Blog Tour: The Book of Koli – M. R. Carey

Blog Tour: The Book of Koli – M. R. Carey

July 23, 2019 (6)
Series:
Rampart Trilogy #1
Release Date: April 14th 2020
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 416
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book through Compulsive Readers
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis

Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognizable world. A world where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly vines and seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don’t get you, one of the dangerous shunned men will.

Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He knows the first rule of survival is that you don’t venture beyond the walls.

What he doesn’t know is – what happens when you aren’t given a choice?

The first in a gripping new trilogy, The Book of Koli charts the journey of one unforgettable young boy struggling to find his place in a chilling post-apocalyptic world. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and Annihilation.

Review

Copy of book cover (7)The Book of Koli is the first instalment in an all new post-apocalyptic series by M. R. Carey. The story follows Koli as he attempts to survive in his village of Mythen Rood. The rules are clear – don’t go beyond the walls and don’t let the trees get too close. When Koli doesn’t get a choice but to go beyond the walls it will take all his strength to survive this deadly landscape.

The Book of Koli is a clever and engaging read, with such a unique and fascinating premise. The idea of trees that were trying to kill people was definitely part of what intrigued me to pick this one up. Carey has created an incredible world in this book. Set in the future when there is only a small amount of old world tech left, the villagers must do everything they can to survive. The world building is excellent, with Carey laying lots of groundwork to give the reader a chance to get to know the world.

The story opens with Koli at fifteen, learning his place in the world. He’s a brilliant protagonist and I immediately found myself rooting for him and I really enjoyed seeing him mature as the story progressed. The story is told from Koli’s perspective as if he is reflecting back on his life, which was also really interesting. The writing style took me a little while to get used as but after a little while I really got engrossed in Koli’s tale.

The Book of Koli is a fast paced read with the first half giving the reader the chance to get to know the world and the second half ramping up the action. It’s an engrossing and addictive read, and I can’t wait to read the next instalment in the trilogy.
4 Stars
Book-of-Koli-blog-tour-

Book Review: Dangerous Remedy – Kat Dunn

Book Review: Dangerous Remedy – Kat Dunn

July 23, 2019 (5)
Series:
Dangerous Remedy #1
Release Date: May 5th 2020
Publisher: Zephyr Books
Pages: 432
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

Camille, a revolutionary’s daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. As the Battalion des Mortes they cheat death, saving those about to meet a bloody end at the blade of Madame La Guillotine. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. The girl’s no aristocrat, but her dark and disturbing powers means both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries want her. But who and what is she?

In these dangerous days, no one can be trusted, everyone is to be feared. As Camille learns the truth, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to those she loves and the future.

Review

Copy of book cover (6)Dangerous Remedy is the first in an all new historical fantasy series, following Camille and her Battalion of the dead as they attempt to save innocent souls about to be executed. When a rescue mission goes wrong and the team discover that their innocent isn’t a young aristocrat girl but someone with mysterious powers the Battalion must fight off both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries to save themselves.

I absolutely loved this book. A captivating tale set in Revolutionary France, I quickly became completely engrossed in this story and ended up staying up till 3am to finish it. The story is cleverly weaved and the plot is exciting – if you’re a fan of heist novels you need to pick this one up immediately.

I don’t know much about France during that time period but it felt like an incredible amount of detail had gone into the setting of this novel. It really came alive in Dunn’s writing and it was so fascinating to learn more about the time period. Despite it being just short of 450 pages, it felt like an incredibly fast read and the ending has definitely left me dying to read the next instalment in the series.

One of the things I loved most about Dangerous Remedy are the captivating characters. I adored the romance between Camilla and Ada, especially as the story progressed and things grew more complicated. They’re fascinating characters, each dealing with their own difficult pasts. I also loved Al who is the perfect sarcastic and witty addition to the battalion.

Dangerous Remedy is a highly entertaining, roller coaster ride of a book. It’s full to the brim with adventure, magic and romance. Kat Dunn has written the perfect story to get completely lost in and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
5 Stars

Six For Sunday: Favourite Book One In A Series

Six For Sunday: Favourite Book One In A Series

July 23, 2019 (1)
Six For Sunday is a weekly prompt created by Steph over at A Little But A Lot. Today we’re talking about your favourite first book in a series. I’m love long running series so it was quite hard to narrow this down to just six, and quite honestly I loved every book in these series – but lets dive in!

