Tag: book review

Book Reviews

Book Review: A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am excited to be bringing you my book review for A Million to One.

I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible.

A Million To One Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was first interested in this book because it mentions the Titanic, which is one of my biggest interests, and then when I saw that it featured four girls coming together to commit a heist I was sold. I bought it and read it the first day it came out in my local bookshop. I loved most of the elements that came together in this book, it really has that high tension dramatic twists feature that you need in this kind of book.

A Million to One Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The four main characters in this book are Emilie, hannah, Violet and Josefa. I have to say I loved Josefa’s character, she was methodical and intense and really knew how to lead a group. Violet on the other hand, for me personally, I really did not get along well with her character. I thought she was antagonistic for no reason and this frustrated me to no end while reading the book.

A Million To One writing and dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’m not sure what age range this book falls into but the writing style is a little young in the words and the pacing but at some points the actions do not match this younger age style.

A Million to One overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars because I really enjoyed it and I was not expecting the ending.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time‘s Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean’s 8 makeover in a heist for a treasure aboard the infamous ship that sank in the Atlantic many years ago.

A thief. An artist. A acrobat. An actress. While Josefa, Emilie, Hinnah, and Violet seemingly don’t have anything in common, they’re united in one goal: stealing the Rubaiyat, a jewel-encrusted book aboard the RMS Titanic that just might be the golden ticket to solving their problems.

But careless mistakes, old grudges, and new romance threaten to jeopardize everything they’ve worked for and put them in incredible danger when tragedy strikes. While the odds of pulling off the heist are slim, the odds of survival are even slimmer . . .

Perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Girl in the Blue Coat, this high-seas heist from the author of The Henna Wars is an immersive story that makes readers forget one important detail— the ship sinks.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Love in the time of serial killers by Alicia Thompson

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am excited to be bringing you my book review for Love in the time of serial killers by Alicia Thompson.

I will be giving star ratings to four categories and writing a little bit about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible.

Love in the time of serial killers plot:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This book is about Pheobe, a PhD student studying true crime who becomes suspicious of her new neighbour. I will be honest I was expecting a lot more tension from the whole ‘is he dangerous’ plotline than there actually was. For me, it ended way too quickly because I would have liked a development from this suspicion into actually trying to figure out if he is and from there the romance could bloom as they say but the book decides he isn’t dangerous only a few chapters in. I did like the PhD plotline, I mean I am also doing a PhD in crime fiction so I saw a lot of similarities between myself and Pheobe in this bit.

Love in the time of serial killers characters:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

I am actually struggling to write this bit because I can’t remember much about the characters, I wasn’t invested in them or what happened to them enough to actually remember them.

Love in the time of serial killers writing and dialogue:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The writing in this book was good, it was clear and well structured. I did like the pacing of it in terms of the length of the chapters.

Love in the time of serial killers overall:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I gave this book three stars overall because it was okay, it definitely was not the worst book I have read but I don’t think it was for me.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn’t exactly conducive to modern dating—and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she’s used to suspecting the worst.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years.

It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). It’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.

Book Tags

Cupid Book tag!

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. As it is February I thought it would be fun to do some Valentine’s themed book tags, starting with the Cupid Book Tag I am doing today – which I found on rootingbranches.com.

What’s the perfect sweets to eat while reading?

I don’t usually eat while reading but if I did I would be more partial to a biscuit then to sweets.

What is a song that reminds you of your favourite romance or your favourite romantic song?

Hmm… my favourite romance book would be Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell but I don’t really know a song that could link to it but my favourite romance song is probably So Good it hurts by Olivia Lane.

If you were to go on a perfect reading date where would it be?

That is a very good question, I think it would be somewhere overlooking water, a river or something but it would only work in the spring because I hate bugs, anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I will not be outside in a field when there are bugs around.

What’s the best friendship you have read in a book?

Another very difficult question, I think I would have to choose Kellen and Reichus in the Spellslinger series be Sebastien de Castell.

Create the perfect bouquet for your favourite book or character

I would have to choose Sorcery of thorns by margaret rogerson, Nathaniel would bring Elizabeth a bouquet of roses made form pages of books that he would have haphazardly glued together.

What romance do you not necessarily need a whole sequel for you just want to check in on them and make sure everything is okay?

By the book definitely, I adored that book and I would love to know what has happened between the characters since the book ended.

What date in a book or movie do you wish you could go on yourself?

Strangely I have read this question and every book/movie date I know of has left my mind. Instead why don;t you all answer this question in the comments, what date would you want to go on?

What is your favourite nickname from a romance?

I can’t think of an answer for this one either!

Most anticipated romances of 2023?

The secret service of tea and treason by India Holton which is being published in April of this year.

That is it for this book atg, I hope you have all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am excited to be bringing you one of my favourite reads so far this year – Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood.

As usual, I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.

Death Comes To Marlow Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book is the second in the Marlow Murder Club series by Death In Paradise writer, Robert Thorogood. It has some of the best mystery elements, an expensive manor house, a locked room mystery and every suspect has an alibi. For me personally I love these types of mystery stories because it is all about the puzzle, I knew pretty much from the beginning who the murderer was but the fun for me was figuring out how they did it.

