Five books that you should read!

Five Books That You Should Read

Just a small disclosure; these are books which I recommend, I am not claiming that these are the best books ever written, just that they are great books and I would recommend to everyone who asks.

1. IT by Stephen King

This wasn't my first book that I had read by Stephen King but it is the first that really stuck with me. I fell in love with all the characters, Stephen does a great job with character building and even though many people claim that 'IT' is a long book in itself, I really didn't want it to end. For anyone who truly loves anything horror, I would definitely recommend this to be at the top of your TBR pile. The story boasts about friendships, loss and fear, truly captivating in its own right.

2. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

This is a new read for me, having seen this book being recommended on a Facebook book group, I just knew I had to read. This story gripped me for many reasons; the first being the horrific story that unfolds and how the people were devastated by the industries betrayal and second, the very fact that this is not only an awful story but a true one. I strongly believe that this book is worth reading and in doing so,  you continue to give the women who died a voice. Their story shows determination, betrayal and finally hard-earned justice. 

3. The Atlanta and The Grant County series by Karin Slaughter

I'm not so sorry to admit that Karin Slaughter got me hooked into reading crime books. My first book I read by Karin Slaughter was blindsighted and once I had finished that, I thirsted for more. Before I knew it I had her whole collection and was telling everyone I knew to go and read the series. I love the main character Sara and you follow and watch her grow throughout the series, you witness some devastatingly brutal crimes and get to follow the investigation with many moments your heart is about to jump out from your throat.

4. The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean 

This is the first book I have read written by Will Dean but after reading 'The Last Thing To Burn' I am sure I will be reading much more of his work. This book tells a heart-breaking story about a woman who dreamed of a brighter future but was lured in and captured by who was to become husband. The relationship is shown as brutal from the start, some of it is very difficult to read but you just can't stop. The ending has you quite literally at the edge of your seat and praying for 'Jane' and her safety. This book speaks a tragic tale about human trafficking, the characters will stay with you for a very long time.

5. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

This was one riveting and wild read, if you are not broken by the end of this book, then I am not sure if you were even whole to begin with. This book is very much 'The Handmaid's tale' meets 'The Hunger Games' but it tells its own story. The very concept of the book is that these women had magical powers that they could not control and must be sent to live away from any others to dispel their magic safely, however, they can survive together or they can die. These women don't always come back from this retreat, they are faced with hungry poachers and evil that goes far beyond magic. These women, who are truly just girls, are being punished just for being female. I lent my friend this book and she also fell in love with the book, claiming it to be the best book she has read all year. 

Just a quick shout out to these amazing authors for being so talented and for publishing their amazing work so that we can all enjoy it too.

The Light Between Oceans - By M L Stedman [Review]

The Light Between Oceans - by M L Stedman

Review

Synopsis

'This is a story of right and wrong and how sometimes they look the same...'

On the 27th of April 1926, a miracle happened. God had found a way to give Isabel what she had always yearned for. Living on a small island, Isabel's husband Tom is a war veteran, he wishes to escape his past by working as the local lighthouse keeper. Tom adores his job and with time his love for his work is obvious to all those living on the mainland. When this miracle happened, Tom and Isabel had been through an awful and heart-breaking ordeal, Tom is compelled to do what he feels is right, however, he knows doing so would break Isabel's heart. They try to live with their choices but choices always carry consequences. 

Review

This is a story that once it finds its way into your heart, you can never let it go. The main character Tom is a war vet and often feels the all too common survivors guilt. Tom wishes to just have a job which he can put all his energy and effort into so that he can forget the painful memories. Tom finds himself relishing in the tasks of being a lighthouse keeper but something else has found its way into his heart, and that was love. When he meets Isabel, it's obvious that Isabel is head over heels for him but Tom is wary to start a life with her due to her young age and his own personal demons. Isabel knows that Tom is very reserved and is determined to find a way to help him. The relationship steadily blossoms into a love that everyone wishes they had and they start their life together on Janus Rock. Their marriage is full of love and happiness until they are forced to deal with multiple heartbreaks which takes a massive toll on Isabel's wellbeing. Isabel is now a shell of her former self until she finds the baby that has miraculously survived despite the odds. Isabel is convinced that this is a gift from God and that this will make life whole again. Isabel and Tom raise the baby but Tom is always plagued by guilt and fear until once he discovers the true identity of the baby, he can't take it anymore. Following the shocking revelation that Tom makes, the marriage between Isabel and Tom crumbles but Isabel is the only one who can save Tom from himself. 

From the very beginning you feel sorrow for all the loss and pain that Tom has experienced, this only increases throughout the story but overall, you feel greatly admiring towards Tom and how he faces these hardships. My very first thoughts of Isabel was that she was naïve but confident and it feels like you are right there alongside her through her heartbreaks. You keep on hoping for some luck and happiness for Isabel and when it does arrive, you want it to stay that way. M L Stedman has done a great job on building two very opposing characters whilst allowing yourself to identify with both of their feelings and wishes. This story breaks your heart but also leaves you with that taste of bittersweet happiness at the tip of your tongue. I find it very hard to believe that anyone could read this story and not fall head over heels in love with both of the characters. The story is incredibly gripping, it's definitely one that you can't part with until you've read the very last word. 