Copy of book cover (5)1. Geekarella – Ashley Poston
The first book in the Once Upon A Con series, is such a cute and sweet story that I couldn’t help falling in love. I’ve read and completely adored The Princess and the Fangirl and Bookish and the Beast but the story of Darien and Elle will always be my favourite. This series is the perfect cute and fluffy contemporary to become completely absorbed in.

Copy of book cover (4)2. Godblind – Anna Stephens
The Godblind trilogy is one of my all time favourite grimdark series and I recently finished book three Bloodchild. I gave all three five stars but something about the first book just edges it as my favourite. Getting to know this bloody, violent world of gods and war was just incredible and I can’t wait to reread this series soon.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175147.2733. Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo
This is another one where I loved every second in the world, but the first book in the series was my favourite. I loved seeing Alina come into her powers and navigate the world of the Grisha. The story is an epic tale but I loved the setting of book one as well as getting to know the darkling – who remains one of my favourite villains.

Copy of book cover (2)4. The Boy With the Porcelain Blade – Den Patrick
I wasn’t sure whether to put this one of my list because I also really really love book two in this series but I couldn’t resist mentioning it. The Erebus Sequence is a really underrated fantasy series, full of magic and monsters and it’s one I found difficult to put down. The Boy with the Porcelain Blade is a brilliant read and my favourite in the series (honestly though they’re all incredible).

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175311.4425. The Bear and the Nightingale – Katherine Arden
I’ve talked about this series again and again but honestly if you haven’t given it a go you definitely need to pick it up soon. The beautifully told tale of Vasya is full of gorgeous vivid imagery and I could read Katherine Arden’s writing till the end of time. This Russian inspired tale is full of folklore and magic and is everything you could want in a book.

Copy of book cover (1)6. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han
This is another totally cute and sweet series but the reason I love book one the most is that I loved the fake dating trope, and I think it’s so well done in this book. I also kind of thing the story could have been a standalone without the subsequent books, so To All the Boys will always be my favourite in the trilogy.

So those are my some of my favourite first book in a series – what are some of yours?

Book Review: Seeker – Cate Tiernan

Book Review: Seeker – Cate Tiernan

July 23, 2019
Series:
Sweep #10
Release Date: April 1st 2002
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 172
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository.
Source: I still have my childhood copies!
Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Synopsis

It’s a time of joy for Hunter as he is reunited with his father, who vanished mysteriously years before. Only Morgan senses that something is wrong, that Hunter’s father is hiding a dark secret that could threaten them all.

Review

Copy of book cover - 2020-03-30T180003.028Seeker is the tenth instalment in the Sweep/Wicca series, a set of books that I absolutely fell in love with as a child. I read them over and over and I thought it would be fun to revisit them as an adult. I’ve slowly been working my way through the series and on reaching book number ten I was looking forward to reading from Hunter’s perspective, rather than our main protagonist Morgan. This instalment follows Hunter as he continues the search and is reunited with his long lost Father. However their reunion is not all he was hoping and his father is hiding many things. Combining that with a mission he has been sent to do for the Witches Council, Hunter will need all his wits to unravel what is really going on.

The Sweep series is such a fun and quick paced series to read. The story of Morgan Rowlands is an engaging one and I find myself still falling in love with the story all these years later. While Seeker is an interesting addition to the story, I found myself missing reading from Morgan’s perspective and was more interesting in revisiting her story than the one of Hunter and his father. The characters are complex and fascinating and I love seeing them attempt to find balance between all powerful witches and everyday life as a high school student.

The series is a long one (fifteen books total) but they are all under the 250 page mark. On reading them as an adult I definitely think I would prefer them to be condensed into three or four books, as I often found the books bringing up something that had happened in previous books again and again. Of the books in the series this has probably been my least favourite so far, but it was fun to get to know Hunter a bit better. If you’re a fan of witchy books this is definitely one to check out, and I’m definitely looking forward to revisiting the final books in the series.
4 Stars

Medieval-A-Thon TBR!

Medieval-A-Thon TBR!

July 23, 2019 (29)
I know the O.W.L.S readathon literally just finished but I saw this readathon floating around on Twitter and honestly I couldn’t resist the idea of joining in. Especially with being in the house more I thought this would be the perfect way to try and tackle some of my TBR – in particular I’m trying to read predominantly Netgalley books that have been sitting on my shelf forever – that way I can fufill one of goals for 2020 to improve my Netgalley ratio.

