June Wrap Up

Sorry for the silence guys but i had a busy month celebrating my birthday and visiting people and working! I have managed to get a fair few read and will plan a  separate review for the Mara Dyer Series and The Lunar Chronicles Series (I’m on Cinder at the moment!)

Let’s get on with the reviewing!

Non-Ficiton:

• Instrumental by James Rhodes

I read this in one 4hr sitting from 10pm until roughly 2am in the morning. This was a much anticipated book for me because when i heard about the overturning of the appeal surrounding the book and how it could now go on sale, i knew i HAD to get it!

This is a memoir from the concert pianist, who is well known for his tv programs on mental health, the situation of music education in schools, and classical music. I found the book was a mixture of heart warming, upsetting, up lifting and funny This book isn’t just for fans of Mr Rhodes but for individuals who do need hear that there are stories similar to theirs’ out there and things do get bad and they do get better. I was brought to tears in three separate places in the book because of my own issues i’ve had with self harm and eating disorders. James Rhodes’ has a beautiful writing style that manages to be simple and eloquent at the same time.

Trigger warning: This book reflects on suicide, suicidal thoughts, self harm,and abuse on a small child and the lasting effects. It also features heavily love and friendship and mountains of support. Stars Awarded: 5/5

• The Four Sisters by Helen RappaportThis took me a while to read as i find non-fiction that isn’t an autobiography bit of a struggle (example “The God Delusion” 2 months). I’ve been fascinated with the Romanov Family since i was a child and i still love the animated film Anastasia, even though i knew it wasn’t historically accurate. It took me two weeks to read it and i would’ve got through it sooner if i didn’t put it down for a week and a half. The Romanov’s story is told in a way that is exciting but informative as well. The story is interwoven with excerpts from diary entries from the family members’, associates, and others connected to the last Tsar and the Imperial family. Stars Awarded: 4/5

Graphic Novels:

• My Friend Dahmer by Derf Blackderf

This is a part non-fiction, part fictional telling of the childhood year of the serial killer Jeffery Dahmer. It’s a funny, upsetting and sober telling of what may have happened in Dahmer’s life. Stars Awarded: 4/5

• Fashion Beast by Alan Moore/Malcom Mclarane

This re-telling of beauty and the beast takes place in an alternative world location. Belle is now a cloakroom attendant at a night club and the beast is a fashion designer who was convinced by his mother that he was the epitome of ugly. It’s a very good retelling that offers a different alternative comapared to the original story. Stars Awarded: 4/5

• Miss Perrigrin’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I have the graphic novel version of Ransom Rigg’s famous book and i own the normal version of the book as well! This month my tbr jar gave me this one to read! I loved how the story used colour to help denote what time period the story was in. The story follows a young boy who starts to experience weird things when his grandfather dies and this forces him ti visit the island his grandfather lived on. It’s a sweet and touching story. Stars Awarded: 4/5

• Saga V1 and Saga V2 by Brian K. Vaughan

I finally found the first two parts of Saga in a local library and read them in two hours! The plot of the story was told clearly and in a way that encompassed both humour and heart into it. The story could be applied to any situaton in the world today and i can’t wait to get the remaining volumes! Stars Awarded: 4/5

Fiction:

• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I started this month by listening to the Mara Dyer Series on audiobook as i have wanted to read these for such a long time! I thought the first book was intriguing and surprising and the way Mara is portrayed can be a bit annoying at times but i loved how she acted towards her family, Jamie and, Noah Shaw (who i fancy a bit). The book is paromance aimed at teens and it does have several overused themes  and tropes but i was able to ignore that and really enjoyed the first book! Stars Awarded: 4.5/5

• The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkinn 

The second book in the series offered a new set of problems for Mara and Noah. This book did not feel rushed and you can definitely tell the growing of love between the two as the book progresses. The action sequences were al-right but the culmination in the final part of the book was shocking and a BIG cliff hanger. Stars Awarded: 4.5/5

• The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I did not listen to the third book in the series as quickly as the other two but my goodness, what a way to wrap up the series. The story becomes a continual action sequence where the reader is finally given answers to a majority of questions created by the first two books. It also acts as a way of asking psychosocial question such as if you could punish someone with no consequences at the end, would you? I loed how the series ended and this is probably my fourth favourite series currently! (under Harry Potter #1, Hunger Games #2, Sookie Stackhouse #) Stars Awarded: 5/5

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I caved in and finally read the much hyped up Gone Girl and i thought that as a mystery novel it was good but neither Amy or Nick were particularity likeable characters. After i finished reading, i came to the conclusion that Amy was a sociopath for treating Nick that way. I think the “punishment” she created for him was too extreme but it seemed to fit in with her earlier childhood behaviour. I think the book was good but i think it was over hyped as it is not the best mystery with an unreliable narrator. Stars Awarded: 3.5/5

• We Are Completely Beside Oursleves by Karen Joy Fowler

I thought that this novel was average unfortunately. Even though, i found it easy to read, i did not think the reveal was that surprising or a worthwhile twist. It definitely did not shine compared to some of these books on this list here but it was a decent read. Stars Awarded: 3.5/5

• Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

This is the first ever Kate Atkinson book i’ve picked up and i was impressed by the way she told these seemingly unconnected stories that the main character, a Private Investigator, must solve. What surprised me the most about the book was how the humorous elements would randomly appear and as a reader it would throw me off the course of the story slightly. It was still a bit serious but a charming little mystery novel!  Stars Awarded: 4/5

• 22 Little Dead Bodies by Stuart MacBride

This was a book i won in a give-away a while ago and it did not appeal to me very much. The only reason i read it at first was that it was roughly 150-190 pages long. I was surprised when i actually started to enjoy it . I felt that the book could’ve been longer as there was quite a lot of things happening with two or three separate plot lines happening at once and at times, it felt a bit cluttered for my liking. I still thought it was a good little mystery novel with all considered. Stars Awarded: 4/5

• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I was unsure picking this up as this was based Siobham O’Dowd idea for a novel that she never got to finish due to dying of cancer. I had read her work before and i hadn’t liked it very much. I did not find this book as emotional as other people had done. The way it was told was very good and i loved how the book did not tell explicitly how each character was responding to the mother dying of cancer but through the way they spoke and the way they acted at key moments, it was obvious how it was affecting them.  Stars Awarded: 3.5/5

• Bone Season by Samantha Shannnon

I hate comparing books but this felt like a new version of the hunger games but aimed at an older and more mature audience. The main character, Paige Mahoney, is fierce and tough and supernatural. This dystopian is fast paced and addictive and i never wanted to finish it! I loved this book and can not wait for the sequel to come out.  Stars Awarded: 5/5

• The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom 

I really wanted to like this book but it verged on being a bit too preachy about God. I know the premise is phone calls from heaven but that doesn’t mean it has to feel like the over ridding theme is religion is good. It had a clever tiwist towards the end though which did surprise me.  Stars Awarded: 3.5/5

Much love my book friends!

Bebe XXXXXX