Hey Guys,
Today i thought i would talk to you about books series i would Recommend to everyone to read. I have thought long and hard which books i would recommend and came up with my top five books series as reading a series you tend to learn more about the characters more and they tend to follow on with each other. There is a bit of everything in my selection, just no si-fi as i have never really been into si-fi.
I would like to start by saying these are all my own opinions, if you have a few favorite books write it in a comment below and i will try and read the books.
My Top 5 Book Series.
1) Harry Potter By J.K.Rowling.
Who hasn't already read these books or even seen the films? Even though i am going to be 21 in September i still love these films and books. I also will be visiting Warner Brothers Studio soon I'm so excited. I find them very cleverly written for both children and adults to enjoy. Each book has it's own little twist and i love how the books follow on with each other. As these came out as i was growing up, these books were a huge part of my childhood and still are even though i am an adult. I still believe my mother hid my letter to Hogwarts haha. As you may or may not know there are 7 books to this series and 8 films. The titles of these books are: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows. You can purchase them books from Waterstones, Amazon and Ebay. You can purchase the films from and DVD shop where you live or Ebay or Amazon.
2) Scarpetta Novels By Patricia Cornwell.
As mentioned in a past blog here, i am a huge fan of the Patricia Cornwell novels. I would recommend everyone to read at least one of these stoires as they are gripping and keep you hooked. I would recommend reading the series in order as you get to know the characters more, but even if you read an odd book from the middle or the end it doesn't matter as they all have there own little story to them. The Scarpetta novels is an expanding series, just recently another book has been published by Patricia Cornwell called The Bone Bed and there will hopefully be more . In order so far the Titles are: Postmortem, Body of Evidence, All that Remains, Cruel and Unusual, The Body Farm, From Potter's Field, Cause of Dealth, Unnatural Exposure, Point of Origin, Black Notice, The Last Precinct, Blow Fly, Trace, Predator, Book of the Dead, Scarpetta, The Scarpetta Factor, Post Mortuary, Red Mist and The Bone Bed. All these can be purchased from Waterstones, Ebay and Amazon. If you would like me to review each of these books one by one let me know in the comments below.
3) Twilight By Stephenie Meyer.
As most people will have read the Twilight series and will have probably have watched the films also, there isn't much i will say as these speak for themselves but it is still one of my favorites book series of all time. Like Harry Potter these have also come out in film. I loved these books and each time a new films comes out i re-read all of the stories again as i am a big Twilight geek. I will say one thing that annoys me still to this day is why is it called the Twilight series? The first book was called Twilight yes but not all of them go on about Twilight. I think this will be the futures Romeo and Juliet, and i think our children will study this in literacy as we studied Romeo and Juliet or The tale of Two cities. There are four books and five films. The titles of these books are: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Braking Dawn. You can Purchase the books from Waterstones, Ebay and Amazon. You can purchase the Dvds from and Dvd shop by where you live or Ebay or Amazon.
4) Shopaholic Series By Sophie Kinsella.
The shopaholic series i started reading after i had watched Confessions of a Shopaholic film. I loved the film so much i wanted to read the books too right away and it didn't take me long to buy them. I have read all of the Sophie Kinsella's books and found them easy to read and they grab the reader from cover to cover, i did think that the end was a bit obvious with the first novel though but the books get better with each book. The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic and Confessions of a Shopaholic is the same book, but was re-written as Confessions of a Shopaholic for the film. I would like there to be other films for the other books as i think they would make great films as a chick flick comedy. The Shopaholic Series in order is: The Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Abroad, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, Shopaholic & Baby and Mini Shopaholic. You can purchase the book from Waterstones, Ebay and Amazon. You can purchase the Dvd from any Dvd shop by where you live or Ebay or Amazon.
5) The Series of Unfortunate Events By Lemony Snicket.
This series is really more for children than adults but i had to put this in my top 5 as this was my favorite book series when i was growing up and i read this series 7 times whilst i was growing up. These books helped me see how easy i had it as a kid, as these characters were always in trouble, i also used to wish me and my bothers and sister were like the characters in these novels as they were close and kind to each other but we never were a close family unfortunately . The series of Unfortunate Events came out as a film and as a game and i had both, but as i grew up and my sister had her first baby (my nephew) he heard about it and wanted the books and stuff and so i gave them to him and he loves them and still does now and he's 10. My nephew used to get me to watch the film with him all the time and read the books to him too, also as my sister has had more children since my nephew (she has four now) each child has had this series read to them and they all love it, so i know it's a winner with the children and it also a series i will be re-purchasing for my children, when i have children of my own. There 13 books to this series and they are: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, The Miserable Mill, The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital, The Carnivorous Carnival, The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate peril and The End. You can purchase these books from Waterstones, Amazon and Ebay. You can purchse the Dvd from and Dvd shop by where you live, Amazon and Ebay. You can purchase the game from Amazon and Ebay.
I hope you enjoyed this top 5 book series. Leave a comment below of you favorite series or tell me if you have read any of these. Don't be scared to recommend any book to me i'll try anything.
Laura xx
*Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I have added a few sites where to purchase these books but some like Ebay or Amazon may have stopped selling them.
Tuesday 28 May 2013
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Where i purchase my books.
