Summer Books

If like me, you devour books within days of starting them it can be difficult to pick what to read next. My phone is full of photos and lists of books that I've stumbled upon either online, in shops, in magazines or through word of mouth that appeal to me. Sometimes the books are wonderful and sometimes not, however I thought I'd share the books I've been reading over the past few months good & bad.

Unbroken – Lauren Hillenbrand – Now some of you may have seen previews for the film that is based on this book lately. I urge you to read the book first. The film doesn't come out until December so you have just less than six months to read it. It is so worth it, I promise. Hillenbrand is a brilliant writer and the story is incredible, heart breaking and yet inspiring. It is a treat and I highly recommend it. 5 stars

The Glass Painters Daughter – Rachel Hore – My mom recommend this book to me and while I found it to be readable and sometimes entertaining I felt the religious overtones were just a bit much for me. As well as that I felt the book was far longer than it needed to be and it was a little dragged out. Still it was okay. 3 stars

Inferno – Dan Brown – I was extremely hesitant to read Inferno as I hated his previous book The Lost Symbol. I felt the ending of The Lost Symbol was horrible and that Brown had lost his spark. The ending I had come up with while ready was far better and I felt let down. This meant that when Inferno came out, I was very slow to pick it up and give it a chance. However, I'm glad I did. Brown has returned to form and the book was not only page turning but also thought provoking. A great beach read. 4.5 stars

Frog Music – Emma Donoghue – This book seems to be everywhere I turn, receiving praise from bloggers, magazines and more. So with the great reviews I thought I'd give it a try. It did sound so interesting, a can-can dancer in 1890's San Francisco. Sadly I thought it was horrible and couldn't even finish it. The storyline seemed and probably could be interesting but the way Emma writes is terrible. There was so much jumping back and forth in single paragraphs and even sentences that I really had no idea what was going on or who the characters were. I tried to go back to it, but after a few pages I'd had enough. ½ star

The Midnight Rose – Lucinda Riley – Lucinda Riley has quickly become one of my favourite authors since I read 'A Girl on the Cliff'. She has great imagination and her stories feature rich characters and beautiful story lines. I can't wait to read her next book and I recommend The Midnight Rose as well as her other books very highly. I hate finishing any of her books because it's such an enjoyable read that I hate when it comes to an end. It's like loosing a good friend. 5 stars

Mariana – Susanna Kearsley – Another one of my favourite authors, Susanna brings a lovely mix of history, supernatural and romance together. Her book The Firebird was the first of her books I read and it was just incredible, grabbing me from the first page. Mariana follows the same beautiful formula that Susanna is so well known for; however I felt that the ending of this book was a bit of a letdown. Everything ended so abruptly. Still high entertaining with wonderful characters. 4 stars

Dark Amelia – Another book that was praised by many, I was intrigued due its subject matter, Shakespeare. However again I was unable to finish this book. It was like a teenager decided to write a romance novel due to her school girl crush on Mr. Shakespeare. The characters were extremely 1 dimensional and the writing was choppy and uneven. ½ star

The House of Special Purpose – John Boyne – I've been obsessed with the Romanovs from a young age and I've read every book I can get my hands on that even remotely features them. I know Russia has said all the bodies have been located and no one survived that terrible night, but books continue to abound featuring Anastasia and her family and someone surviving. Even some of the Russian people believe their government is lying to them about the bodies. Anyway, The House of Special Purpose is a new take on an old story and one that is quite enjoyable. John Boyne brings his characters to life in a way few authors can. Even for a well known story he is able to bring his own touch to it and spin a beautiful tale. I highly recommend this book for any Romanov fan. 4.5 stars

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