Reading Round Up 2021 #10

 Here we are again.

Another week has passed, which means it is time for another reading round up. I'll be honest I didn't think there would be much of a post to write half way through last week as at that point I had only managed to read one full book.

I was struggling to stay awake and concentrate on books.

But with review deadlines looming I managed to find some reading mojo and I have a pretty decent round up for you:

The Favour by Laura Vaughan 4 out of 5 stars 

When she was thirteen years old, Ada Howell lost not just her father, but the life she felt she was destined to lead. Now, at eighteen, Ada is given a second chance when her wealthy godmother gifts her with an extravagant art history trip to Italy.

In the palazzos of Venice, the cathedrals of Florence and the villas of Rome, she finally finds herself among the kind of people she aspires to be: sophisticated, cultured, privileged. Ada does everything in her power to prove she is one of them. And when a member of the group dies in suspicious circumstances, she seizes the opportunity to permanently bind herself to this gilded set.

But everything hidden must eventually surface, and when it does, Ada discovers she's been keeping a far darker secret than she could ever have imagined...

                                                                                                                                                                           

Now I'll admit to reading a few reviews about this book before delving in myself.

Some said it was too slow, not enough going on.

Now I'll agree that it is slow, but that meant that it was methodical. The pace was necessary for the story to work.

The details were rolled out steadily. Each chapter had a sinister atmosphere to it.

I was waiting for another piece of the puzzle to be revealed. Left with an uneasy feeling the more that I read (in part due to the narration from the protagonist) and my thoughts on certain characters were proved entirely wrong as I neared the end of the story.

Intelligent, immersive and imaginative. What Laura has written is a clever creation of literature.

Astonishing.

The Favour is a novel that will leave you with a chill whilst longing for a trip to Italy! The emotions stirred up are ever so conflicting and I have to say I liked that.

The Lip by Charlie Carroll 5 out of 5 stars

Away from the hotels and holiday lets, there is an unseen side of Cornwall, where the shifting uncertainties of the future breed resentment and mistrust.

Melody Janie is hidden. She lives alone in a caravan in Bones Break: a small cliff-top on Cornwall's north coast. She spends her time roaming her territory, spying on passing tourists and ramblers, and remembering. She sees everything and yet remains unseen.

However, when a stranger enters her life, she is forced to confront not only him but the terrible tragedies of her past.

The Lip is a novel about childhood, isolation and mental health, told in the unique and unforgettable voice of Melody Janie.

'All of this is Bones Break. All of this is mine.

I know every inch of it; I know it as intimately as the seagulls. I stand at dead-centre, my feet teetering on the edge of the lip. Below, the thundering tattoo of waves on rock. Wind catches the tips of my hair, lifting them above my ribs: less force than it takes to knock me down; enough to make me right myself with a step to the left, and then another back again. Here on the lip, it is vital to know where my feet are.'

                                                                                                                                                                           

The Lip is a unique, delicate debut.

A sorrowful yet beautiful tale with a broken yet heartening protagonist.

Covering the subjects of mental health, family, grief and loss. Charlie writes in a way that is sensitive and gentle.

Each chapter infused with intricate details.

This is a story that paints an unexpected but poignant picture of Cornwall. I felt like I could actually be there.

Filled with unanticipated emotion, by the end I felt strangely at peace.

I feel as though reading this book should be compulsory.

The Players by Darren O'Sullivan 5 out of 5 stars

In this game it’s kill or be killed.

A stranger has you cornered.

They call themselves The Host.

You are forced to play their game.

In it one person can live and the other must die.

You are the next player.

You have a choice to make.

This is a game where nobody wins…

                                                                                                                                                                           

I'll be joining the blog tour for this explosive book in May so I shall keep this brief.

Just WOW.

This is a high stakes novel, fast paced and edge of your seat reading from start to finish. 

I was highly impressed with the author's writing style and I know it is cliche to say but the twists and turns in this book were beyond impressive. Honestly, I could never have guessed any of the outcomes as the occurred.

I'm currently reading Another Life by Jodie Chapman, what's the next book on your list to read?