Hi,
Today i thought i would tell you the places i tend to buy my books from. Unsure if some shops are in other countries and also i am unsure if the online it ships abroad, but maybe you could tell me where you get your books too.
Waterstones is one of my favorite places to go to buy books. I have the app on my phone which keeps me up to date with top sellers, new books and pre orders, so i can see what are popular aswell as what is coming soon. i love Waterstones as it has a big selection to choose from, and they also do good gift ideas.
WHSmith i tend to into WHSmith when i want to look at magazines or see what books are on offer. WHSmith do sell other stuff, but in the shop near me, it has a floor upstairs just to books and as you may have read in my book haul post here i had a few good bargains from WHSmith. I tend to buy books from WHSmith with a newspaper as they have great deals, if you buy a certain paper you can buy a book for £1-£2.99 which i think is a good way to promote books.
The Works is my favorite place to buy books. I love the shop and the wide selection of the books you can choose from, sometimes you do have to wait a month or two to buy a new book but you get a great deal with it so it is worth the wait. the works don't just sell books, dvds, cds, toys, arts and crafts and also novelty stuff too. I tend to go into the works to buy 3 books for £5 or 2 for £3.
ASDA don't have a great selection of books as the ones i have already mentioned but they are always up to date and usually have 2 for £7 offer, which i don't mind paying for a Brand new book that just came out. Also Asda tend to do sales every now and again with books for £1 or £2.
Other supermarkets i purchase my books from are Tesco and Morrisons.
Car boot sales are good places to get books, but don't always expect them in perfect condition,but with the right price you can't moan. Some charity shops are good places too look, but sometimes you tend to find books for the older generation more in these types of shops.
If i am looking for certain book that i need a series i tend to shop on Ebay. Type in title or author or both and ebay will find it for you. I tend to shop on Ebay if i am missing a book out of series of books and need it to finish the series. Ebay has both a uk site and all around the world site which i think is good.
I hear Amazon is also a good place to get books, but i am yet to purchase anything off there. i have been told by many people it is as good as Ebay but i myself have never tried it.
I hope this helped you out a little on where to purchase books on the web or even if any of these stores are close to you. I would be glad to hear where you get your books from too if you have any different places to myself.
Laura xx
Today i thought i would tell you the places i tend to buy my books from. Unsure if some shops are in other countries and also i am unsure if the online it ships abroad, but maybe you could tell me where you get your books too.
Waterstones is one of my favorite places to go to buy books. I have the app on my phone which keeps me up to date with top sellers, new books and pre orders, so i can see what are popular aswell as what is coming soon. i love Waterstones as it has a big selection to choose from, and they also do good gift ideas.
WHSmith i tend to into WHSmith when i want to look at magazines or see what books are on offer. WHSmith do sell other stuff, but in the shop near me, it has a floor upstairs just to books and as you may have read in my book haul post here i had a few good bargains from WHSmith. I tend to buy books from WHSmith with a newspaper as they have great deals, if you buy a certain paper you can buy a book for £1-£2.99 which i think is a good way to promote books.
The Works is my favorite place to buy books. I love the shop and the wide selection of the books you can choose from, sometimes you do have to wait a month or two to buy a new book but you get a great deal with it so it is worth the wait. the works don't just sell books, dvds, cds, toys, arts and crafts and also novelty stuff too. I tend to go into the works to buy 3 books for £5 or 2 for £3.
ASDA don't have a great selection of books as the ones i have already mentioned but they are always up to date and usually have 2 for £7 offer, which i don't mind paying for a Brand new book that just came out. Also Asda tend to do sales every now and again with books for £1 or £2.
Other supermarkets i purchase my books from are Tesco and Morrisons.
Car boot sales are good places to get books, but don't always expect them in perfect condition,but with the right price you can't moan. Some charity shops are good places too look, but sometimes you tend to find books for the older generation more in these types of shops.
If i am looking for certain book that i need a series i tend to shop on Ebay. Type in title or author or both and ebay will find it for you. I tend to shop on Ebay if i am missing a book out of series of books and need it to finish the series. Ebay has both a uk site and all around the world site which i think is good.
I hear Amazon is also a good place to get books, but i am yet to purchase anything off there. i have been told by many people it is as good as Ebay but i myself have never tried it.
I hope this helped you out a little on where to purchase books on the web or even if any of these stores are close to you. I would be glad to hear where you get your books from too if you have any different places to myself.
Laura xx
Wednesday 15 May 2013
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas By John Boyne.
Hi,
Today i thought i would review one of my favourite books and also the film of the book. I love The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, it is in my top ten books and also top ten of favourite films. I read the book first as i always do, as i feel if you watch the film first you don't have to use your imagination and also you knows going to happen, and yes watching the film second you would know how it ends, but your own imagination and the way the films are made are usually different. Plus books seem to be more graphic and films tend to miss little bits out.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Synopsis(Book):
Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us... Nine-year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust.He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives in a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas. Bruno's friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process.
To be honest i didn't think i would enjoy this as i tend not to enjoy books based in or around world wars, but this is a great read. With only 216 pages a medium sized font i did read this in one sitting as i couldn't put it down. I would recommend this to everyone as it truly is a great book, it is written in third person and i like how you get to know each character slowly. I wasn't very good with history at school but this book taught me alot. I would rate this book a 4.5 out of 5, i just wish it was longer.
