Shift by Hugh Howey

Shift by Hugh Howey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 570

Publisher - Century

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

In 2007, the Center for Automation in Nanobiotech (CAN) outlined the hardware and software platform that would one day allow robots smaller than human cells to make medical diagnoses, conduct repairs, and even self-propagate. In the same year, the CBS network re-aired a program about the effects of propranolol on sufferers of extreme trauma. A simple pill, it had been discovered, could wipe out the memory of any traumatic event. At almost the same moment in humanity’s broad history, mankind had discovered the means for bringing about its utter downfall. And the ability to forget it ever happened. This is the sequel to the New York Times bestselling WOOL series.


My Review

Let me just start by saying you could absolutely read this as book one even though it is book two. It actually goes way back and gives you the history on how the Silo's came to existence. It gives you the back story of one of the characters in book one and brings you right up to the end of book one.

If you haven't read book one you should, it is good but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read this one first as I didn't understand why it was all going down and the Silo's. It is a prequel, time scale wise and we get a bit more understanding to the construction of the Silo's and the vision.

The book in parts is atmospheric, claustrophobic and it builds up to, what I think, will be the huge finale and end game for some of our main characters we met over this book and book one. I seem to be in the minority in that I actually enjoyed this one more than book one. I love to know a why and there is so much character manipulation and people at the top, in charge, just being shady and dangerous. Not only in our world as we know it but in the "new" world of the Silo's. It also looks at human behaviour, the depths some will go to when human life and existence as we know it is threatened, 4/5 for me this time. I have bought book three and hoping to finish the trilogy some time soon!

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The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 319

Publisher - Titan Books

Source - Gifted (RAK)

Blurb from Goodreads

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake, with their closest neighbours more than two miles in either direction.

As Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young and friendly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologises and tells Wen, "None of what's going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out, "Your dads won't want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world."

So begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are intertwined.


My Review

I went back and forth on this being a 2.5 or a 3 star review. There were things I liked and at least one gasp out loud moment, others I really didn't but the gasper moment tipped it to be a three. Wen is just a kid, out in the garden playing when she meets Leonard, a giant of a man, he seems harmless so she gabs away. When his pals show up Wen gets worried and goes inside to warn her dads and then everything turns. Leonard and co NEED to get inside, they need to talk to Wen's dad's it is a matter of life and death for the whole world. An apocalypse is coming but if Wen's dad's step up to the plate they can save everyone, but saving the world will come at a huge cost.

I had no idea where the book was going to go, is Leonard and his "friends" delusional or are they really there to try and save the world. The book keeps you guessing, even when giving "clues" or "proof" of the end that is to come. The book has a some serious themes, sexuality (Wen has two dads), violence, murder, faith and cause and effect, actions or lack of and consequences.

I think some people will love how the book ends, I really didn't - I get why the author went that way but it is a personal preference and it just wasn't for me. Absolutely worth reading and I did enjoy how the story was set down, this was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 3/5.

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Additional giveaway

As you guys know, April's giveaway is live (UK only as Amazon won't allow me to gift outside my own country) so I am doing a wee additional giveaway.





Up for grabs is, as pictured, a Finding Nemo totebag, a wee nail file, a magnetic bookmark and a wee comic book pin.




A wee comic book pin.




Wee cat magnetic bookmark and a wee nail file, print is on both sides.




Use Rafflecopter below to enter, good luck and feel free to share as per.

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Killing Mind by Angela Marsons

Killing Mind by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 367

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

It had seemed so simple. Get in, get the information, get out. But now they were getting inside her mind and she didn’t know how to stop them…

When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, Kim rules her death a tragic suicide.

But a visit to Samantha’s parents rings alarm bells for Kim – there’s something they’re not telling her. And, when she spots a clue in a photograph, Kim realises she’s made a huge mistake. Samantha didn’t take her own life, she was murdered.

Then a young man’s body is found in a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life.

Beneath the retreat’s cosy façade, Kim and her team uncover a sinister community preying on the emotionally vulnerable.

Sending one of her own undercover into Unity Farm is high risk but it’s Kim’s only hope if she is to catch a killer – someone Kim is convinced the victims knew and trusted.

With Bryant distracted by the emergence of a harrowing case close to his heart, and an undercover officer in way over her head, Kim’s neck is on the line like never before. Can she protect those closest to her before another life is taken?



