Harper Lee

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

There is no way I can review this book in a coherent and sensible manner. My passion for To Kill A Mockingbird, for Scout and Atticus is too strong. Every word will be lead by emotion. My excitement and apprehension on learning of this books very existence was momentous. The author had always pronounced vehemently that she would never publish another book. So, on learning that she was doing indeed that, but it was questionable as to whether she was coerced into agreeing to it's publication left me perturbed. The comments, reviews and general consensus leading up to it's release made me determined to read it with an open mind without prejudice.

To begin with, I have to say that the extra glimpses into Scout's childhood were for me, very emotional. Jem, Scout and Dill's games and life view were such an integral part of TKAM and to be able to add to those was heart warming.

Meeting Scout as a young adult was exactly as I had expected it to be. She's the same headstrong, full of life and gumption Scout as she was as a child.

This is a story of growing up, of finding oneself.
To misquote Thomas Wolfe,
"“You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood, back home to romantic love , back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time..."

Scout finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew and believed.

Some of the conversations between Scout and Atticus make for uncomfortable reading, especially when you've held Atticus Finch on a pedestal your entire life... kinda like Scout has. The higher you build your pedestal, the further your idol has to fall.

Am I glad this book was published? YES! Whilst reading it, I'd stop and clutch the book to my chest, feelings akin to reconnecting to a long lost friend. We may not have followed the same paths, but the connection and affection is still there. As I finished reading the last sentence, tears pouring down my face, I was grateful for the opportunity to revisit with the Finches and the Maycomb community.

A Game For All The Family by Sophie Hannah

Justine Merrison, her husband Alex and fourteen year old daughter Ellen leave London and move for a quieter life to Devon. Life for Justine and her family is about to get very weird indeed. 

The book alternates between the story Ellen writes for a school assignment and Justine's life. Ellen's best friend disappears... or does he? Justine receives threatening phone calls and things get more and more mysterious. 

Let me start by saying how much I enjoyed reading A Game For All The Family; although enjoyed doesn't seem like the right word, delighted in, relished, loved and adored would be more appropriate words.

Justine and her "I do Nothing with a Capital N" motto drew me in. Ellen's dark and enigmatic story kept me guessing until the very end. 

My mind raced as the story weaved this way and that. I got it wrong, time and time again, although I did manage to solve one of the mysteries before the end. This is a brilliant, chilling psychological thriller and it had me gripped to the very end. 

The Clock Struck One by Helen Deakin

A new house. A new life. A whole new nightmare!

Life doesn't seem fair for Tamara, a typical teenage girl struggling with the the move to a new town away from her friends. But life is about to get a whole lot worse.

There’s something not quite right about this new house; this town. The voices she is hearing and the inimical nightmares seemingly induced by the house itself are starting to frighten Tamara worse than anything else has ever scared her before. It doesn’t help that she’s become a complete stranger to her own family, shunted and ignored by them.

Something bad is coming. Something horrifying and Tamara is powerless to stop it.

                                                       **********************

This may be a short story, but it has so many twists and turns. It starts out like a usual horror story and is dark, eerie, creepy and chills you to the bone. It has you thinking, wondering, trying to work it out and the twist at the end was not what I was expecting. Brilliant story telling. 

The language used by the author describes everything so perfectly, so thrillingly, so terrifyingly.

Thank You Helen for the chance to read this wonderful book, can't wait to read more of your work.

After the Crash by Michel Bussi

Emilie Vital or Lyse Rose de Carville?
In December 1980 a plane crashes on the Franco-Swiss border and 168 out of the 169 passengers perish. The sole survivor, a three month baby girl. But there were two families travelling with an infant, who's baby survived?
Eighteen years later and on Lylie's ( an amalgamation of both girls names ) birthday she receives the journal of  the detective, Credule Grand-Duc paid by the de Cavilles to discover the truth.

The journal takes us on his eighteen year journey, searching for the true identity of the Miracle Baby found in the wreckage.

The heartbreak the two families go through as they each fight to prove the baby is theirs is tangible, the grandparents on each side, wanting desperately to bring their granddaughter home.

The story twists and turns, each clue sending thoughts in a different direction. It'll have you scratching your head, guessing, then guessing again.

This is the authors first book to be translated into English, and I really hope it's not the last.

Alex Lamb

Roboteer by Alex Lamb

"One species. One universe. Two sides. 

The human race has spread to the stars. Those few who live in the wastes of space have been forced to adapt themselves with technology and genetic modification.

For the billion left on Earth, trapped in squalor and gripped by a new religious fervour, those who have tampered with the human form are heretics.

And so the unequal war began,

The Earthers have deployed a devastating new weapon, Only one outworlder ship can be spared to investigate this new threat, And on board, his mind linked to the ship's drones and weaponry, is their brand new Roboteer.

What they find, will change the universe, and the human race, for ever."

                                                        ******************

My thoughts.

Allow me a moment to squee...

I absolutely loved this book. Join roboteer Will Kuno-Monet and the captain and crew of the Ariel on their adventure in outer space and their fight not only for their own survival, but to save the human race.

Imagine the future, where life as we know it no longer exists. The Earth is ruled by the Prophet and his religious doctrine is the legal order. No one is entitled to freedom of thought or speech, the Prophet and his minions rule with an iron fist. 

In outer space are the few who have escaped earth, they have adapted to their new way of life by adapting themselves! With genetic modification and technology they have found  a way to survive. 

The characters are all beautifully written, Will makes you love him immediately. Ira is the strong silent type who is loyal to the last. Rachel is kind, caring, and can kick some serious butt! Amy is not only brilliant but also holds the team together when things start to go awry. John is the sarcastic genius. Hugo, I have renamed Hugo the annoying. 

On the other side we have the Prophet, who, as any other dictator is only interested in himself, his wealth and his precious ideas. General Gustav Ulanu, who believes that science and knowledge are the values on which we should build our lives upon. Admiral Konrad Tang, with the need to be right and to win at all costs. Disciple Rodriguez a pious, narcissistic, slimy little man with no soul.

And the Transcended, are they guardians or bullies?

Fantastical spaceships, sensational battles, warp speed flight, aliens that step in and not only move the goalpost but change everything anyone thinks they know! A story that makes you wonder what it is that makes us human.

I adored every moment of this book, the writing is exquisite and evocative,  "Above them was a sky full of floating stuff, like clouds from some heavy-metal hell - gunmetal clouds with thorns.".  I can't wait for the sequel. 

The Thing: Zero Day by Lee McGeorge

Antarctic.
Just a small group of men in camp, it's freezing cold, there are regular snow storms and often zero visibility. Enter a flying saucer crashing into the ice. 
The Thing: Zero Day is full of fast paced, thrilling, nail biting action! Brilliantly written, amazing characters that grab you immediately and take you with them on their suspense filled adventure. 

Pandora's Brain by Calum Chase

I'm not sure where to begin? 
So, I'll start with a wow! and a "this books is seriously awesome!" 
Pandora's brain challenges what you think you know about artificial intelligence. It has you questioning yourself and your ideas and beliefs, and wondering just how you'd feel if AI was as imminent as the story suggests. 

Matt is an amazing character, he gives the subject of AI the human touch. The twist and turns in the story make the journey a breathtaking one! I'd love to mention details, but I don't want to include any spoilers! 

Fast paced, fascinating concepts, it grabbed my attention from the first page and didn't let go. The ending? All I can say is Mind Blown! 

This book is a must read!