Luke Harkness, Author at Luke’s Blog

24Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: The Retreat by Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards is an author I found through Kindle Unlimited; I subscribed for three free months and decided on this book as I was in the mood for a sort of “cabin in the woods” sort of theme. When I read the blurb that this book was about a man who goes away for a writer’s retreat and the people whom he lives with start to act oddly, I was hooked. [caption id="attachment_1015" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any of the products via the links embedded, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you that supports the running of the blog. These links do not affect my opinions of the products.…

20Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Luke’s Book Quiz Round 3

Features, Quizzes

Here's the moment I know you've all been waiting for... the third book quiz on my blog! I try my hardest to make these questions that I know the answer to before I write them, otherwise, it doesn't feel quite as fun to me. If I just threw random questions at you about books from all over the place, it wouldn't feel quite as interesting for me to write. No, I knew the answer to all of these before I wrote them OR they're based on books I've read and I think a lot of people will have read and will find interesting. Enjoy! (more…)

18Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Book reviews, Historical Fiction

I think Shuggie Bain is likely on everybody's "to-be-read" list after winning the 2020 Booker Prize award. It's a tale that spans over a decade and tells the story of deep sorrow and struggle between a boy and his mother. [caption id="attachment_996" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to your Pinterest![/caption] Please note this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Shuggie Bain via the links provided, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my opinion of the book. Shuggie Bain is the name of the son of Agnes Bain whose life has thrown constant pain and abandonment at her. She's an alcoholic and the story tells the tale of Shuggie's and her own experiences…

16Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller

When I wrote my Goodreads review for The Woman in the Window, I pretty much only read Sci-Fi and Fantasy books. Therefore, I was coming at it from the angle of someone who was used to much larger, grander and imaginative storylines. But I still adored this book for a lot of different reasons. [caption id="attachment_991" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to your Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase The Woman in the Window via any of the links in this post, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my opinion of the product. The Woman in the Window is a book that not only explores…

14Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Book reviews, Crime, Mystery, Thriller

I picked up The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides simply because I’d heard very good things about it. I read it during its big hype and I'm very glad that I did. There wasn’t a moment during reading it where I wasn’t utterly fascinated with what was going to happen next. [caption id="attachment_980" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] The Silent Patient is one of those novels where you’re kind of just reading along and then all of a sudden it clicks as to what the purpose of the novel is and you’re utterly drawn in. It does also help that I read this during lockdown last year during a wonderful summer. Plot – 4/5 The Silent Patient follows the story of Alicia Berenson and Theo Faber. Alicia was a…

11Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

10+ FREE ‘This or That’ templates for your Instagram stories

Features, How to, Tips and Tricks

Instagram stories are a fantastic way to keep people coming back to your Instagram profile. When you open Instagram, you can instantly see about three Instagram story icons, whereas you can only see one or two posts, therefore, already you've got more of a chance of being seen if you post to Instagram stories. Plus, with Instagram stories, there're so many more ways to engage with people. Hold polls, hold votes, get people to answer things for you, invite people to ask you questions, get them to slide a fire emoji and so much more. The more people interact with your stories, the further up you'll appear in their stories list and then inevitably their Instagram feed too as they begin to interact with your posts too. [caption id="attachment_975" align="aligncenter"…

09Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Book reviews, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

I Am Number Four is a book I’ve had on my Kindle for quite some time and I was in the mood for a short read. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore is the book I chose to pick up. The idea had me quite intrigued too. A cracking premise doesn’t always result in the most entertaining book though. [caption id="attachment_953" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] I Am Number Four focuses on one 14-year-old boy who comes from another planet and his guardian. There are nine who came to earth and they’re being hunted in order. Number 1-3 have been hunted and killed and Number Four is next. All fairly obvious. Plot – 3/5 As mentioned above, the premise for this book sounds quite neat. There’s the potential…

07Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

110+ Questions for your Question of the Day on Bookstagram

Features, Tips and Tricks

I've recently discovered Bookstagram and have realised it's a fantastic community with some genuinely kind and helpful people. It's a community full of people wanting to engage and have conversations about books. Something I've noticed with Instagram though is that you must keep posting daily or it'll throw you out of the algorithm and you'll be lost in the void, not receiving any engagement. [caption id="attachment_948" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via these links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. If you're looking for something to post and don't have any articles or book reviews to upload then something great to do is…

05Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Book reviews, Fantasy

I’ve seen the first Divergent film and unfortunately, I’ve caught glimpses of the sequels too. This left me with a fairly poor taste in my mouth about the whole series with the feeling that it felt very “samey” to any other generic YA dystopian novel. However, after reading (listening mostly) to the book, my opinion has massively changed. [caption id="attachment_941" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Divergent is set in an alternative future where the world has been broken down into five factions, none of whom seem to get on overly well. At sixteen years old, you must choose which faction you wish to join based on their virtues and way of life. A fairly simple premise but one that Veronica Roth explores every avenue of. Plot – 4/5 Beatrice…

04Aug 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Book reviews, Fantasy

The first novel in the Dresden Files series, Storm Front introduces us to the character of Harry Dresden, wizard and paranormal investigator for the people of Chicago. It’s a great premise but a rocky start to the series. [caption id="attachment_934" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this review contains affiliate links. This means if you choose the purchase Storm Front via any of the links in the article, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These affiliate links do not affect my opinion of the final product. Plot – 3.5/5 Storm Front is the first in an ever-expanding series by Jim Butcher. In the first novel, Harry Dresden, our protagonist, finds himself embroiled in a magical battle with…

Author: Luke Harkness