My Review

Kim and the team is back, yaaaaay! When the team are called to a suicide everything seems as it should, sad, horrific but not suspicious. Quickly the team realise there is more to the case and the suicide is in fact a murder. Bryant is distracted by an old case he is emotionally tied to the victim and family so his eye isn't on the ball, nor Stone. Determined to get to the bottom of the case Stone puts an agent under cover to breach Unity Farm, a cult the victim is associated to. Everything looks rosey on the suface but when one death becomes two Stone knows she needs to act fast and some decisions she may come to regret!

Aw I do love Stone and the team, the investigation is always interesting, not heavy laden with details. The team have an emotional bond, to each other and invest time and emotion into those who loose their lives and those left behind. For Stone having a tough persona she is one of the good uns and looks out for her team and makes sure victims get justice.

The Unity Farm I thought was a really good and different angle to go with and into. This is book twelve in a series and it can be hard to keep things fresh. As well as crime, death, investigation - we get a look into a cult, how they get their claws into you, the "benefits" and pull for the members, control, the long reach it has and the horrific consequences it can have. Whilst this is a fiction book you only need to read into some of the well documented cases to see how well/close to reality this aspect of the book is! 4.5/5 for me this time, love Marson's creations, love the team and cannot wait to see what is next for them.

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Trust in You by Julia Firlotte Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for "Trust in You" by Julia Firlotte and my first ever tour for Rachel over at Rachel's Random Resources :D




About the book



From the moment she met him, Ella Peterson had questions. As always, though, she’s too shy to ask.

Older and sexy as hell, mysterious Adam Brook soon sweeps sheltered Ella off her feet; but is he as perfect as he appears to be, or is there more to him than he’s telling her?

Ella’s world has already turned upside down after moving from England to rural Kansas. She and her sisters were hoping for a more secure future, but instead find that life can be tough when jobs are scarce and the stakes often higher than anticipated.

When events spiral out of Ella’s control, she learns the person she needs to rely on most is herself and her instincts on who to trust in the future.

It’s just that her instincts are screaming at her to trust Adam; it’s what he tells her that makes that a problem.

Out to buy NOW UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-You-romance-intrigue-Falling/dp/1916167012

US - https://www.amazon.com/Trust-You-romance-intrigue-Falling/dp/1916167012

About the author




Julia is an avid reader of all things romance, and she has read hundreds of books across a variety of sub-genres and began writing her own novels in 2018. Four books are currently in various stages of editing and completion, the first of which is finished and will be on sale in spring 2020.

Julia has always been passionate about languages and fiction and has a degree in Languages And Trade and an A-Level in English Literature. When Julia is not writing or editing her own novels, she usually has her nose in books by other authors and is otherwise kept busy caring for her family, going to the gym and carrying out her day job. Julia lives on the South Coast of England with her two children, husband and cats.

How to contact the author

Author Website: www.juliafirlotteauthor.com Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaFirlotteAuthor/

Facebook Group: Romance Chit Chat https://www.facebook.com/groups/501897750557397/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliafirlotte

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19484358.Julia_Christine_Firlotte

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliafirlotte/

For my stop I have my review, enjoy

Trust in You: A First Love Summer Romance Full of Intrigue, Lust and Lies. by Julia Firlotte
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 276

Publisher - Self published

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

A first love summer romance full of intrigue, lust and lies.

From the moment she met him, Ella Peterson had questions. As always, though, she's too shy to ask.

Older and sexy as hell, mysterious Adam Brook soon sweeps sheltered Ella off her feet; but is he as perfect as he appears to be, or is there more to him than he's telling her?

Ella's world has already turned upside down after moving from England to rural Kansas. She and her sisters were hoping for a more secure future, but instead find that life can be tough when jobs are scarce and the stakes often higher than anticipated.

When events spiral out of Ella's control, she learns the person she needs to rely on most is herself and her instincts on who to trust in the future.

It's just that her instincts are screaming at her to trust Adam; it's what he tells her that makes that a problem.

This is the first book in the Falling for You series and ends with a 'happy for now' conclusion.