Now on to the film, i won't write the synopsis on the DVD case it pretty much says the same as the book synopsis. This film is very very close to the book, nothing was changed, no big chunks were missing and the pictures were beautiful. The costumes and make up were spot on and the actors and actress' used for each character were definitely the right choice. Although the book didn't make me cry, the film did. The film is an hour and a half long so short but sweet like the book. I have watched this film over and over and i still never get bored. The film certificate is 12, but i think 8+ would be okay to watch this.
Well today is a shorter blog than last time but i hope you enjoyed it.
Laura x
Today i thought i would review one of my favourite books and also the film of the book. I love The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, it is in my top ten books and also top ten of favourite films. I read the book first as i always do, as i feel if you watch the film first you don't have to use your imagination and also you knows going to happen, and yes watching the film second you would know how it ends, but your own imagination and the way the films are made are usually different. Plus books seem to be more graphic and films tend to miss little bits out.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Synopsis(Book):
Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us... Nine-year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust.He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives in a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas. Bruno's friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process.
To be honest i didn't think i would enjoy this as i tend not to enjoy books based in or around world wars, but this is a great read. With only 216 pages a medium sized font i did read this in one sitting as i couldn't put it down. I would recommend this to everyone as it truly is a great book, it is written in third person and i like how you get to know each character slowly. I wasn't very good with history at school but this book taught me alot. I would rate this book a 4.5 out of 5, i just wish it was longer.
Now on to the film, i won't write the synopsis on the DVD case it pretty much says the same as the book synopsis. This film is very very close to the book, nothing was changed, no big chunks were missing and the pictures were beautiful. The costumes and make up were spot on and the actors and actress' used for each character were definitely the right choice. Although the book didn't make me cry, the film did. The film is an hour and a half long so short but sweet like the book. I have watched this film over and over and i still never get bored. The film certificate is 12, but i think 8+ would be okay to watch this.
Well today is a shorter blog than last time but i hope you enjoyed it.
Laura x
Friday 10 May 2013
A Book Haul
Hi,
Over the past week and a half i have bought a selection of books to review. Some may be old stories now but a great book is a great review. All were purchsed from The Works, WHSmith or Asda and these weren't purchased on the internet.
The books purchased from The Works:
Catch Me By Lisa Gardner. Synopsis: In FOUR DAYS, someone is Going to KILL ME... Charlie Grant's two childhood friends. Same day. Same time Exactly one year apart. Now Charlie, as the lone survivor, believes that at 8pm on 32st January, she will be next. Boston's top homicide detective, D.D.Warren, has never worked a case like this. And the deeper she delves into Cahrlie's claims, the more D.D begins to question her story. Because Charlie can outfight and outrun anyone she meets and she doesn't plan on going down without a fight. Is she truly the next victim, or is Charlie herself the biggest threat of all....?
The Sacred Sword By Scott Mariani. Synopsis: An ancient sword. a long buried secret. One man will uncover the mystery..Returning to the UK to try to sort out his stormy personal life, Ben runs into two old friends. Simeon and Michaela were once his fellow students at Oxford - now they are The Reverend and Mrs Arundel. Ben senses that Simeon is deeply troubled and frightened, but before the truth can emerge about his secretive research project concerning a mysterious, ancient 'sacred sword', both he and Michaela are killed out in a devastating road crash. Convinced that his friends' deaths were no accident, Ben is propelled on a global quest from the UK to France, the Holy Land and America to unlock the enigma of the sacred sword. At every step, he is pursued by ruthless agents of the sinister organisation that will stop at nothing to acquire it. In the course of his investigations, Ben will discover an incredible secret, not just about the history of Christianity but about his own past ...
Exposed By Alex Kava. Synopsis: Agent Maggie O'Dell believes she's responding to a threat, but instead walks into a trap. The killer's weapon is a deadly virus, virtually invisible and totally unexpected. Maggie knows dangerous minds - from hauntingly perverse child predators to cunningly twisted serial killers Now Maggie must find clues to catch the killer - whilst waiting to see if the lethal strain is already multiplying in her body. With every new exposure there's the potential for an epidemic. And Maggie knows she may not live long enough to stop the nightmare scenario becoming devastating reality.
The Violet Hour By Richard Montanari. Synopsis: Johnny Angel is found brutally murdered with a dead prostitute in his bed and a needle full of heroin in his arm. It's all the more shocking because he's a priest. But when Dr Bennett Marc Crane, a prestigious plastic surgeon, is the next victim of a vicious attack of the same manner, it becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose...And as this homicidal maniac exacts his vengeance upon more innocent victims, evidence of another long-buried crime is uncovered. One that starts with a Halloween celebration at an exclusive college party twenty years ago and ends with a murderous plan for delayed revenge. For Nicky Stella, a hungry journalist, this is just the sort of sordid story that could land him a cover article. But when he digs a bit too deep, the killer's attention turns towards Nicky and he must find the killer before he becomes the next victim...
