Sorry for the long delay between posts, I've had a hell of a couple of weeks with everything happening at once but the main thing was that my cat had his pelvis shattered by a car. Long, stressful week but he is finally pinned together and home, but I haven't been able to get much work done.
Now he's recovering normal life can sort of resume again, although he does have to be on crate rest for six weeks and is already desperate to come out!
Anyway, onto books.
I read some real stand out books in November. They're all a bit dark this month, maybe something to do with the time of year, and they're mostly concerned with murder and mystery.
Conclave by Robert Harris
Oh my goodness, this book was so good! I'm going to write a full review soon as I loved it so much. It focuses on the fictional election of a new pope. It's the only one of my favourite books this month that doesn't revolve around a murder, but that doesn't make it any less thrilling. It's an intelligently written yet immersive read that lets you into the secrets of an ancient tradition. It's brimming with excellent characters and masterful writing.
The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid
I was hesitant to include this book in my monthly favourites as there were actually some elements to it that I didn't like. I found the dialogue a little jarring and wasn't enamoured with the lead characters. Also, it's very brutal with its descriptions of torture. However, there was something about it that made me not want to put it down and I whizzed through it really quickly. Val McDermid clearly knows how to put together an intriguing mystery and the pacing and twists in this story of a serial killer and the profiler chasing him is addictive.
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
I'll have a full review of this book coming up in January but I'll do a little rave now. The Chalk Man does live up to the hype and it's a brilliant story about a group of children caught up in a crime that then comes to haunt them years later. The story is brilliantly paced and keeps you on your toes without resorting to cheap thrills. There is depth in the writing and characters that hook you in. Also, it's just a bloody good whodunnit.
The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
I actually started reading this sci fi/horror classic last year, but got a little bored of it and put it to one side. I picked it up again recently and managed to read through the slight slump in the middle and I really enjoyed it. Most people know the story of The Invisible Man now (it's all in the title) but I found it mostly entertaining and also thought provoking. There are also touches of humour to it. The character of The Invisible Man himself is an interesting one, an early version of the mad scientist. A classic I'm glad I've finally read.
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