My Review

Ella Peterson is doing what she can to make ends meet and keep the family afloat. Coming from England to Kansas she has huge changes ahead. Trying her hand at selling food/produce from the farm is what brings her into contact with the older and attractive Adam. Ella is very naive with the opposite sex and relationships, Adam is very experienced in that and more. When Ella makes some bad choices to try and keep her family above board she gets caught up with some very dangerous people.

So the book is a bit of a mixed bag, mild echos of 50 shades, she is attracted to this older experienced guy, she is very innocent and gets herself into some daunting situations. You have the whole danger aspect from getting mixed up with some bad guys, being so inexperienced so flits from one situation to another, danger just around the corner. Then she would do something to show inner strength, guts, ballsy, I went back and forth on my thoughts of her pretty much the whole book!

Ella is one of those characters, well for me, I flip flopped on how I felt, sometimes I really liked her because she is so sweet, untainted, innocent then I would be frustrated at what she would do or say or be a bit remiss and end up in hot water. The author carves a good cast of characters, some really seedy, bad, dangerous, predatory - others kind, loyal, family orientated, selfless.

There is enough romance, lusty infatuation to keep the romantic readers in bliss but there was also the danger, thriller aspect of good guys vs bad guys and I really enjoyed reading these. Pacey, shocking, thriller so if you like your romance to have a bit more edge and drama you will love this. I am looking forward to book two to see what is coming next.

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The Rabbit Hunter by Lars Kepler

The Rabbit Hunter by Lars Kepler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 512

Publisher - Knopf

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The sixth novel in the Joona Linna thriller series, The Rabbit Hunter, sees the renegade detective superintendent emerging from a prison sentence to solve a bizarre and macabre crime.

Joona Linna has spent two years in a high security prison when he is taken off to attend a secret meeting. The police need his help to stop a mysterious killer who goes by the name of the Rabbit Hunter. The only connection between the victims is that they all hear a child chanting a rhyme about rabbits before the killer strikes. A quirk of fate unexpectedly places celebrity chef Rex Müller at the centre of events. He is about to spend time with his son Sammy for the first time, but instead of three relaxing weeks, he finds himself in a terrifying fight for survival. Joona Linna and Saga Bauer are forced to work together in secret to put a stop to the Rabbit Hunter before it's too late. You never know what fate has in store for you, or what might catch up with you if you don't start running right now.

Thriller maestro Lars Kepler is back with a new page-turner about Detective Superintendent Joona Linna.



My Review

I haven't read all of the previous books in the serious but I did read at least one and like it, I need to go back and read the others. Linna is in jail but the powers that be need his help to catch a serial killer, The Rabbit Hunter and the killers targets are very high profile people in society. In and out leaving no traces but he does leave a witness at the first scene, leaving the police to ponder the significance. A race against time to figure out who is the next target, how the killer is picking them and try and get to the target before the killer does.

So there are a few things to highlight in the book, there are a few graphic sex scenes so if you get upset by things like that you can get by skimming them as they aren't throughout the whole book. Animal cruelty, again it isn't through the whole book but there is enough and when it is, it is hard going. The killers name becomes clear and poor wee rabbits, really horrific to read.

The book centers around the investigation, the agencies involved and bringing Linna out of jail, we visit him just prior to this and follow him as he helps the investigation. Linna is a great character, a good guy, smart as and can look after himself (think Jack Reacher style).

Lots of action, some very questionable behaviour, murder, violence, abuse, sex, past & present as ever intertwining. Pacey and very engaging, I found the animal stuff though, brief in the bits it showed up, really difficult to get past though but relevant to the killer and background. I get the why but still find animal stuff really hard to read, 3.5/5 for me. I will absolutely be reading this author again and looking forward to the next book in the series!

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Almost Love by Louise O'Neill

Almost Love by Louise O'Neill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 314

Publisher - Riverrun

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

When Sarah falls for Matthew, she falls hard.

So it doesn't matter that he's twenty years older. That he sees her only in secret. That, slowly but surely, she's sacrificing everything else in her life to be with him.

Sarah's friends are worried. Her father can't understand how she could allow herself to be used like this. And she's on the verge of losing her job.

But Sarah can't help it. She is addicted to being desired by Matthew.

And love is supposed to hurt.

Isn't it?