Fireproof By Alex Kava. Synopsis: When a building bursts into flames on a cold winter night in Washington, DC, investigators see a resemblance to a string of recent fires in the area. There is one difference, however: this one has a human casualty. The local team insists they're looking for a young white male, suffering from an uncontrollable impulse to act out his anger or sexual aggression. But when FBI special agent Maggie O'Dell is called in, everything she sees leads her to believe that this is the work of a calculating and controlled criminal. Jeffery Cole, a reporter looking for his big break, is at the scene of the crime and decides to make Maggie part of his news piece, digging up aspects of her past that she would rather forget. As the fires continue to light up around the city, Maggie also crosses paths with her brother Patrick, now back in DC and working as a fire-fighter. As the acts of arson become more brazen Maggie's professional and personal worlds are set on a dangerous collision course. Little does she realise that the killer may be closer than she imagines...
The Abduction By Mark Gimenez. Synopsis: When hotshot lawyer Elizabeth Brice turns up to collect her daughter Grace from football practice, the coach tells her she needn't have bothered, as Grace's uncle has already picked her up. The only problem is - Grace has no uncles. And so begins a furious race against time to save Grace from unknown kidnappers. Grace's internet geek father John leads the search, forced to unite with his terrifying wife and even more terrifying father Ben, a battle-hardened Vietnam veteran. Somehow they must find Grace before it is too late. But secrets from the past make the little girl's survival more uncertain with every passing minute...
The books i purchased from Asda:
Seizure By Kathy Reichs. Synopsis: The Virals' home on Loggerhead Island is under threat, and only one thing can save it: a lot of money. A 300-year-old legend Rumour has it that notorious pirate Anne Bonny hid her treasure somewhere in Charleston in 1720. No-one knows where, but Tory Brennan - great-niece of famous forensic anthropologist Dr Tempe Brennan - is certain that the Virals can work out Bonny's cryptic clues. A deadly path - It isn't long before the Virals are on the right track. But they aren't the only ones searching for the treasure. Someone is following them, and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Dead bodies litter the trail. Time is running out before the island will be sold. Will the Virals' special powers be enough to save them?
Flash and Bones By Kathy Reichs. Synopsis: FLASH! Illuminated by lightning, a lifeless human hand seems to reach from a barrel of asphalt beside the Charlotte racetrack. Forensic anthropologist Dr Tempe Brennan must find answers before thousands arrive for the year's big race. But before she can carry out a proper examination, the FBI mysteriously confiscate and destroy the body. It's a dead end. Until a young engineer alerts Tempe to the disappearance of a couple twelve years earlier - and a deadly conspiracy unravels.
The Da Vinci Code By Dan Brown. Synopsis: Harvard professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in Paris: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes. As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci - and suggests the answer to a mystery that stretches deep into the vault of history.Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, a stunning historical truth will be lost forever...
The books i purchased from WHSmith:
The Doomsday Prophecy By Scott Mariani. Synopsis: When ex-SAS operative Ben Hope decided to give up rescuing kidnap victims in favour of the Theology studies he abandoned years before, he should have known that fate would decide differently. Searching for missing biblical archaeologist Zoe Bradbury, Ben finds himself embroiled in his riskiest mission yet. What is the ancient secret that Zoe uncovered? And just who is willing to do anything to protect it? The investigation leads Ben from Greece to the American Deep South and the holy city of Jerusalem, and he soon discovers that it's not just his and Zoe's lives on the line, but those of millions, threatened by a fundamentalist plot to gain ultimate power. The stakes are terrifyingly high as Ben races to prevent a disaster that could kick-start apocalyptic events as foretold by the Book of Revelation...
Relentless By Simon Kernick. Synopsis: Saturday afternoon: you're with the kids in the garden when the phone rings. It's your best friend from school. Someone you haven't seen for a few years. It should be a friendly call catching up on old times. But it's not. This call is different. Your friend is panting with fear, his breaths coming in tortured, ragged gasps. Someone is inflicting terrible pain on him. He cries out and then he utters six words that will change your life forever...the first two lines of your address.
Life Support By Tess Gerristen. Synopsis: Control was the word Dr Toby Harper lived by. She strove to keep her life in order, her ER in order. But no one could have been prepared for the man she admits one quiet night to the Springer Hospital. Delirious and in critical condition, he barely responds to treatment. And then he disappears without trace. The subsequent search leads Toby to a second patient with the same infection. And it reveals an unsettling twist - the infection can only be spread through direct tissue exchange. Soon Toby's on a trail that winds from a pregnant sixteen-year-old prostitute to an unexpected tragedy in her own home. Only then does she discover the unthinkable: a terrifying and deadly epidemic is about to be unleashed ...
The Hard Way By Lee child. Synopsis: Jack Reacher is alone, the way he likes it.He watches a man cross a New York street and drive away in a Mercedes. The car contains $1 million of ransom money. Reacher's job is to make sure it all turns out right - money paid, family safely returned. But Reacher is in the middle of a nasty little war where nothing is simple.What started on a busy New York street explodes three thousand miles away, in the sleepy English countryside.Reacher's going to have to do this one the hard.
Dead Simple By Peter James. Synopsis: It was meant to be a harmless stag night prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Grace - a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife - is contacted by Michael's beautiful, distraught fiancee, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison's whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot to gain - more than anyone realizes. For one man's disaster is another man's fortune...Dead simple..."