For me, this was a solid 5-star review.

About the author

M L Stedman was born and raised in Western Australia and now lives in London. The Light Between Oceans was her very first novel and has sold over two million copies worldwide. M L Stedman previously worked as a lawyer in London before trying her hand at writing. g and becoming incredibly successful at doing so. 

Follow me on Twitter: @InkDrinkerDawn

A Head Full Of Ghosts - by Paul Tremblay [Review]

 A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
Review

(picture from amazon)

Synopsis 

This is a story which follows a suburban New England family  who discover that their daughter may be suffering from acute schizophrenia. The story is written from the youngest daughter Merry's point of view. The family tries their very best to get medical help for their troubled teen Marjorie but matters just appear to get worse and worse until the dad convinces the family to involve a local Catholic priest. Fifteen years following the horrific madness that threw the family into madness, the younger sister Merry is interviewed by a bestselling writer and delves into the traumatic events that occurred. 

My thoughts

If you need a story to have you gripping onto the edge of your seat, then this is it! This book starts of with establishing the clear bond Marjorie and Merry have with one another and outlining the typical teenage behaviours that Marjorie starts experiencing. It does however quickly turn quite dark, the two sisters shared a love of writing stories about Merry's favourite character from another book, however, Meredith writes her own story which is far darker than any others. From this point on Meredith's behaviour changes from typical sister tormenting her younger sister to something else quite sinister. I really thought Paul did a great job demonstrating how good of a bond the two sisters had and how quickly that bond deteriorated and the effect that had on Merry. Meredith's dad is devoutly Catholic, however, the rest of the family do not share his religious views but after many arguments, they agree to introduce a local Catholic priest to their troubled daughter Marjorie in the hope of healing her. Paul manages to perfectly illustrate the strain that Marjorie's behaviour is taking on the entire family and perfectly sets out their undoing. I don't want to go into the ending too much as I do not want to ruin it for other readers but the ending whilst absolutely creepy, actually broke my heart in more ways than one. It really makes you question whether Marjorie was suffering from a mental illness or whether, she was in fact possessed by a demon. The final twist was a knife in the gut and I would have loved to hear what happened to Merry following the interview. 

One main issue I had with the book was the blog posts that are included, I found the way they were written were highly exaggerated and made me feel like rolling my eyes just reading the way the blogger wrote although the blog posts do very well get you to rethink everything you think you have learned from the story and to get you questioning how much of this whole ordeal was real or not.

My second issue was introducing the tv show, I am still a little unclear as to why that was added as I don't feel it served the story any real purpose or depth.

Overall: 4/5 stars

Find me on twitter: @InkDrinkerDawn

Find Paul Tremblay on Twitter: @paulGtremblay

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore [Review]

 The Radium Girls by Kate Moore - Review

Synopsis

This is a true story about a group of remarkably inspiring women who worked with radium in the dial factory's, helping their very own country stay safe at war. Radium at that time was a newly discovered substance and was often coined a 'wonder drug'. These women who were referred to as the 'shining girls' simply due to the glow that the radium left on them started to experiencing concerning life threatening illnesses. Many women dreamed of working in one of these factories dealing with the ever so alluring radium, however, the very factories that offer these golden opportunities were now the ones denying the women's claims of radium poisoning. This starts an incredible journey that the women fight to change the legislation and regulations which did the very opposite of protecting them. Their very voices led to the introduction of life-saving regulations that we have in place to this very day. 

What I loved

This story is not an easy one to read, it is heart-breaking and devastating in a way that you follow the suffering that these women endured and that their family continued to endure following their deaths but it is a story I feel everyone should read. I loved seeing the photos of the women, I felt this touch really helps you resonate with the women even more and to see for yourselves that these were real, young and healthy women who died and gave us their voice that changed the future. 

I heartedly appreciate the descriptive court scenes and found myself hooked to find out if the women got the justice they deserved or if the big companies literally got away with murder.  Although this is a harrowing story which at many points will bring you to tears, it is also inspiring to see how hard these women fought for justice and to make a change when it seemed impossible.

This book taught me a lot, I didn't know much about this story and I am so glad that I got a chance to read this brilliant book, the more people that read this book show that these women still have a voice even from beyond their grave. 

The very only criticism that I have for this book is that I find in the first half of the book Kate focuses on the women's looks far too much and it got quite repetitive, however, this didn't continue into the second half of the book and this is where for me, the book really shined.

Many thanks to Kate Moore for writing this book and continuing to give these amazing women a voice. 

Find Kate Moore on twitter here.

Follow me on Twitter for more reviews: @InkDrinkerDawn