Books Of The Month: January

Books Of The Month: January

Tuesday, 5 February 2019

If you didn't know, I've started reading all the time now. Gone are the days of aimless scrolling (who am I trying to kid?), maybe they aren't quite gone but they're less intense now. Broken up with getting lost in a good book. Every month I'm going to document every book I've read and give it a little rating, hopefully this will give you recommendations to fill your year of reading. If you haven't got the bug yet, I've got a post coming soon about how I fell back in love with it, so stick around for that. Here's my year in books so far:

The House Swap - Rebecca Fleet

The idea of a house swap is terrifying in itself but this book really opens up the idea that you'd never really know who was in your home. Caroline and Francis jump at the chance of a house swap for a week away to reconnect. It seems the person they've swapped with is someone she used to know, but someone she's desperate to leave in her past.

I don't know what to say about this book. I just loved it. It twists and turns in a perfect way and you'll never guess what's coming next. I loved the thrill of the unknown with this book, you never really know what's going on until it hits you square in the face like a brick. It's wonderfully written, I read it over two days in two sittings but it's easily a book you could binge in a day without stopping. I'm already waiting for Rebecca's next release, The Second Wife, which comes out in 2020. SO LONG.

Perfect Liars - Rebecca Reid*

If you've read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty then you'll adore this book. I've been dying to read it ever since I heard about it's release and it did not disappoint. Sixteen years ago, best friends Nancy, Georgia and Lila committed a terrible crime. They have never spoken about it. But now, in their thirties, one of them wants to talk. Three woman walk into dinner, but only two will leave. This book delves into the lives of woman tied together because of their past and telling the story of what really happened that night.

Alternating chapters lead you through the story of what their big secret is, hooking you in right from the beginning. Another book that's so intense you just don't want to put down at all. The characters are relatable in so many ways but also unlikable, much like a true representation of a lot of female relationships. Do people really like the girls they were best friends with at school or are they all sticking together because of something terrible they did when they were sixteen? Who knows! A thrilling read that isn't wrapped up with a perfect ending but crime is never that perfect is it?

Perfect Liars is released on February 21st, via Transworld books.

I Owe You One - Sophie Kinsella*

Fixie Farr has to fix EVERYTHING. That's the sole theory throughout the book. The idea of an IOU is played on throughout this book, between Fixi and Sev. Taking their turns to help each other out after Fixie saved this handsome strangers laptop from a disaster in a coffee shop, Fixie never intends to call upon the favour but then Ryan, her massive teenage crush, walks in.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book to be quite honest, I read a lot of Sophie Kinsella's books when I was younger as my mum seemed to own every single one and I used to pinch them to read. I found myself relating to Fixie a lot, as someone who has tried to fix many people in the past I was nodding along all the way through and eye rolling at how similar our mistakes were! A refreshing change from all the crime / thrillers I've been reading recently and something I'd definitely recommend. An easy, uplifting and relatable read that you'll laugh along to.

I Owe You One is released on February 7th, via Transworld books.

Friend Request - Laura Marshall 

Maria Weston wants to be friends with me but Maria Weston died more than 25 years ago... A thrilling book about social media, what's not to love? I devoured Friend Request very quickly and couldn't stop reading until I knew the ending. The mean girl clique bullying leads a telling story which ends in a missing girl, no body found. Flipping between two timelines, now and then, paints the story of what happened all those years ago whilst linking the current to each part. It's claimed to be an addictive read and I can wholeheartedly agree with this, the ending is a horrible shock to the system and something I never guessed at all. Laura Marshall has slotted herself into my list of must read authors with this engrossing book.

No One You Know - Michelle Redmond*

Her sister was murdered. The killer never found, until now... All her childhood Ellie Enderlin had lived in her sister’s shadow. But then Lily was murdered and their family changed forever. When I picked this book up I was excited to race through it and find out who really murdered Ellie's sister but I found the book so hard to read. The book has the main murder storyline mixed together with two sub storylines about mathematics and coffee. It's all a bit of a jumble to read, flicking between the three is hard to follow. The mathematics is too intense, full of calculations and theorems that made my brain hurt trying to understand. I wanted to enjoy it and persevered through to the end to find out the murder story (which was actually a good twist) but I just found it a bit of a boring read. 

Killing It - Asia Mackay 

Meet Alexis Taylor. A mum returning to work after maternity leave seems simple enough, right? Not so much when you're a trained assassin trying to be home for bath and bed every night. Everyone tells her as a woman she can't do it, Alexis is on a mission to prove them all, this bad ass mum can.

This book has been sat on my TBR for a while and I've been dying to get stuck into it. It's right up my street and it didn't disappoint at all. It completely swept me off my feet of expectation, delivering one of the funniest, well written books I've read in a while. It tells an important story of woman struggling to thrive in a male dominated work place, especially just after giving birth. A sharp read, I couldn't stop turning the pages but it's completely different to any normal thriller. This one keeps you on the edge of your seat with humour thrown in to bring it back to a relatable woman in work level. LOVED IT. I cannot wait for the sequel. 

Louis & Louise - Julie Cohen*

Louis and Louise are the same person born in two different lives, only different by the pronunciation of a boy or a girl in the delivery room, following two different stories of how their lives play out. They both suffer one life changing night with different consequences and flee their home, only to be called back 13 years later by their dying mother. 

An originally brilliant and thought provoking book. It was confusing in a good way throughout, the alternating chapters linked by ‘Lou’ chapters tying their stories together in that moment in time really brought it all together. I’ve not read anything quite like it before but if you love Celeste NG’s books, I’d definitely recommend this. I've got Julie Cohen's 'Together' to read in the near future as I loved this one so much. 

January was a good book month, managing to read 7 books. I'm well on my way to 52 books this year, fingers crossed! What was your favourite book this month?

*CONTAINS BOOKS SENT BY PR BUT ALL REVIEWS ARE MY OWN