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I read a lot of books and I write about them on here. Mummy Geek is sometimes a guest blogger....people seem to love her.....Oh and you can find me on Twitter.....@book_geek_says. Shortlisted for Blog of the Year by the 2015 Love Stories Awards...THANK YOU!!

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Review: The Hitchcock Murders

Publisher: Cutting Edge Press
 
I read this book a long, long time ago so I'm running off notes, again, sorry, do forgive me, I will catch up!!...
 
I will start with this, I met GC at a CEP book launch once. He's a really nice chap and we had a really good laugh....so I'm going to feel rather bad that this isn't going to be the most positive review...however, this shows you allllll how impartial and brutally honest I am.
 
I'll start with the positives:
- I liked how the book touched on the whole racism/pc-ness of life is taking over in the police force and the grabby hands of politics are getting in the way/controlling things.
 
 
I'm afraid I now go on to the middles:
- This would make a great Luther-esque TV series. It would be brilliant on the screen.
- The main characters would be even better on TV than they are in the novel, it seems to be a series pitch and not so much novel.
 
Now the bad, I'm sorry:
- This doesn't really fit into the CEP realm for me. The books CEP publish are all unique and you wouldn't necessarily find a publisher elsewhere brave enough to print them. This was just too main stream and run of the mill....bums.
- Also, the book is conflicted with there being not enough to pad a novel but at the same time too much in some scenes for the written word to 100% convey what's going on. The multiple plots were too much for a book such as this but at the same time, it was too trivial and superficial for a novel.
 
All in all, this would be a great TV series and I look forward to watching it!
 
BG


Friday 22 January 2016

Review: The Finding of Martha Lost

Publisher: Doubleday
 
I was rather thrilled when this came through my letterbox as not only do I love Caroline and her work, but I was exited to get my mits on this from the moment I heard it was being written! BOOM
I'm going to start with the style. CW defo has one and it's a style that I adore. I find it wonderful to read and get stuck into and it always feels like it's come from a very emotional and deep place. It's gorgeous.
 
Now the characters. They were amazing and all in their very own ways. Martha was so individual and unique and naïve, yet warm and troubled and loving. William was a total babe and well, what can I say about Elizabeth but, wow, I fell in love with her a little.
 
Then the bad guys, well, Max is such a twat and he was a really good meany of a character. And Mother....urrrrgh!
 
The story was lovely also, you can see that CW loves Liverpool and did an epic amount of research on the Beatles. And being a big Beatles fan this aspect went down a treat! 

I was talking to Book Cunt about this read over a glass or 5 of wine on Monday night, and yeah, I agree, this is a fairy tale style novel, but it's a fairy tale for grown ups. You'll laugh, you'll love, you'll cry and you'll really hate, but in the end, you'll leave this book feeling happy and joyous.

A really great read from a very talented author.

Happy Reading

BG
:-D

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Review: Ecko Endgame

Publisher: Titan Books
 
This is the last and long awaited Ecko book...but damn do I wish I had read the others closer to it.
 
I know that the other two were awesome and I loved the mash up of fantasy and scifi as the two world's collided but damn the plot points are most vague now...however, I did remember enough to get on board with this book and find it to be a darn good conclusion to a rollercoaster of a journey.
 
The characters continued to be complex, layered and mental in all their own special ways. And whilst the contrast of fantasy and scifi wasn't so stark in this final instalment, the lines of good and evil were blurred beyond recognition and that was AWESOME.
 
The changes in the characters as they went on with their own battles also made the conclusion of this book really satisfactory. It was full of passion and sadness but joy did rear it's head.
 
 
It's been a great trilogy to read and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. But a word to the wise, read them close together.....
 
Happy Reading
 
BG
:-)

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Review: Playthings

Publisher: Galley Beggar
 
Hey All, I'm trying to fit in writing reviews amongst what's a busy work and life time, so do forgive me for the sporadic-ness...also please forgive me for the reviews and maybe their lack of umph..I'm writing lots from notes!
 
 
On with the book.
 
I was delighted with the fact that this book is based on real things. I like a book like that as much as I enjoy a wild crazy fantasy novel...yes I'm rather fickle.
 
The novel wasn't as surreal as some other GB books I've read and that was rather nice too. It is always great to see publishing houses producing a wide variety of genres, it's refreshing and shows that they have an eye for a great read in general, not just under a certain formula.
 
As much as I enjoyed the novel it was really sad to see the mental disintegration of one man and the mental health treatment received. It really touched a nerve with me and in some instances broke my heart a little bit.
 
What I was most surprised about was how easily this book reads. I didn't really notice turning pages. I just kep turning and turning with no realisation that I was.
 
So, overall, I really enjoyed this book. It did make me feel sad but it as a beautiful sadness.
 
Happy Reading
 
BG
:-)