My Review

Split between then and now, Sarah is our main character and everything is centered around her. The then takes us back, into before and the run up to her "relationship" with Matthew, the older man she falls for. A man who treats her pretty much as an object to be used and discarded as required and shows her views on love.

Sarah is not a likable character, the way she treats people around her is pretty shocking, she is selfish and very self involved. Then on the flip side, the way she is taken in by Matthew, a booty call plainly seen by the reader but Sarah is convinced they are an item. I think the thing I found so frustrating is we have all had a Sarah or a version of Sarah in our lives. Self destructive, self obsessed, self involved, treats those closest to her terribly and is completely oblivious to her behaviour. Yet with Matthew her blinkers are toward his behaviour, his disregard and pretty shocking treatment to her.

The book challenges the reader because you absolutely judge Sarah but can't help but feel a wee bit for her too. Her past - how it shaped her as an adult, the toxic "relationship" and treatment she accepts and sees as part of a normal relationship. She is a complex creation that I went back and forth on, I was mortified at how obsessive and needy she was, how badly she treated those around her and then allowed Matthew to treat her like that. The messages, the sexual degradation, her behaviour it makes for pretty tough reading at some parts and even emotionally exhausted to be honest. It is a bit of a deep book on some levels because you examine your own attitude(s) and judgement(s) it certainly isn't a light poolside read that's for sure. 3/5 for me this time, interesting, harsh, shocking and thought provoking, not my first by this author and it won't be my last. I can't say I enjoyed it but it gives you pause for thought that is for sure, seems to be a marmite read!

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Everything is Lies by Helen Callaghan

Everything Is Lies by Helen Callaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages -400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - gift

Blurb from Goodreads


No-one is who you think they are

Sophia's parents lead quiet, unremarkable lives. At least that is what she's always believed.

Everyone has secrets

Until the day she arrives at her childhood home to find a house ringing with silence. Her mother is hanging from a tree. Her father is lying in a pool of his own blood, near to death.

Especially those closest to you

The police are convinced it is an attempted murder-suicide. But Sophia is sure that the woman who brought her up isn't a killer. As her father is too ill to talk it is up to Sophia to clear her mother's name. And to do this she needs to delve deep into her family's past - a past full of dark secrets she never suspected were there . . .

What if your parents had been lying to you since the day you were born?



My Review

The book opens with some bad choices on a work's night out and a call from the overbearing parent. Quite a mundane start only to descend into death and near death, poor Sophia finds her mother handing and her father near death. The police reckon a murder suicide picture but Sophia can't believe it, she won't believe it, this is her parents, her ordinary normal parents. News of her mum going to publish a book comes out and sends her whole vision of who her mum was in question. Split between present day and the past when reading her mum's book we go into a world of sex, drugs and a cult. Does it have anything to do with what happened to her parents? Will she ever get the truth?

This is my first book by Callaghan, I thought it was well done as the two timelines are very different stories. Present day Sophia is trying to get over what has happened, maintain a job, visit her dad who is clinging to life and dodge all the fall out from her works night out.

Lots of surprises and revelations for Sophia as she gets to know a very different side to her mum through her book. Some of it makes for uncomfortable reading especially the stuff with her mum in the book as a younger woman. It adds to the feeling of unease and creepiness as you get deeper into the story. Easy to sink into and quick to get caught up with the characters and skulduggery, 4/5 for me.

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April giveaway

How is everyone doing? What are you doing to keep busy?




This giveaway is UK ONLY as it is for a x1 Amazon voucher for the value of £5 - I cannot gift outside of my own country so that is why it is UK only. I will get another comp up and running, book or book related and open that worldwide.




Luna is still in training as you can see. Took a few attempts to get a piccy for the comp!




We got there in the end :D to enter the comp, as usual, use the Rafflecopter below. Good luck, competition runs until the end of the month.

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The Language of Kindness A Nurses Story by Christie Watson

The Language of Kindness: A Nurse's Story by Christie Watson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Vintage

Source - Bought copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Christie Watson was a nurse for twenty years. Taking us from birth to death and from A&E to the mortuary, The Language of Kindness is an astounding account of a profession defined by acts of care, compassion and kindness.

We watch Christie as she nurses a premature baby who has miraculously made it through the night, we stand by her side during her patient’s agonising heart-lung transplant, and we hold our breath as she washes the hair of a child fatally injured in a fire, attempting to remove the toxic smell of smoke before the grieving family arrive.