Death Comes To Marlow Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The three main characters in this novel are Judith, Suzie and Becks. Three woman who, in other circumstances, should not get along as well as they do. Their relationship is started in the first book in the series but it gets developed much more in this novel. I love how each character is so different, there are parts about each of them that can grate on me but it is balanced out by their brilliant amateur detective skills.

Death Comes to Marlow Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The writing style Thorogood uses is extremely cosy which is the style I think fits this type of mystery best, it stops the darkness of the crime overtaking the whole novel and lets it stay enjoyable.

Death Comes to Marlow Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because I thoroughly enjoyed it, even more than the first book in the series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

It’s been an enjoyable and murder-free time for Judith, Suzie and Becks – AKA the Marlow Murder Club – since the events of last year. The most exciting thing on the horizon is the upcoming wedding of Marlow grandee, Sir Peter Bailey, to his nurse, Jenny Page. Sir Peter is having a party at his grand mansion on the river Thames the day before the wedding, and Judith and Co. are looking forward to a bit of free champagne.

But during the soiree, there’s a crash from inside the house, and when the Marlow Murder Club rush to investigate, they are shocked to find the groom-to-be crushed to death in his study.

The study was locked from the inside, so the police don’t consider the death suspicious. But Judith disagrees. As far as she’s concerned, Peter was murdered! And it’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find the killer before he or she strikes again…

Monthly TBRs

February TBR

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am excited about everything that will be going on this month, and the books I have chosen to read. First of all there is the February Valentine’s edition of the Chopped Readathon that I host with my friend @plaid_reader. There will be more information coming soon about this so let me know if you are interested in taking part!

My February TBR!

Sense and Second Degree Murder by Tirzah Price

Murder in the House on the Hill by Victoria Walters

Winterhouse by Ben Gutterson

The Accidental Medium by Tracy Whitwell

Everyone in my family has killed someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

Daughter of smoke and bone by laini Taylor

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Agency of Scandal

Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

The secret society of irregular witches

Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey

Monthly Wrap Ups

January Wrap Up!

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I am back with my January wrap up. This month has really been a rollercoaster for me, I had a huge assessment – my RDC2 exam for my PhD which was a written essay and a presentation, incredibly stressful but I passed which is great and I got offered a research assistant job, I also applied for another job but I haven’t heard back yet. Anyway, January was a good month for my reading. At the end of last year I was reading maybe one book a month but with a few days left to go I have done so much better to start this year.

Onto the wrap up!

  • Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson – I did not read this, I haven’t been in the mood for much fantasy with all the stress I have turned to lighter reads – and of course murder mysteries
  • A Gathering of Shadows by V E Schwab – I did not read
  • Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T A Willberg – I did not read this
  • A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross – I did not read
  • The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake – I did not read this
  • The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi – I did not read
  • Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – I did not read
  • House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune – I did not read
  • Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – I did not read
  • The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson – I did not read
  • Love in the time of serial killers – I did read!

So, from my TBR I only read one of the books but other than the TBR I read: Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood, A Million to one by Adiba Jagirdar and A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. That means I have read 4 books this month which is really great for me.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Very Merry Murder Club by Robin Stevens and Serena Patel

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am bringing you a book review for one of the books I read in December, The Very Merry Murder Club.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not give any spoilers.

The Very Merry Murder Club Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The very merry murder club is a collection of thirteen short stories set around winter and christmas with a murder/mystery element to the plot. Each of the stories in this collection are very different to each other but thoroughly enjoyable. Two of my favourites were the one about the burglar mother and the other favourite was the one about the mixed up music with two dance groups.

Because of all the different stories I can’t really comment on the characters the way I usually do in my reviews.

The Very Merry Murder Club Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I like to judge the writing in books on the speed I read the books and in this case I flew through the book while travelling by coach to London a while back. It was so easy to just keep reading, even though each story was written by different people I hardly noticed which I think is a good sign.

The Very Merry Murder Club Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really enjoyed this book, it was perfect for reading in the winter months so that is why I gave it four stars.

Blurb/Synopsis:

A wintery middle grade mystery collection of short stories by thirteen of the most exciting and diverse authors in children’s books today!

Co-edited by Serena Patel, the award-winning author of the Anisha: Accidental Detective series and by Robin Stevens, author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series.

Sleuthing through the snow, on a merry mysterious day, in disguise we go, investigating all the way . . .

This gorgeous Christmas hardback gift of a collection brings together thirteen of the bestselling, award-winning and exciting debut authors: Abiola Bello, Annabelle Sami, Benjamin Dean, E.L. Norry, Elle McNicoll, Dominique Valente, Joanna Williams, Maisie Chan, Nizrana Farook, Patrice Lawrence, Roopa Farooki, Serena Patel and Sharna Jackson.

Join them as part of the Very Merry Murder Club as they lead you on a snow-covered wintery journey of Christmassy crimes, festive foul play and murderously magnificent mysteries!