Dark Harbour By David Hosp. Synopsis: Scott Finn worked his way out of Boston's toughest neighbourhood to become a rising star in the city's most elite law firm. When the body of Natalie Caldwell, one of his closest colleagues, and former lover, is found floating in Boston harbour - her heart surgically removed from her chest - it appears she is the seventh victim of 'Little Jack', the Jack-the-Ripper-style murderer terrorizing Boston. But police detective Linda Flaherty isn't so sure. With Natalie's death, Finn inherits a coveted, high-profile assignment that could clinch his career: one involving a terrorist train bombing. But as Finn learns more about the circumstances surrounding Natalie's death, the fabric of the life he has created begins to tear. Suddenly he finds himself the prime suspect in her murder. Finn needs to save himself, and the only way is to dig into the secrets of Natalie's life. The case leads Finn and Flaherty from the crime-ridden streets of Charlestown to Boston's courtrooms and morgues, and from the gilded enclaves of the power brokers to the darkest recesses of a serial killer's mind.
Risk By Dick Francis. Synopsis: As an amateur jockey, Roland Britten was lucky; as an accountant he was zealous. He knew he was on the hate list of several fraudsters, but never thought pen-pushers got kidnapped - not from a racecourse. Not after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The identity of the kidnappers unknown, the reason behind Britten's abduction is a mystery. Then, with the help of old school headmistress Hilary Pinlock, he escapes and begins to use his accountant's logic to track his abductors down. But they have other ideas ...
The Return By Hakan Nesser. Synopsis: An unmissable hospital appointment is looming for Inspector Van Veeteren when a corpse is found rolled in a rotting carpet by a young child playing in a local beauty spot. Missing head and limbs, the torso is too badly decomposed for forensic identification - bar one crucial detail ...Circumstantial evidence soon points to a local man, a double murderer who disappeared 9 months before, shortly after being released on parole; a local hero turned monster after being convicted of killing two women over a span of three decades. Recuperating after an operation, Van Veeteren is nevertheless directing investigations from his hospital bed, for he is convinced that only the innocence of this new victim can be the motive for his murder. But the two women have been dead for long enough for any evidence to have died with them ...And is he a little like Inspector Morse can be on occasion simply on the wrong track completely?
The man from St Petersburg By Ken Follett. Synopsis: It is just before the outbreak of World War I and Britain must enlist the aide of Russia. Czar Nicholas's nephew is to visit London for secret naval talks with Lord Walden, who has lived in Russia and has a Russian wife, Lydia. But there are other people who are interested in the arrival of Prince Alexei: the Waldens' only daughter, Charlotte -- willful, idealistic, and with an awakening social conscience; Basil Thompson, head of the Special Branch; and, above all, Feliks Kschessinky, the ruthless Russian anarchist. No one could have foretold that Lydia should recognize Feliks, or that she might put her own daughter's life at risk for his sake. As the secret negotiations progress, the destinies of these characters become ineluctably enmeshed. And as Europe prepares for the catastrophe of war, the final private tragedy which will shatter the complacency of the Waldens is acted out.
Stone Cold By David Baldacci. Synopsis: Casino king and vicious thug Jerry Bagger is hunting Annabelle Conroy, who conned him out of millions. Stone and his colleagues must marshal all their resources to protect her. Yet their skills may not be enough when a deadly new opponent rips off the veneer of Stone's own mysterious past: Bagger's menace pales next to Harry Finn's lethality. As bodies and institutions topple, the story rockets toward a shattering finale that will leave the survivors of this explosive tale changed forever ...
Those are all the books and their synopsis' which i have recently purchased. If you want me to read and of these and review them straight away please let me know. Sorry it was such a long post.
Laura xx
Disclaimer: All products were purchased by myself and all opinions are my own.
Over the past week and a half i have bought a selection of books to review. Some may be old stories now but a great book is a great review. All were purchsed from The Works, WHSmith or Asda and these weren't purchased on the internet.
The books purchased from The Works:
Catch Me By Lisa Gardner. Synopsis: In FOUR DAYS, someone is Going to KILL ME... Charlie Grant's two childhood friends. Same day. Same time Exactly one year apart. Now Charlie, as the lone survivor, believes that at 8pm on 32st January, she will be next. Boston's top homicide detective, D.D.Warren, has never worked a case like this. And the deeper she delves into Cahrlie's claims, the more D.D begins to question her story. Because Charlie can outfight and outrun anyone she meets and she doesn't plan on going down without a fight. Is she truly the next victim, or is Charlie herself the biggest threat of all....?
The Sacred Sword By Scott Mariani. Synopsis: An ancient sword. a long buried secret. One man will uncover the mystery..Returning to the UK to try to sort out his stormy personal life, Ben runs into two old friends. Simeon and Michaela were once his fellow students at Oxford - now they are The Reverend and Mrs Arundel. Ben senses that Simeon is deeply troubled and frightened, but before the truth can emerge about his secretive research project concerning a mysterious, ancient 'sacred sword', both he and Michaela are killed out in a devastating road crash. Convinced that his friends' deaths were no accident, Ben is propelled on a global quest from the UK to France, the Holy Land and America to unlock the enigma of the sacred sword. At every step, he is pursued by ruthless agents of the sinister organisation that will stop at nothing to acquire it. In the course of his investigations, Ben will discover an incredible secret, not just about the history of Christianity but about his own past ...
