Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda

Book Review

"I wonder if Mia thinks I have a dark side. Most likely, as far as she knows, I am just her dear loving husband."

Best Day Ever will be released on 7th September 2017. It is written by Kaira Rouda and published by HQ.

I blasted through Best Day Ever, enjoying the irritatingly deranged narrator and slow burning mystery created by Kaira Rouda.

The Burning Girl by Claire Messud

Book Review

"Sometimes I felt that growing up and being a girl was about learning to be afraid."

The Burning Girl will be released on 7th September. It is written by Claire Messud and published by Fleet.

This is a strange one. I was expecting The Burning Girl to be a thriller, but it's more of an exploration of a friendship with a slow (forgive me for the pun) burn. It has depth and Messud's writing is beautiful yet realistic.

Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah

Book Review

"If I could turn and run, I would. Run back home, however long it took."

Did You See Melody? will be released on August 24th. It is written by Sophie Hannah and published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Did You See Melody was one of those books that I was really immersed in when I was reading, but once I put it down the story left me quickly and I wasn't particularly inclined to pick the book up again. Some books are like that; intriguing but not memorable.

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

Book Review

"Diana Cowper had planned her funeral and she was going to need it. She was murdered about six hours later that same day."

The Word is Murder will be released on August 24th. It is written by Anthony Horowitz and published by Century.

Anthony Horowiz takes a risk with this one, with a unique narrative where he inserts himself into the story. Some reviewers have loved it but I'm not sure it's paid off. However, The Word is Murder is still an intriguing thriller with a lot of twists and a somehow blank yet engaging detective.

1st Anniversary and Philip Pullman Wedding Reading

I got married a year ago today. Apart from having to halt the ceremony briefly because I thought I was going to faint and/or vomit, it was an amazing day.

I won't waffle on about the wedding as I know that can bore people to death, but I wanted to share with you my wedding reading. We're not religious and, me being me, I wanted readings from books. But, in the end, we only had one reading because only one really stood out for me.

10 Jane Austen Tattoos - Literary Tattoos Series

Most of my Literary Tattoos posts so far have either been based on children's books or fantasy novels, which all have a range of illustrations and symbols that make great tattoos. For this tattoo post I thought I'd opt for a classic author.

Jane Austen's books are chock full of quotes that prove to be popular as tattoos and, while there aren't that many obvious illustrations, people are really creative at coming up with Austen-esque designs.

Classic Literature: Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Book Review

"I saw something nasty in the woodshed."

Cold Comfort Farm is written by Stella Gibbons and published by Penguin Essentials.

I know I've only just included this book in my July Favourites but I wanted to write a proper review of Cold Comfort Farm. Plus, I haven't reviewed a classic in a while. I always wonder if there's any point reviewing classic books, as pretty much everything that can be said about the book has already been said, but I enjoyed this book and wanted to share it, hopefully some people will take something new from it.