my thing, the book wasn’t the worst I’ve ever read. I found it to be a quick read, I think I read it in about three days. I enjoyed the fact that there was no huge argument in the end and that things were dealt with well. I liked how the overall story was tied up.
My September reading list included so many wonderful books it was hard to pick a book of the month. I had five five-star reads this month and I do not easily give a five-star rating. This month’s five-star reads:
- A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
- The Chateau by Catherine Cooper
- Keep Me Close by Jane Holland
- Safe At Home by Lauren North
- The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
BOOK OF THE MONTH:
I would like to make all these my books of the month, but picking one, I have decided on Keep Me Close by Jane Holland, this book was very close to home and it broke my heart. The author told this moving story beautifully and I loved every minute.
Well, I guess that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed the books we reviewed this month and that you have added some of them to your TBR. What was your favourite read of September? Leave a comment below. Until next time… Happy Reading!
Busy month!
Seems to be the norm lately