The readathon runs for the month of May and you can find out more about it here. The aim is to read seven books of your choice, but there’s also a total of eighteen prompts. With me having such a good reading month in April I’ve decided to try my hand at all eighteen of them. Let’s dive in!

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-20T140636.353A book that has yellowed over time: Shade’s Children – Garth Nix
A pristine book: The Book of Koli – M. R. Carey
A shiny book: Aurora Burning – Ami Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
A book with your favourite colour on the spine: Ash Princess – Laura Sebastian
Under 300 pages: The Scapegracers – Hannah Abigail Clarke
Green on the dust jacket: Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires – Grady Hendrix
Dragon on the cover: High Fire – Eoin Colfer

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-20T140829.373Something pointy on the cover: Dangerous Remedy – Kat Dunn
Start or finish a duology: The Deck of Omens – Christine Lynn Herman
A romance: The Demon World – Sally Green
A heavy book: The Dragon Republic – R. F. Kuang
A book you have high expectations for: The Girl and the Stars – Mark Lawrence

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-28T161834.015A scary book: The Coffin Path – Katherine Clements
A book high on your bookshelf: The Beautiful – Renee Adieh
Buddy read with a friend: The Human Son – Adrian J. Walker
A book title that begins with C: The Court of Miracles – Kester Grant
A tall hardcover: Girls of Paper and Fire – Natasha Ngan
Orange on the dust jacket – Fireblood – Elly Blake

So those are my picks for the Medieval-A-Thon. I’m not sure I’ll manage to read every single one but here’s hoping I can get through quite a few. If you’re participating I’d love to know what you’re planning to read!

Book Review: Liquid Crystal Nightingale – Eeleen Lee

Book Review: Liquid Crystal Nightingale – Eeleen Lee

July 23, 2019 (30)
Release Date:
March 17th 2020
Publisher: Abaddon Books
Pages: 352
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 3/5 stars

Synopsis

A bold and clever political thriller science fiction debut

Go deeper, they said. Look closer.

Pleo Tanza is a survivor. Her father was broken by tragedy, her twin sister is dead—chewed up and spat out by the corruption and injustice of Chatoyance—but she’s going to make it, whatever it takes. She’s going to get off this rock.

But escape is for the rich or lucky. Pleo’s framed for the murder of a rival student—the daughter of one of the colony’s wealthy, squabbling clans—and goes on the run, setting off a chain events that could destroy the fragile balance of the old colony forever…

Review

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-14T133519.134Liquid Crystal Nightingale is the epic tale of Pleo Tanza a young woman living in a futuristic space colony named Chatoyance. Her father is struggling as the only survivor of an immense accident and her sister is dead, but Pleo is a survivor and to do that she is determined to escape her life. When she is unknowingly involved in the murder of one of her classmates Pleo must go on the run, but as secrets begin to unravel, life on Chatoyance might change forever.

Liquid Crystal Nightingale is a fast paced and exciting debut, set in a fascinating world. The world building is excellent, bringing the reader into a world full of futuristic technology on a far of mining colony. Everything felt well explained and it was easy to dive into the world. Despite the futuristic world it was fascinating to explore the familiar issues raised in this book such as class, wealth and grief. Lee’s writing style is vivid and enjoyable to read, giving you the full flavour of the world without taking away from the action packed plot.

The characters are interesting and well fleshed out too. I liked our protagonist Pleo and seeing the story unfold from her perspective. As the story developed I became more and more invested and was really rooting for her towards the end. The story is a mix of political and space thriller and as such has quite a bleak outlook. The murder mystery aspect was really fascinating, and there were a few surprise twists that I didn’t see coming. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so it has left open the possibility of a sequel which I would love to read. Liquid Crystal Nightingale is an impressive debut, and I look forward to reading more from Eeleen Lee.
3 Stars (1)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Left Handed Booksellers of London – Garth Nix

Waiting on Wednesday: The Left Handed Booksellers of London – Garth Nix

July 23, 2019 (28)

Synopsis

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn’t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.

Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones). With the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), he belongs to an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.

Susan’s search for her father begins with her mother’s possibly misremembered or misspelled surnames, a reading-room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.

Merlin has a quest of his own: to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, a right-handed bookseller named Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find their quest strangely overlaps with Susan’s. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.

