Book reviews Archives - Page 19 of 29

10May 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

The Couple at No. 9 by Claire Douglas book review

I was kindly bought The Couple at No. 9 by my partner for Valentine's Day. Nothing saying romance like a selection of books, hey? Anyway, The Couple at No. 9 received a lot of comments when I posted the original image to my Instagram story so I was keen to pick it up and start reading it. Pin me to Pinterest! The Couple at No. 9 is a book focused on a fresh young couple who move into a cottage belonging to one of their grandmothers. It's a cottage that sees them starting a new life in a remote village outside of London with plenty of optimism for the future and an exciting time ahead doing up the ageing building. However, a discovery changes all of that. The Couple at…

07May 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Atlas and the Multiverse by Chandon Siman book review

Book reviews, Sci-Fi

Atlas and the Multiverse was a book kindly sent to me by the author at the request that I review it. The front cover intrigued me and the premise intrigued me: a young boy and his friends find and venture into the multiverse to save all of the universes. I love these sorts of things. Atlas and the Multiverse is the first book by debut author Chandon Siman. It is a middle-grade/young adult novel set in modern times based around three kids. The main character is Atlas (obviously), a fostered boy who begins to hear voices one day in school before having a vision of a man claiming to be his father. Atlas and the Multiverse plot - 4/5 Atlas and the Multiverse follows Atlas and his brother and sister,…

04May 2022 by Luke Harkness

Book review of The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

Book reviews, Fantasy

The Shadow of the Gods was brought to my attention a while back when I initially began to watch a review of it on YouTube and then stopped as I didn't want to have the plot spoiled. I then saw a Twitter thread of best active fantasy authors and Joh Gwynne was on there so with this and the fact The Shadow of the Gods came on offer meant it all came together nicely. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links provided below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you which goes towards funding the blog. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. The Shadow of…

30Apr 2022 by Luke Harkness

Book review of The Lost World by Michael Crichton

Book reviews, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller

So you've read Jurassic Park - more likely than not because you saw the film and realised it's based on a novel. You realised the first book isn't quite the same as the film and there are actually some interesting character differences and big plot differences too. Now you want to see if the sequel is like that of the film sequel too. Well, keep on reading below to find out and find out if I liked it or not. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links provided, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of any of the products. Before you get…

15Apr 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review of Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson

Book reviews

Illborn by Daniel T Jackson was bought for me at Christmas at a perfect time for when I was ready for a brand new epic fantasy series to get into. I'd seen a lot of positive things online and decided to follow Jackson on Instagram which resulted in me seeing plenty more positive things. It currently has a 4.36 rating on Goodreads after nearly 500 ratings, so I think we can call that universally positive. But did I think it was any good? Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase any products via the links provided, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Yes,…

27Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness 2 Comments

Book review of Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Book reviews, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Insurgent carries on the story that Veronica Roth started with Divergent. It's a story in which once well-established factions that defined who you would become as a person have disbanded and the lines between these differing peoples is blurring as secrets come out about the people much higher up and the fact that the world may not be all it seems. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. What this means if that if you choose to purchase any products via any of the links in this article, I will receive a small commission at no extra to you to support the blog. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of these products. Insurgent, of course, carries on from Divergent, so if you haven't read my Divergent…

16Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness 2 Comments

Book review of The Outsider by Albert Camus

Book reviews, Classics

I was lent The Outsider by a friend who said it was a book he was interested to hear my thoughts on. It's a book that tells a very simple tale of a man who is arrested after committing a murder and the interesting discussions to be had from the hearing that subsequently takes place. The Outsider follows Meursault in Algeria as he navigates life after his mother's death and subsequent funeral and then the murder of an Arab man in French Algiers who was involved in a conflict already with one of his neighbours. He is arrested, taken to prison and then we follow his brief journey with prison and the court hearing. The Outsider plot - 4/5 The Outsider, as written above, covers the story of Meursault who…

14Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness

Book review of 1979 by Val McDermid

Book reviews, Crime, Mystery, Thriller

I've heard quite a bit about Val McDermid so when I saw her latest novel on offer in my local supermarket, it was a bit of a no brainer. I've heard Val McDermid as one of the best writers of her generation and certainly a leader in the crime genre. 1979 was a brilliant new book in her series and one I'd recommend to all crime fans. 1979 is a novel set in 1979 (shock eh?) which follows the life of Allie Burns, a new investigative journalist at her local newspaper. When she comes across a big case that could not only jumpstart her career but also potentially stop a terrorist act, she does everything in her power to get the answers she needs to write the honest story of…

11Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller

I've been a big fan of Lucy Foley's last two books - they brought with them a perfect sense of progression and intrigue throughout the book that kept you on tenterhooks throughout. However, The Paris Apartment fails on these two fronts and really didn't interest me. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the products. The Paris Apartment is technically Foley's sixth book, though to many it may feel like her third after The Hunting Party shot her into the mainstream and The Guest List solidified her as an author…

08Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review of This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay

Book reviews, Nonfiction

Working in the NHS, I've wanted to read This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay for quite some time. I finally picked up recently and it was so interesting to read from the point of someone who has worked in the NHS for about 2.5 years now. Pin me to Pinterest! This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay is essentially a book of chosen diary entries from Kay himself of his time working for the NHS as a Junior Doctor from 2004 to 2010. It's a fascinating look into the workings of the NHS and the less-than-glamorous lives that the majority of doctors actually work in the NHS. This Is Going To Hurt plot - 5/5 How do you rate the plot of a book that is literally…

Category: Book reviews