As corny as they are, I kind of love these end of year lists.
Firstly, my favourite reads. All the below are my 5 star reads this year (in order). I rAs corny as they are, I kind of love these end of year lists.
Firstly, my favourite reads. All the below are my 5 star reads this year (in order). I recommend them all! (AA indicate Aussie Authors.)
Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (re-read) Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (re-read) Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh (re-read) Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Prettier if She Smiled More by Toni Jordan AA Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center The Wakes by Dianne Yarwood AA The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman The Other Side of Beautiful by Kim Lock AA The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi The Caretaker by Gabriel Bergoser AA The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (re-read) The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (Re-read) The Devil Inside by DL Hicks AA The Things That Matter Most by Gabbie Stroud AA Black Lies by Mercedes Mercier AA Just an Ordinary Family by Fiona Lowe AA The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths The Tilt by Chris Hammer AA
And, my most disappointing reads. These aren't actually the lowest rating books I've read this year, but ones I had high hopes for, but...
Preservation by Jock Serong 1 ½ stars - DNF Friends Without Benefits by Penny Reid 1 star - DNF Julia Morris Makes it Easy by Julia Morris 2 stars Death in Ecstasy by Ngaio Marsh 2 stars Exit Strategy by Martha Wells 2 stars Sweet Jimmy by Bryan Brown 2 ½ stars The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon 2 ½ stars The Night Swim by Megan Goldin 3 stars The Guest List by Lucy Foley 3 stars The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose 3 stars
Happy New Year everyone, and hope you're looking forward to your 2024 reading year as much as I am....more
Another fast paced, dark but fun, read by Jack Heath.
Three couples go on a weekend away to a holiday house in the Australian bush with no internet or Another fast paced, dark but fun, read by Jack Heath.
Three couples go on a weekend away to a holiday house in the Australian bush with no internet or mobile phone service. After much alcohol, their party game progresses to one where the men randomly choose a bedroom to have sex with whichever woman is occupying that said bedroom. Afterwards, one of them is found dead. After the initial shock, the tension builds even more as they realise getting help from the authorities is not as simple as one would imagine, with the landline not working and the keys to the car missing.
The plot progresses in the present tense as well as flashbacks from each guest, showing just how they got into their current situation. The other narrators/main characters are the couple from Heath’s Kill Your Brother - paramedic ex-athlete Elise and police officer Kiara who, obviously, is the lead detective assigned to the case.
Heath was very clever in that he used the friends’ first names when writing from their point of view, and their last names when writing from Kiara and Elise’s, meaning the reader remained spoiler-free until almost the last chapter as to the six friends’ fate.
I think I always guessed who the killer was but I still had a fun time working out the finer details. And there were a couple of twists near the end I hadn’t picked up on at all.
It’s not necessary to read Kill Your Brother, events from that book are mentioned but are not really important to the plot of Kill Your Husbands. I would, of course, recommend you still read both - they’re both enjoyable. I’m looking forward to Heath killing some wives, or sisters perhaps, in the future.
I am searching desperately for a well written older pairing romance. This one had the ages right with both the leads being 60, but…
Unfortunately ChrisI am searching desperately for a well written older pairing romance. This one had the ages right with both the leads being 60, but…
Unfortunately Christensen’s writing is pretty basic, there's no breathtaking descriptions or thought provoking themes. I would have probably been okay with that -- I wasn’t really looking for too much, I was stuck at home in the pouring rain and no power, and just needed to numb my brain -- but she even fell a little too short in the romance department for my liking.
The two leads go from friends to lovers pretty much from the beginning of the book. There really wasn’t much conflict to resolve between the two at all. Instead, the plot and conflict centred around the female lead and her [obnoxious] children (there issues actually became a little bit of a soap opera).
Although the characters were 60, at times they behaved like they were in their 70s at least. I mean, does anyone in the workforce really go to a ‘club’ or the RSL for a cooked lunch and beers anymore?
It wasn’t all bad, I guess. I suppose I will probably give another of her books a go (I think I have already purchased a few here and there) but, overall, this was a bit of a disappointment. 2 ½ out of 5 ...more
I know I said I wouldn't read any more free Christmas audiobooks but then Cyclone Jasper happened and I've been without power and mobile data for threI know I said I wouldn't read any more free Christmas audiobooks but then Cyclone Jasper happened and I've been without power and mobile data for three days and I happened to already have this downloaded.
It actually turned out to be a pretty good little romcom. Okay, it was a bit predictable but it was cute and the leads were rather likeable.
Julia meets Sam who, it just so happens, looks exactly like the well-known actor, Hugo Turner. For Christmas, to one-up Julia's awful stepsister, Julia introduces Sam to her family as not only her boyfriend, but her boyfriend, Hugo.
I'd recommend you give it a go, especially if you're a fan of movies such as Notting Hill.
The premise was pretty good. Lucy arranges to share a lift home for Christmas on a rideshare type app. HerAnother romance that started out okay but...
The premise was pretty good. Lucy arranges to share a lift home for Christmas on a rideshare type app. Her co-driver, it turns out, is Eric, a guy she has previously hooked up with and subsequently ghosted.
Of course, there's the obligatory car issue and the pair will need to share a bed/room. I don't mind this trope but the town they are stuck in (Tinsel *eyeroll*) is mildly disturbing and I'm afraid I didn't really find any of its inhabitants sweet or funny, just creepy.
I know this was only a novella but the whole thing was a bit boring as there wasn't enough plot or conflict apart from the initial 'never thought I'd see you again' moment.
