Book reviews Archives - Page 21 of 28

29Nov 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove is a heart-warming book about a grumpy old man whose melancholic and monotonous life is turned upside when a new family move in next door. Ove begins to see that there may be some light when he thought his only light was gone. [caption id="attachment_1448" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest[/caption] The reason I picked up A Man Called Ove is similar to that for why I pick up a lot of books - I had seen a lot of good things about it, it looked like not a long commitment and I had the kindle version of it ready to go. I knew it was going to be a lighthearted read but I didn’t realise it was going to get me so damn emotional. Plot…

26Nov 2021 by Luke Harkness 5 Comments

Book Review: We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller

I’d not heard of We Begin at the End before I bought it. I bought it because it was £2 on Amazon. But wow - it blew me away and it may well be the best £2 I’ve ever spent on anything ever. Read on to find out why. [caption id="attachment_1441" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] We Begin at the End tells the tale of Walk, Duchess, Vincent, Robin, Star and a whole cast of incredible characters from a backwater town in America. It tells two tales: that of a murder in the town and who the killer might be and that of Duchess and Robin, two children who deserve so much more from life. Plot – 4.5/5 We Begin at the End tells the tale of Walk’s attempt…

18Nov 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

Book reviews, Fantasy

The final book in The Poppy War series is The Burning God. It’s a book that aims to round up a vast ongoing war and give us a satisfying end to a tale that was nominated and has won some high fantasy awards so far. Does it do the series justice? [caption id="attachment_1417" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] The Burning God follows on from The Dragon Republic. The Burning God tells the tale of how Rin aims to overthrow the dragon republic and how she hopes to put one final end to this war and reclaim the land and put an end to the evil that has spread across the land. Plot – 4.5/5 The plot of The Burning God is fantastic. It’s a sweeping journey across over 600…

14Nov 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Book reviews, Fantasy

I think if you’re a fan of YA fantasy, you’ll likely have heard of Laini Taylor and the Daughter of Smoke & Bone book. - I certainly had. So when I saw the incredible deal to get all three books in the series on Amazon for £5, I jumped at the opportunity and picked them up. [caption id="attachment_1404" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Daughter of Smoke & Bone is the first book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series which focuses on Karou and her exploration of where she came from and how truly important she is to stop a war that’s lasted thousands of years between two mythical factions in another world. Plot – 5/5 Karou fills her days drawing in her sketchbook everything around her,…

13Nov 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller

Orphan X is the first book in the Orphan X series featuring Evan Smoak, also known as the Nowhere Man. It’s an action thriller featuring a man spoken only in whispers with a very high-level set of skills called upon by those in the most desperate circumstances looking for his help. Cool premise huh? [caption id="attachment_1400" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that the article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Orphan X via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. In my attempt to try out all the different notable entries in the action/thriller genre, Orphan X was a…

10Nov 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

Book reviews, Fantasy

The Dragon Republic is the second book in The Poppy War series written by R.F. Kuang. The first book was a huge success in the fantasy community with the Asian-inspired fantasy setting really drawing fans into some unique and fun. But does the sequel live up to the original? [caption id="attachment_1380" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that the article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Dragon Republic via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. I’ll start out by suggesting you go and read my review of The Poppy War before starting my review of The Dragon Republic…

01Nov 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review: Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

Book reviews, Crime, Mystery

Along Came a Spider is the first crime/action thriller in the critically and commercially acclaimed Alex Cross series. If you’re a fan of crime fiction or action books, you’ve likely heard of James Patterson and you’ve also likely heard of Alex Cross. [caption id="attachment_1339" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that the article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Along Came a Spider via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Along Came a Spider focuses on the story of the kidnapping of two high-powered individuals’ children. There are some focuses on race and equality, there is an interesting storyline…

30Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review: Atonium: A Thread of Existence by J G Maughan

Book reviews, Sci-Fi

Atonium: A Thread of Existence is a book I was sent to review by the author. In fact, it’s the very first book I’ve been sent to review by an author. It’s a science-fiction novel featuring some fantastic theoretical elements and some engaging discussions about God. [caption id="attachment_1327" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this book was sent to me for the purposes of a review. I do not receive any financial or another gain from posting this review and the review is of my own honest opinion. Also, note that the article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Atonium: A Thread of Existence via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support…

27Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Book reviews, Classics, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

You may well have heard of the very successful TV series The Handmaid’s Tale but did you know it’s based on a very successful book by the same name, written by Margaret Atwood? Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Handmaid's Tale via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. [caption id="attachment_1313" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] The Handmaid’s Tale tells the first-hand story of Offred, a Handmaid who lives in Gilead where women are no longer free and must survive by obeying the whims of their commanders. It's mainly a first-hand account of her experiences…

24Oct 2021 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Book reviews, Fantasy, Mystery

Piranesi is a fantasy book that has you guessing throughout. Piranesi, though he’s sure that’s not his name, lives in a large house with many corridors and rooms with walls lined with thousands of statues. There is only one other person in this house: The Other. [caption id="attachment_1305" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Piranesi via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Piranesi is a fascinating book to read. It’s told from the point of view of Piranesi who tells us of the life he lives in a house with…

Category: Book reviews