Exposed By Alex Kava. Synopsis: Agent Maggie O'Dell believes she's responding to a threat, but instead walks into a trap. The killer's weapon is a deadly virus, virtually invisible and totally unexpected. Maggie knows dangerous minds - from hauntingly perverse child predators to cunningly twisted serial killers Now Maggie must find clues to catch the killer - whilst waiting to see if the lethal strain is already multiplying in her body. With every new exposure there's the potential for an epidemic. And Maggie knows she may not live long enough to stop the nightmare scenario becoming devastating reality.
The Violet Hour By Richard Montanari. Synopsis: Johnny Angel is found brutally murdered with a dead prostitute in his bed and a needle full of heroin in his arm. It's all the more shocking because he's a priest. But when Dr Bennett Marc Crane, a prestigious plastic surgeon, is the next victim of a vicious attack of the same manner, it becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose...And as this homicidal maniac exacts his vengeance upon more innocent victims, evidence of another long-buried crime is uncovered. One that starts with a Halloween celebration at an exclusive college party twenty years ago and ends with a murderous plan for delayed revenge. For Nicky Stella, a hungry journalist, this is just the sort of sordid story that could land him a cover article. But when he digs a bit too deep, the killer's attention turns towards Nicky and he must find the killer before he becomes the next victim...
Fireproof By Alex Kava. Synopsis: When a building bursts into flames on a cold winter night in Washington, DC, investigators see a resemblance to a string of recent fires in the area. There is one difference, however: this one has a human casualty. The local team insists they're looking for a young white male, suffering from an uncontrollable impulse to act out his anger or sexual aggression. But when FBI special agent Maggie O'Dell is called in, everything she sees leads her to believe that this is the work of a calculating and controlled criminal. Jeffery Cole, a reporter looking for his big break, is at the scene of the crime and decides to make Maggie part of his news piece, digging up aspects of her past that she would rather forget. As the fires continue to light up around the city, Maggie also crosses paths with her brother Patrick, now back in DC and working as a fire-fighter. As the acts of arson become more brazen Maggie's professional and personal worlds are set on a dangerous collision course. Little does she realise that the killer may be closer than she imagines...
The Abduction By Mark Gimenez. Synopsis: When hotshot lawyer Elizabeth Brice turns up to collect her daughter Grace from football practice, the coach tells her she needn't have bothered, as Grace's uncle has already picked her up. The only problem is - Grace has no uncles. And so begins a furious race against time to save Grace from unknown kidnappers. Grace's internet geek father John leads the search, forced to unite with his terrifying wife and even more terrifying father Ben, a battle-hardened Vietnam veteran. Somehow they must find Grace before it is too late. But secrets from the past make the little girl's survival more uncertain with every passing minute...
The books i purchased from Asda:
Seizure By Kathy Reichs. Synopsis: The Virals' home on Loggerhead Island is under threat, and only one thing can save it: a lot of money. A 300-year-old legend Rumour has it that notorious pirate Anne Bonny hid her treasure somewhere in Charleston in 1720. No-one knows where, but Tory Brennan - great-niece of famous forensic anthropologist Dr Tempe Brennan - is certain that the Virals can work out Bonny's cryptic clues. A deadly path - It isn't long before the Virals are on the right track. But they aren't the only ones searching for the treasure. Someone is following them, and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Dead bodies litter the trail. Time is running out before the island will be sold. Will the Virals' special powers be enough to save them?
Flash and Bones By Kathy Reichs. Synopsis: FLASH! Illuminated by lightning, a lifeless human hand seems to reach from a barrel of asphalt beside the Charlotte racetrack. Forensic anthropologist Dr Tempe Brennan must find answers before thousands arrive for the year's big race. But before she can carry out a proper examination, the FBI mysteriously confiscate and destroy the body. It's a dead end. Until a young engineer alerts Tempe to the disappearance of a couple twelve years earlier - and a deadly conspiracy unravels.
The Da Vinci Code By Dan Brown. Synopsis: Harvard professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in Paris: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes. As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci - and suggests the answer to a mystery that stretches deep into the vault of history.Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, a stunning historical truth will be lost forever...
The books i purchased from WHSmith:
The Doomsday Prophecy By Scott Mariani. Synopsis: When ex-SAS operative Ben Hope decided to give up rescuing kidnap victims in favour of the Theology studies he abandoned years before, he should have known that fate would decide differently. Searching for missing biblical archaeologist Zoe Bradbury, Ben finds himself embroiled in his riskiest mission yet. What is the ancient secret that Zoe uncovered? And just who is willing to do anything to protect it? The investigation leads Ben from Greece to the American Deep South and the holy city of Jerusalem, and he soon discovers that it's not just his and Zoe's lives on the line, but those of millions, threatened by a fundamentalist plot to gain ultimate power. The stakes are terrifyingly high as Ben races to prevent a disaster that could kick-start apocalyptic events as foretold by the Book of Revelation...
