I've recently finished another five books so it's time for my next Reading Challenge round-up. You can read my round-ups of 1-5 and 6-10. I'd also love to connect with you guys on Goodreads so come add me here.
The Family Lie by Jake Cross - 4/5
Blurb:
"You whispered goodnight to your daughter. You didn't know that would be your last goodbye.
You wake up in the middle of the night.
Your five-year-old daughter is gone.
Your husband is nowhere to be seen.
Your family think they took her.
The police think he's guilty.
But he wouldn't do that, would he?
He's a loving father. A loving husband. Isn't he?"
Review:
This is a really great thriller. You are instantly hooked with Anna waking to find her partner Nick and daughter gone. She immediately thinks they've been taken and contacts police. At this point I wondered why she didn't just think her husband had run off with his daughter, the police think this too, but soon he shows up drugged and confused.
The story focuses on Anna and Nick working with the police to try and find out who has their daughter and why. It is full of twists and turns, at times I thought maybe too many, but each one serves a purpose and it's all tied up well. Very well written and I liked the flashbacks for explanation.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The Family Lie will be published on 23rd April 2019.
This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay - 5/5
Blurb:
"Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you.
Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay's This Is Going To Hurt provides a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking, this diary is everything you wanted to know - and more than a few things you didn't - about life on and off the hospital ward."
Review:
This book is amazing. I couldn't put it down and I finished it in a day.
Adam Kay is hilarious and I actually laughed out loud at a lot of it and read it out to Chris. There are some very sad diary entries too - the last one and the 'Aftermath' were particularly heartbreaking.
It is nice to see an insight into life as a doctor and you come away with a newfound respect for the NHS and how wonderful the staff are.
A Version Of The Truth by B.P. Walter - 3/5
Blurb:
"We all see what we want to see...
2019: Julianne is preparing a family dinner when her son comes to her and says he's found something on his iPad. Something so terrible, it will turn Julianne's world into a nightmare and make her question everything about her marriage and what type of man her husband is or is pretending to be.
1990: Holly is a fresher student at Oxford University. Out of her depth and nervous about her surroundings, she falls into an uneasy friendship with a group of older students from the upper echelons of society and begins to develop feelings for one in particular. He's confident, quiet, attractive and seems to like her too. But as the year progresses, her friends' behaviour grows steadily more disconcerting and Holly begins to realise she might just be a disposable pawn in a very sinister game.
A devastating secret has simmered beneath the surface for over twenty-five years. Now it's time to discover the truth. But what if you're afraid of what you might find?"
Review:
The story is told from two different timelines. In 2019, Julianne is married to James. It's Christmas time and they are planning dinner with their friends Ally and Ernest. Their son Stephen comes across something suspicious on James' Dropbox and alerts her.
In 1990, Holly is at Oxford University and makes friends with Ally and subsequently James and Ernest.
I don't want to give too much away but the plot covers gang rape, elitism, homophobia and sexual perversion. I couldn't put it down but at the same time, I didn't enjoy it and felt angry and disgusted at most of the characters. It reminds me a lot of Anatomy Of A Scandal which I read at the beginning of the year.
The Little Book Of Autism FAQs by Davida Hartman - 5/5
Blurb:
"Empowering and practical, this guide is the perfect companion for parents who are finding it difficult to tell their children about their autism diagnosis. It provides a realistic yet uplifting approach to autism, treating it not as a disability but as a difference.
Not telling children about their autism diagnosis can have a significant negative impact on their mental health; by equipping parents with a language of positivity around autism, the book will make a difference to many children on the spectrum. It advises on how and when to talk to autistic children with both high and low care needs, and provides guidance on supporting children's relationships with peers at school, as well as how to broach the conversation with the child's siblings.
Concise and easy to read, The Little Book Of Autism FAQs answers parents' questions with accessible language, preparing them to approach this difficult conversation in a constructive manner."
Review:
I really think that everyone should read this whether you have a child on the autism spectrum or not. It's short, blunt and to the point so you really understand more about autism and what autistic people feel.
There are Q&A sessions with autistic people of all ages, tips on how to tell your child about their diagnosis with actual bits that you can lift out and repeat verbatim when having the talk. It has a lot of recommendations for books and YouTube videos which I've written down to go back and pick up or watch.
I've come away feeling very empowered after reading and I now feel comfortable about talking to my son about his diagnosis. All the forms I've filled in and reports that I have received about my son have all read negatively so far, which this book touches upon, but it helps you to focus on the good.
Thank you Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the ARC. The Little Book Of Autism FAQs will be published on 19th September 2019.
Everything But The Truth by Gillian McAllister - 4/5
Blurb:
"It all started with the email.
Rachel didn't even mean to look. She loves Jack. She's pregnant with their child. She trusts him.
But now she's seen it, she can't undo that moment. Or the chain of events that it has set in motion.
Why has Jack been lying about his past? Just what exactly is he hiding? And doesn't Rachel have a right to know the truth at any cost?"
Review:
Rachel and Jack are having a baby after she fell pregnant very soon after getting together.
A few months into the pregnancy and something happens where she realises that she doesn't truly know the man that she's having a baby with, and she's keeping a secret from him too.
You can feel Rachel's desperation and paranoia and she digs deeper - a little more than just Facebook creeping - to find out the whole truth. The scenery descriptions of Rachel's hometown of Newcastle and Jack's hometown of Oban are wonderful and you can really picture yourself being there.
Have you read anything lately that you would recommend?
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