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Book Review: The Magic Faraway Tree by Jacqueline Wilson

theblindscribe

happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. Today I am bringing you the book review for The Magic Far-away Tree by Jacquline Wilson.

I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.

The magic faraway tree plot:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This is a modern take on Enid Blyton’ original series, following a similar plot of a family moving to the cottage and discovering the faraway tree and the lands that appear at the top. For me there was too much that just didn’t work about this story, it comes down to the feeling and it didn’t give me the same feeling as the original series did.

The magic faraway tree characters:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

the characters follow the same idea as the original series, one older boy and two younger sisters but I felt that in this book they could have been made into more shapely characters, they felt very 2D. Silky, moon face and the people at the faraway tree were just as great as they were in the original series.

The magic faraway tree writing and dialogue:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The writing was great in this book, it was full of the same kind of magic that you expect in childrens fantasy stories.

The magic faraway tree overall:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

overall I thought this book was fine but not as good as the original series was better.

Discover the Magic Faraway Tree and explore the amazing lands it can lead to! An irresistible new story by bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson, set in a much-loved world.

Three kids, Milo, Mia and Birdy, are on a countryside holiday when they wander into an Enchanted Wood. Among the whispering leaves, there is a beautiful tree that stands high above the rest. The Magic Faraway Tree is home to remarkable creatures including a fairy called Silky, her best friend Moonface and more. Birdy is delighted to find that fairies are real. Even her older brother and sister are soon won over by the magic of the Faraway Tree and the extraordinary places they discover above it, including the Land of Unicorns. But not every land is so much fun. Danger looms in the Land of Dragons. Will Moonface’s magic work in time to save the children?

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton was Jacqueline Wilson’s own favourite book as a young child. Now Britain’s favourite contemporary children’s author, creator of Hetty Feather and Tracy Beaker, revisits this glorious magical world, weaving a brand-new story perfect for the next generation of young readers. Discover the magic!

that’s it for this book review I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: the real life murder clubs by Nicola Stow

theblindscribe

happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today, I am bringing you a review for the latest book I have read which is the real life murder clubs by Nicola Stow.

as usual I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one and I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

The real murder clubs plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book is all about the real life cases that have been solved by amateur sleuths through the internet and it appeared at the exact moment I needed it in my research for my PhD. It is a raw and honest account of exactly what happens to the amateur sleuths involved in these stories, they can become obsessed it can take over their whole lives in a pursuit for justice. I’ll be honest I found a lot of moments In this book very emotional.

usually, I’d do a category here about characters but as this is a nonfiction book I can’t for this one.

The real life murder clubs writing and dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The writing in this book is incredibly moving. Written by a journalist who is completely separate to the people and stories included in this book and yet she captures the feelings they are talking about in an astonishing way.

The real life murder clubs overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because it was enjoyable in the way that something so raw and honest could be.

The story behind real-life clubs of ordinary citizens who come together to solve true crime mysteries—including the sleuths behind Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

In 2019, Netflix had a hit with documentary series Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. It was based on one of Canada’s most infamous crimes: the 2012 murder of thirty-three-year-old Lin Jun by his porn-star boyfriend, Luka Magnotta, in Montreal. Magnotta filmed himself killing and (apparently) eating parts of his victim; he also mailed Jun’s feet and hands to two Canadian political parties and two elementary schools.

Prior to Jun’s murder, though, Magnotta had anonymously posted online videos of himself killing kittens. Horrified Facebook sleuths worked tirelessly to uncover the kitten-killer’s identity and location. Armchair detective Deanne Thompson, a data analyst for a Vegas casino by day, spent countless hours researching Lithuanian doorknobs, among other things, to help identify items in Magnotta’s videos during her quest to unmask him.

Nicola Stow reveals the fascinating stories behind this and and similar cases in which ordinary citizens, in real-life murder clubs, as in Richard Osman’s bestselling fiction, help to investigate crimes, both recent and cold cases. Includes the cases of Casey Anthony, John Wayne Gacy, JonBenét Ramsey, Golden State Killer, Boston Marathon bombings, and many more.

that’s it for this book review I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Tags, Uncategorized

New Year Book Tag!

theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is 2023 and what better to start the book tags off with a New Years one.

I found this tag on andonshereads.Wordpress.com

How many books are you planning on reading in 2023?
I always set my goodreads at 100 but whether I meet that target or not is yet to be seen. In 2022 I did not meet it and in 2021 I did so it changes all the time.

Name 5 books you didn’t read in 2022 but want to make a priority in 2023?

kingdom of the feared by Kerri Maniscalco, Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson, Once upon a broken heart by Stephanie Garber, Sabriel by Garth Nix and the way of the argosi by Sebastian de Castell.

Name a genre you want to read more of in 2023?

mystery, specifically murder mysteries.

Three non bookish goals for 2023

I have posted a special post mentioning my goals for 2023 so if you’d like to see my goals go and check that one out.

What’s a book you’ve had forever and still need to read

there are so many answers I could give for this but I’m going to go with the city of brass by s a chakraborty because I keep picking it up to read it but never actually do.

and finally, 1 word for what you want 2023 to be: happy.