Relentless By Simon Kernick. Synopsis: Saturday afternoon: you're with the kids in the garden when the phone rings. It's your best friend from school. Someone you haven't seen for a few years. It should be a friendly call catching up on old times. But it's not. This call is different. Your friend is panting with fear, his breaths coming in tortured, ragged gasps. Someone is inflicting terrible pain on him. He cries out and then he utters six words that will change your life forever...the first two lines of your address.
Life Support By Tess Gerristen. Synopsis: Control was the word Dr Toby Harper lived by. She strove to keep her life in order, her ER in order. But no one could have been prepared for the man she admits one quiet night to the Springer Hospital. Delirious and in critical condition, he barely responds to treatment. And then he disappears without trace. The subsequent search leads Toby to a second patient with the same infection. And it reveals an unsettling twist - the infection can only be spread through direct tissue exchange. Soon Toby's on a trail that winds from a pregnant sixteen-year-old prostitute to an unexpected tragedy in her own home. Only then does she discover the unthinkable: a terrifying and deadly epidemic is about to be unleashed ...
The Hard Way By Lee child. Synopsis: Jack Reacher is alone, the way he likes it.He watches a man cross a New York street and drive away in a Mercedes. The car contains $1 million of ransom money. Reacher's job is to make sure it all turns out right - money paid, family safely returned. But Reacher is in the middle of a nasty little war where nothing is simple.What started on a busy New York street explodes three thousand miles away, in the sleepy English countryside.Reacher's going to have to do this one the hard.
Dead Simple By Peter James. Synopsis: It was meant to be a harmless stag night prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Grace - a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife - is contacted by Michael's beautiful, distraught fiancee, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison's whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot to gain - more than anyone realizes. For one man's disaster is another man's fortune...Dead simple..."
Dark Harbour By David Hosp. Synopsis: Scott Finn worked his way out of Boston's toughest neighbourhood to become a rising star in the city's most elite law firm. When the body of Natalie Caldwell, one of his closest colleagues, and former lover, is found floating in Boston harbour - her heart surgically removed from her chest - it appears she is the seventh victim of 'Little Jack', the Jack-the-Ripper-style murderer terrorizing Boston. But police detective Linda Flaherty isn't so sure. With Natalie's death, Finn inherits a coveted, high-profile assignment that could clinch his career: one involving a terrorist train bombing. But as Finn learns more about the circumstances surrounding Natalie's death, the fabric of the life he has created begins to tear. Suddenly he finds himself the prime suspect in her murder. Finn needs to save himself, and the only way is to dig into the secrets of Natalie's life. The case leads Finn and Flaherty from the crime-ridden streets of Charlestown to Boston's courtrooms and morgues, and from the gilded enclaves of the power brokers to the darkest recesses of a serial killer's mind.
Risk By Dick Francis. Synopsis: As an amateur jockey, Roland Britten was lucky; as an accountant he was zealous. He knew he was on the hate list of several fraudsters, but never thought pen-pushers got kidnapped - not from a racecourse. Not after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The identity of the kidnappers unknown, the reason behind Britten's abduction is a mystery. Then, with the help of old school headmistress Hilary Pinlock, he escapes and begins to use his accountant's logic to track his abductors down. But they have other ideas ...
The Return By Hakan Nesser. Synopsis: An unmissable hospital appointment is looming for Inspector Van Veeteren when a corpse is found rolled in a rotting carpet by a young child playing in a local beauty spot. Missing head and limbs, the torso is too badly decomposed for forensic identification - bar one crucial detail ...Circumstantial evidence soon points to a local man, a double murderer who disappeared 9 months before, shortly after being released on parole; a local hero turned monster after being convicted of killing two women over a span of three decades. Recuperating after an operation, Van Veeteren is nevertheless directing investigations from his hospital bed, for he is convinced that only the innocence of this new victim can be the motive for his murder. But the two women have been dead for long enough for any evidence to have died with them ...And is he a little like Inspector Morse can be on occasion simply on the wrong track completely?
The man from St Petersburg By Ken Follett. Synopsis: It is just before the outbreak of World War I and Britain must enlist the aide of Russia. Czar Nicholas's nephew is to visit London for secret naval talks with Lord Walden, who has lived in Russia and has a Russian wife, Lydia. But there are other people who are interested in the arrival of Prince Alexei: the Waldens' only daughter, Charlotte -- willful, idealistic, and with an awakening social conscience; Basil Thompson, head of the Special Branch; and, above all, Feliks Kschessinky, the ruthless Russian anarchist. No one could have foretold that Lydia should recognize Feliks, or that she might put her own daughter's life at risk for his sake. As the secret negotiations progress, the destinies of these characters become ineluctably enmeshed. And as Europe prepares for the catastrophe of war, the final private tragedy which will shatter the complacency of the Waldens is acted out.
Stone Cold By David Baldacci. Synopsis: Casino king and vicious thug Jerry Bagger is hunting Annabelle Conroy, who conned him out of millions. Stone and his colleagues must marshal all their resources to protect her. Yet their skills may not be enough when a deadly new opponent rips off the veneer of Stone's own mysterious past: Bagger's menace pales next to Harry Finn's lethality. As bodies and institutions topple, the story rockets toward a shattering finale that will leave the survivors of this explosive tale changed forever ...
