Book thoughts: The stranger times by C.K. McDonnell.

 

When Hannah finds herself almost penniless in Manchester, and in desperate need of a job, she unwittingly finds herself thrust into the crazy world of the strangers times newspaper. Her new boss an eccentric and incredibly moody Irish man, quickly has her doubting her choices. But desperate times call for desperate measures and at this point, what has she got to lose. 

This book is full of vivid and exciting characters and will keep you laughing from the very first page, to the very last. 

McDonnell is a talented writer, who has a knack for keeping you intrigued, and a very unique and wonderful writing style. 

I've not come across his books before but would certainly be interested in reading more of his books in the future. 

As always a big thank you to NetGalley, C.K. McDonnell and his publisher, for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

If you would like to know more you can read the blurb and pre-order a copy of your  very own by clicking here. This book will be released on January 14th 2021. And is currently available in ebook, audio and hardback formats. 

Book thoughts: Girl in the walls, by A.J. Gnuse.

    When Elise's parents die, she suddenly find herself all alone in the world. Transported by officers to a foster home far away from all she knows and loves, but closer to some family members, she barely knows, she decides to take matters into her own hands and flee. 

    Lost and alone she heads for the only place that ever felt like home, somewhere that holds the most memories of those she loved most. The home she grew up in. 

    But a new family lives there now, the ones who brought it after he family sold it, for somewhere smaller. But Elise doesn't care, she has to be their and she knows it better than anyone else, all it's hidden spaces, secret nooks and the gaps between the walls. 

    

    Girl in the walls is an enthralling tale, heart breaking, yet charming. The characters are well developed and interesting and Elise's character is explored so deeply, her emotions, her thoughts and it's wonderful. 

    

    The only thing I didn't like with this book is that it would suddenly ramble of topic, into a lot of description intended to set the scene and help you place yourself there, and at times that was great, at others I found it just rambled a bit too much and I would become distracted and start to lose the flow and my absorption in the book and grow bored. 

 That said, it is just a minor irritant and the story itself is lovely and definitely worth a read. There are lots of tense moments, that keep you locked to your seat, desperately needing to know what's going to happen next. 

    And you really feel for Elise and the boys of the house too. A lovely book and something a bit different, which is always nice. 

    Again thank you to NetGalley, A.J. Gnuse and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I've really enjoyed it and think I might need to grab myself a physical copy for my bookshelves. 

If you'd like to read the blurb or pre-order your own copy you can do so by clicking here. It's currently available for Pre-order  as a hardbook, or ebook. And will officially release on March 18th 2021. Happy reading. 

Book thoughts: Glassheart by Katherine Orton

Blurb: 
An enchanting magical adventure set in the wild moors of Dartmoor – the second middle-grade novel from the bestselling author of Nevertell.

Through the glass, the magic is waiting…

Nona and her uncle travel everywhere together, replacing stained-glass windows in war-torn buildings. When a mysterious commission takes them to the lonely moors of Dartmoor, Nona discovers a wild and powerful magic which threatens everything. Can Nona protect those she loves – even if it means fighting darkness itself?

My thoughts: This is a fast paced, action packed story, that draws you in quickly and keeps you hooked from start to finish. 

Katherine’s writing style is smooth, and enticing. It flows beautifully which makes it very easy to lose yourself in her magical world and enchanting tale. 

Her characters are believable and well crafted. Her settings and descriptions make it easy to imagine yourself there alongside Nona and Caster. Feeling what they feel, in a way that other books often fail to do. 

This is a definite must read for fantasy lovers and a book I could see any one being able to enjoy. It certainly one I’ll be recommending to my son, as I know he would love this. I’ll certainly be reading more by this author in the future.