Thoughts

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-27T210138.925Garth Nix has been one of my favourite authors since I was a little girl. My dad bought me a copy of Sabriel, and then pretty much every birthday/Christmas after that I asked for one of his books. Shade’s Children is one of my all time favourites, and I just fell in love with his newest release Angel Mage. When he announced this new title I almost squealed with excitement because not only is it a new Garth Nix book, but it sounds incredible. The title really drew me in and I love the blend of fantasy and historical fiction. Nix always creates these really imaginative worlds and I have no doubt that this one is going to suck me in just like all the others. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book, and I patiently praying that it might end up on Netgalley sometime soon. If like me you’re desperate to get your hands on this, you don’t have too much longer to wait – The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is publishing September 22nd from Katherine Tegen Books.

Series I Would Love to Reread!

Series I Would Love to Reread!

July 23, 2019 (27)
Rereading is something I definitely don’t do enough of. I’ve got quite a few series on my all time favourites shelf, but with so many new releases out I never get the chance to reread them. I thought it would be fun to do a little post of series I would love to reread in the future!

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175147.2731. The Grisha Trilogy – Leigh Bardugo
I know so many people prefer Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology but honestly I fell in love with The Grisha trilogy and it’s still one of my favourites. The darkling is such a brilliant villain and I love the adventure that Alina and Mal go on. I have re-listened to books one and two on audiobook but I haven’t physically read them since the first time. I would totally love to reread all three sometime soon.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175201.6572. The Illuminae Files – Ami Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
I was a bit late to the party with the Illuminae files but when I finally did pick them I think I read them all over the space of a week. I completely fell in love with the story and I really liked the way the story was laid out as files and maps and transcripts. It was such an engaging tale and I definitely think they’re worth reading a second time. I’ve only ever read them once and I think they’re the sort of books you might notice more the second time around, so rereading them would be great.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175214.2603. The Study Series – Maria V. Snyder
I honestly think the Study series is one of the most under-rated YA fantasy series. I’ve loved every single one and Yelena and Valek are still one of my favourite couples. This is a series I recommend to pretty much everyone, and I have reread the first few a few times. It is quite a long running series – the full Chronicles of Ixia is nine books – so it would be a big undertaking to reread them but it would totally be worth it.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175225.3044. The Sin Eater’s Daughter Series – Melinda Salisbury
It’s been quite a few years since I read The Sin Eater’s Daughter but each of the three books were rating amongst my favourites of the year when they came out. I remember having my heart broken a few times reading The Scarecrow Queen and I would love to revisit this beautiful trilogy. This is another one I’ve only read once so I only really remember parts of the story – a reread is definitely overdue.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175236.1095. The Folk of the Air – Holly Black
This series only ended recently but it was an incredibly brilliant trilogy that I honestly did not want to end. I finished book three in November but I’m already thinking about the possibility of rereading them. I just loved the world that Black created and the hate to love romance was exceptionally well done. I know tons of people love this series so I’m probably not the only one itching to reread them.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175247.2616. A Song of Ice and Fire – George R. R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire is my all time favourite series and I have reread it once and listened to it once but it has been a while since I have dived back into Westeros. I recently ended up playing Game of Thrones Monopoly in lockdown and it got me thinking about how much I want to reread the series. It is a massive undertaking with the books being so large, but it’s so easy to fall into this epic story.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175259.6977. The Shattered Sea – Joe Abercrombie
Joe Abercombie is another author that I love and with him returning to the world of The First Law with a new release I had been thinking about revisiting to those books again. However first I think I would like to reread his Shattered Sea trilogy, the young adult fantasy series that I think is a bit underrated. Book two of this series was the first ARC I ever received and it definitely holds a special place in my heart.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-26T175311.4428. The Winternight Trilogy – Katherine Arden
This beautiful trilogy ended in 2019 but I still think about how much I loved it. For the past few years each instalment has been near the top of my favourite books of the year and I think they are some of my favourite books of all time. Katherine Arden has such a gorgeous writing style and this atmospheric tale inspired by Russian folklore was just everything I wanted and more. I think these would be perfect to reread in the winter on a snowy night so I might save them for then.

So those are some of the series I would absolutely love to reread – what are some series you would love to reread?

Book Review: The Devouring Gray – Christine Lynn Herman

Book Review: The Devouring Gray – Christine Lynn Herman

July 23, 2019 (26)
Series:
The Devouring Gray #1
Release Date: April 16th 2019
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository.Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

Branches and stones, daggers and bones,
They locked the Beast away.

