Insight Guides Great Breaks

Today I’m bringing a slightly different review to the blog by looking at the Insight Guides Great Breaks series. These are written by local experts and cover everything you would want to know about your destination. The great thing about them is the opportunity to download the free ebook to take with you on your...

The Lauras by Sara Taylor

Alex's mum walks out on her husband one day after a huge argument. She bundles Alex and a few essentials into the car and drives to a place where nobody knows them. This is how their journey across America starts. From state to state, Alex and Ma visit places from Ma's past, revealing pivotal experiences...

Today will be Different by Maria Semple

Eleanor Flood promises herself that today will be different. She will keep it together, make an effort and generally be the best person she can be. That doesn't go to plan at all, and that's probably because Eleanor is not a nice person. She is irritating, irrational and self-absorbed. The book focuses on one day...

The Last of Us by Rob Ewing

All adults are wiped out after a terrible virus, leaving only six of children stranded on a Scottish island to fend for themselves. The Last of Us is compared to The Lord of The Flies and there are clear common themes between them. It's quite a strong comparison to make, and I wondered if it...

Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam

Homer and Elsie are a quirky couple. Homer is happy with his life as a coal worker but Elsie dreams of other places. She has an alligator called Albert who she loves with all her heart, but isn't Homer's favourite at all. One day, after an unfortunate incident with Albert, Homer provides his wife with...

A Game For All The Family by Sophie Hannah

Justine and her family move to a new house in the countryside. Ellen, her daughter, is set an assignment to write a story and she devotes most of her time to writing it. She writes a murder mystery set in their new house and names one of the characters after herself. Ellen's best friend George...

Lost & Found by Brooke Davis

Millie is a seven year old girl with lovely innocent ideas about the world. She has a list of dead things and people, one of whom is her dad. After her dad dies Millie is left behind in a department store waiting for her mum who never comes back to get her. Millie is a...

A Line of Blood by Ben McPherson

The neighbour is found dead in a bathtub. 11 year old Max and his dad (Alex) are the ones to find him. Millicent (the mum) seems particularly jumpy and upset by what has happened, and for some reason the police want to question her. It turns out Millicent wasn't being honest and knew her neighbour...

The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence

Abby finds her neighbour, Simon, dead in his flat. She seems a little detached from the whole thing and the reader soon learns she regularly sees a therapist called Dr Barbara. Life seems to be going ok for Abby until one unfortunate day where it all falls apart. She's soon being treated for her disorder...

A Place For Us by Harriet Evans

I was asked to review this book without knowing the title or author. Martha Winter has a secret, and she plans to reveal it at her next birthday party. She throws parties every year and invites all her family and neighbours, but this year it will be different. This is a story about love, loss...