Those are all the books and their synopsis' which i have recently purchased. If you want me to read and of these and review them straight away please let me know. Sorry it was such a long post.
Laura xx
Disclaimer: All products were purchased by myself and all opinions are my own.
Friday 3 May 2013
A Author Review - Patricia Cornwell.
Hi,
Today i wanted to do a author review on one of my favorite authors, Patricia Cornwell. I am currently reading Port Mortuary book 18 in the Kay Scarpetta Series. I still have Red Mist to read and i am waiting for Bone Bed to come out in paperback.
I started reading Patricia Cornwell books beginning of this year (2013) in the series order and i have enjoyed all of them. I will say you don't have to read them in order as things that have happened in past books do get explained a little in the more recent books, so you are never left wondering what it is on about, but to really get in to the series i would reccomend reading in the order they were written.
The book order:
Postmortem.
Body of Evidence.
All That Remains.
Cruel and Unusual.
The Body Farm.
From Potters Field.
Cause of Dealth.
Unnatural Exposure.
Point of Origin.
Black Notice.
The Last Precinct.
Blow Fly.
Trace.
Predator.
Book of the Dead.
Scarpetta.
The Scarpetta Factor.
Port Mortuary.
Red Mist.
Bone Bed.
Having read 17 books of Patricia Cornwell's i can honestly say she is in my top 5 of favorite authors. I like the way she writes, as is it very intelligent, you learn many things from Patricia and i love how each book captures you. I haven't been able to put any of her books down and have enjoyed each book in it's own unique way. I will say some books are better than others and some are based more just on the characters more than the actual murders and investigations. I can relate to each character in certain ways and love how they each have their own personalities. I would reccommend everyone to read at least one of The Scarpetta series, others who like Kathy Reichs or Tess Gerristen tend to enjoy Patricia Cornwell also. The first of the books was written 1990 and in todays world is a bit behind on the times with DNA and such, but each book becomes more and more up to date.
The only a few things i didn't like about the Kay Scarpetta series was, the ending of some of the books were a little quick, as in you found out Joe Bloggs was the Killer and the end!(Joe Bloggs hasn't been a killer so far so no spoilers from me). Also some things that happen to characters when they nearly die or fall out it never goes in to the incident, I know they are crime/thriller stories but to add real life arguements into the mix or how someone feels about a certain illness or accident would really make the books all that more "real life". Lastly i would prefer it if you got to guess who the killer was in all of the books instead of just some, Eg The Scarpetta Factor towards half way you get a feeling who the killer is and little hints and tips that help you along the way. Other than the minor points i just mentioned, i loved these books. 9.5 out of 10 for author rating. If you would like me to do a more in depth review on each individual book i will be happy to do so, just let me know.
Thank you for reading
Laura x
Today i wanted to do a author review on one of my favorite authors, Patricia Cornwell. I am currently reading Port Mortuary book 18 in the Kay Scarpetta Series. I still have Red Mist to read and i am waiting for Bone Bed to come out in paperback.
I started reading Patricia Cornwell books beginning of this year (2013) in the series order and i have enjoyed all of them. I will say you don't have to read them in order as things that have happened in past books do get explained a little in the more recent books, so you are never left wondering what it is on about, but to really get in to the series i would reccomend reading in the order they were written.
The book order:
Postmortem.
Body of Evidence.
All That Remains.
Cruel and Unusual.
The Body Farm.
From Potters Field.
Cause of Dealth.
Unnatural Exposure.
Point of Origin.
Black Notice.
The Last Precinct.
Blow Fly.
Trace.
Predator.
Book of the Dead.
Scarpetta.
The Scarpetta Factor.
Port Mortuary.
Red Mist.
Bone Bed.
Having read 17 books of Patricia Cornwell's i can honestly say she is in my top 5 of favorite authors. I like the way she writes, as is it very intelligent, you learn many things from Patricia and i love how each book captures you. I haven't been able to put any of her books down and have enjoyed each book in it's own unique way. I will say some books are better than others and some are based more just on the characters more than the actual murders and investigations. I can relate to each character in certain ways and love how they each have their own personalities. I would reccommend everyone to read at least one of The Scarpetta series, others who like Kathy Reichs or Tess Gerristen tend to enjoy Patricia Cornwell also. The first of the books was written 1990 and in todays world is a bit behind on the times with DNA and such, but each book becomes more and more up to date.
The only a few things i didn't like about the Kay Scarpetta series was, the ending of some of the books were a little quick, as in you found out Joe Bloggs was the Killer and the end!(Joe Bloggs hasn't been a killer so far so no spoilers from me). Also some things that happen to characters when they nearly die or fall out it never goes in to the incident, I know they are crime/thriller stories but to add real life arguements into the mix or how someone feels about a certain illness or accident would really make the books all that more "real life". Lastly i would prefer it if you got to guess who the killer was in all of the books instead of just some, Eg The Scarpetta Factor towards half way you get a feeling who the killer is and little hints and tips that help you along the way. Other than the minor points i just mentioned, i loved these books. 9.5 out of 10 for author rating. If you would like me to do a more in depth review on each individual book i will be happy to do so, just let me know.
Thank you for reading
Laura x
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