In our most extreme moments, when life is lived most intensely, Christie is with us. She is a guide, mentor and friend. And in these dark days of division and isolationism, she encourages us all to stretch out a hand.



My Review

Watson takes us on her impressive career as a child's nurse and the exposure she had giving others care. The run up to how she got into care, person experiences, different areas and situations. Some of it is harrowing, some of it uplifting and as I have always known, I could never be a pediatric nurse, hats off to them.

An eye opening story about different aspects of care, pressures, fears, struggles and some of the most rewarding points of working as a nurse in these areas. There are some big words used that if you don't work in health you would need to look up, a wee glossary would have helped for non medical folk. I don't think it detracts overall from the stories though. Emotive, thought provoking and a huge thank you to Watson for the care she gave over the years to all of those patients.

I have found myself buying and reading a lot more medical books and those in other professions, it gives the public an insight into just how horrific some of these jobs are and how much it can demand from a person. 3.5 out of 5 for me this time, absolutely worth a read, have a wee tissue nearby though.

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The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content.





About the author:




Brian McGilloway is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Inspector Benedict Devlin and DS Lucy Black series.

He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. After studying English at Queen’s University, Belfast, he took up a teaching position in St Columb’s College in Derry, where he was Head of English until 2013. He currently teaches in Holy Cross College, Strabane.

Brian’s work has been nominated for, and won, many awards, including Borderlands (shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger), Gallows Lane (shortlisted for both the 2009 Irish Book Awards / Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year and Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2010), and Little Girl Lost (winner of the University of Ulster’s McCrea Literary Award 2011).

In 2014, Brian won BBC NI’s Tony Doyle Award for his screenplay, Little Emperors, an award which saw him become Writer In Residence with BBC NI.

Brian lives near the Irish borderlands with his wife, daughter and three sons.

Social Media & Links

Facebook: @bmcgilloway

Twitter: @brianmcgilloway

Website: www.brianmcgilloway.com

About the book




“Moving and powerful, this is an important book which everyone should read.” Ann Cleeves

“The Last Crossing is a brilliant excavation of the recent past.” Adrian McKinty

Tony, Hugh and Karen thought they’d seen the last of each other thirty years ago. Half a lifetime has passed and memories have been buried. But when they are asked to reunite - to lay ghosts to rest for the good of the future - they all have their own reasons to agree. As they take the ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland the past is brought in to terrible focus - some things are impossible to leave behind.

In The Last Crossing memory is unreliable, truth shifts and slips and the lingering legacy of the Troubles threatens the present once again. Out to buy NOW from Amazon.

For my stop I have my review, enjoy.

The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 380

Publisher - The Dome Press

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

“The Last Crossing is a brilliant excavation of the recent past.” Adrian McKinty

Tony, Hugh and Karen thought they’d seen the last of each other thirty years ago. Half a lifetime has passed and memories have been buried. But when they are asked to reunite - to lay ghosts to rest for the good of the future - they all have their own reasons to agree. As they take the ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland the past is brought in to terrible focus - some things are impossible to leave behind.

In The Last Crossing memory is unreliable, truth shifts and slips and the lingering legacy of the Troubles threatens the present once again.


My Review

This is my first dance with this author, we open to the scene of an execution. Tony is headed back to Scotland to face their past and the actions that cost a young man his life and impacted on theirs. Tony, Hugh and Karen haven't seen each other for years, their fate cast by an act they committed and the choices they each made.

The book splits in two, pre assassination (the past) and post assassination (present time) flipping between the two with alternating chapters. It took me a wee bit to notice, just coming off shifts, that each chapter ends and begins with a linking word or sentence, pretty nifty and well done!

The book looks mostly at Tony, main character, and how things centered around him, his feelings, job, attitude and what drew him into such a dark group, activists who met out "justice" as they see fit. His brothers death, him wanting someone to pay, a group who see him ripe for joining, all of this is set in Ireland. Then Tony flees to Scotland and the book is across the two locations although primarily Ireland I would say.

It is a dark read, how easy it is for people to get involved in a movement, killing and how small choices and actions can have huge consequences, impact and far reach even many years later. This was my first book by this author, it won't be my last 4/5 for me this time.

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