After the death of her sister, seventeen-year-old Violet Saunders finds herself dragged to Four Paths, New York. Violet may be a newcomer, but she soon learns her mother isn’t: They belong to one of the revered founding families of the town, where stone bells hang above every doorway and danger lurks in the depths of the woods.

Justin Hawthorne’s bloodline has protected Four Paths for generations from the Gray—a lifeless dimension that imprisons a brutal monster. After Justin fails to inherit his family’s powers, his mother is determined to keep this humiliation a secret. But Justin can’t let go of the future he was promised and the town he swore to protect.

Ever since Harper Carlisle lost her hand to an accident that left her stranded in the Gray for days, she has vowed revenge on the person who abandoned her: Justin Hawthorne. There are ripples of dissent in Four Paths, and Harper seizes an opportunity to take down the Hawthornes and change her destiny-to what extent, even she doesn’t yet know.

The Gray is growing stronger every day, and its victims are piling up. When Violet accidentally unleashes the monster, all three must band together with the other Founders to unearth the dark truths behind their families’ abilities—before the Gray devours them all.

Review

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-14T133429.980The Devouring Gray is the dark and eerie tale of a small town called Four Paths and the founding families that strive to protect it from the mysterious beast known as The Gray. As newcomer Violet moves to town The Gray grows stronger, taking more and more people, but will the bickering families be able to work together to stop it from escaping its prison and destroying the town?

The Devouring Gray has pretty much everything I love in books. It has this gorgeous, atmospheric setting. I loved the quaint little town with this deep dark secret, steeped right into the towns history. The founding families with magical powers is another trope I just love and the whole book gave me serious Riverdale/The Vampire Diaries vibes.

The story is pretty quick paced and Herman has a really lovely writing style which I really enjoyed. She has created a diverse cast of characters that are full of depth and each is dealing with their own complex issues as they strive to safe the town from The Gray.

The story is mysterious and full of reveals that I didn’t see coming, and I definitely found myself turning the pages faster and faster to see how the story was going to end. This is a duology so I’m really looking forward to picking up The Deck of Omens to see what happens next. The Devouring Gray is certainly a book that’s received a lot of buzz, but if you’ve been hesitant about picking it up I’d absolutely recommend giving it a shot.
5 Stars

Six For Sunday: Recommendations On Your TBR

Six For Sunday: Recommendations On Your TBR

July 23, 2019 (25)
The prompt for Six for Sunday this week is focusing on books on your TBR because someone recommended them to you. This was a really fun and interesting prompt, so let’s dive in!

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-25T155121.2461. The End of the World Running Club – Adrian J. Walker
Perfect for fans of The Martian, this powerful post-apocalyptic thriller pits reluctant father Edgar Hill in a race against time to get back to his wife and children. When the sky begins to fall and he finds himself alone, his best hope is to run – or risk losing what he loves forever.

When the world ends and you find yourself forsaken, every second counts. No one knows this more than Edgar Hill. Stranded on the other side of the country from his wife and children, Ed must push himself across a devastated wasteland to get back to them. With the clock ticking and hundreds of miles between them, his best hope is to run — or risk losing what he loves forever.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-25T155134.1022. The Creeper Man – Dawn Kurtagich
When Silla and her little sister, Nori, escape London and their abusive father, Aunt Cath’s country house feels like a safe haven. Leaving the smog and fear behind, the girls have the love and freedom they never had in their violent home. But slowly, ever so slowly, things begin to unravel.

Aunt Cath locks herself in the attic and spends day and night pacing; every day the surrounding forest inches slowly towards the house; a mysterious boy appears from the enclosing wood offering friendship, and Nori claims that a man watches them from the dark forest. A man with no eyes who creeps ever closer…

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-25T155146.6843. Dread Nation – Justina Ireland
Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-25T155204.2044. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – Becky Chambers
Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space-and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe-in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-25T155237.8105. The Darkest Minds – Alexandra Bracken
When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Copy of book cover - 2020-04-25T155222.2906. Cold Granite – Stuart McBride
Winter in Aberdeen: murder, mayhem and terrible weather…

It’s DS Logan McRae’s first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn’t get much worse. Three-year-old David Reid’s body is discovered in a ditch: strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. And he’s only the first. There’s a serial killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood.

Soon the dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. And if Logan isn’t careful, he could end up joining them.

So those are six books on my TBR that were recommendations from other people – if you’ve read any I’d love to know what your thoughts were!