I think that's enough freebie Christmas reads for me this year. 2 out of 5 ...more
The Wedding Date Disaster is a freebie on Audible and I thought, at last, that I had found an enjoyable romanceThis book started out quite promising.
The Wedding Date Disaster is a freebie on Audible and I thought, at last, that I had found an enjoyable romance with some nice sexiness to it. But...
Okay, so I think the issue is there wasn't enough conflict. Hadley's sister is getting married and her platonic friend, Webb, is going to join her for the wedding and her family's pre-wedding gathering. However, when Webb gets food poisoning, it's his twin brother, Will, who joins her. Hadley and Will are sworn enemies, mainly due to Will believing Hadley is chasing Webb for his money, but, as these things go, they also have huge sexual chemistry.
Other than the fake dating and enemies to lovers, Flynn also throws in the 'only one bed, oh no, we'll have to sleep together' trope. I didn't mind all this, but the 'been burnt once and distrustful of all women afterwards' thing of Will's was a little 80s Mills and Boonish for my liking. As I said, it wasn't enough either. They, along with Webb, could have sorted the whole thing out in 5 mins. And really, the readers knew they'd sort it out eventually anyway, so it wasn't like there was any heartbreakingly sad moments.
The sex scenes started out okay but also started to drag. I think there were about 4 too many. Whilst listening, I actually fell asleep through one, so...
I will admit that, unlike all the other Scalzi books I've read, The Consuming Fire started a little slow. There seemed to be a lot of explaining of whI will admit that, unlike all the other Scalzi books I've read, The Consuming Fire started a little slow. There seemed to be a lot of explaining of who was who and what they owned and what they were doing in relation to the Emperox of the Interdependency, Grayland.
Luckily, Scalzi picked up the pace in the second part of the book and suddenly I was just as addicted to quickly finishing as I have been with his other books.
Scalzi's characters are all so much fun. I love all the three leads: Grayland, scientist Lord Marce and, especially, Lady Kiva. Scalzi also introduced a new race (which reminded me a little of Lois McMaster Bujold's Quadies) and the best holographic character since the doctor in Star Trek Voyager. Then there's the deviously evil villains, the treasonous assassin Nadashe Nohamapetan being a standout.
Scalzi continues to use the series to highlight our climate change issues and, if I wasn't mistaken, he also touched on governments' altering of history, especially following colonisiation.
Looking forward to the third in the series. 4 1/2 out of 5...more
Not the best but not the worst. Probably more generous with it as it was free. Did send me to sleep a couple of times, not sure if this is a good thinNot the best but not the worst. Probably more generous with it as it was free. Did send me to sleep a couple of times, not sure if this is a good thing or bad!
Book two and three at least had some humour and cute sidekicks. Exit Strategy is so boring. MurderbotI just don't get how everyone loves these books.
Book two and three at least had some humour and cute sidekicks. Exit Strategy is so boring. Murderbot spends half the book thinking about how he needs to act in order to pass as a human; the other half about how he can take over other bots and computer systems.
I listened to this during a flight and it promptly popped me to sleep. Okay, okay, it's not all bad but it's fairly... boring.
This is the last free one on Audible. I'm not planning on bothering to buy the others.
On the back of my copy of Happiness for Beginners, there’s a quote saying Center is the ‘reigning queen of comfort reads’. I can’t comment on Center’sOn the back of my copy of Happiness for Beginners, there’s a quote saying Center is the ‘reigning queen of comfort reads’. I can’t comment on Center’s other books (yet), but I feel like that just about hits the nail on the head if I had to describe this book. I didn’t realise I needed a comfort read until I started it and realised how good it made me feel. I just know this book is one I’m going to re-read when I need a bit of a pick-me-up.
Helen is a 32 year old divorcee who signs up for a course-cum-holiday, hiking through the Wyoming wilderness. She’s hoping to find some like-minded fellow hikers to join her on this ‘spiritual journey’. Instead she finds the average age of the other hikers is 19 who entertain themselves with games of truth-and-dare. Among them is Jake, her younger brother Duncan's best friend, who she has largely ignored since meeting him six years ago as she quickly pigeon holed him as a party-loving loser like her brother.
I’m pretty sure everyone will instantly adore Jake. He must easily be one of the sweetest romantic leading men ever written. I understand, however, if readers don’t have as much instant love for Helen. She’s judgmental, rude and bad tempered at times. Her behaviour towards Duncan especially will probably not win her any fans. Yet, under it all, she’s awkward and scarred and, by the end, I loved her a lot.
With the scarred thing - Helen and Duncan’s back story is great. I sometimes roll my eyes at book characters’ sad back stories but this one really was sad. I think the heartache of this book is really what makes it special.
One of my favourite reads of the year - 5 out of 5
I did watch the Netflix movie -- it’s a bit meh and normy. It changes too much up and cuts too much out for it to have the impact of the book. I'm not 100% sold on the casting either.
I love Osman's humour and I laughed a lot with this book, the fourth in the series. Not that it's all laughs, OsThis series just keeps getting better.
I love Osman's humour and I laughed a lot with this book, the fourth in the series. Not that it's all laughs, Osman includes a hearty helping of poignancy and some touching scenes while managing to cover the topical issue of assisted dying.
One of the best things Osman does is include the elderly in a respectful manner. Yes, sometimes one of the gang might say or do something ridiculous, but they're not ridiculed, especially not just for their age alone. And any characters who do treat the gang like imbeciles just because they're old will ususally soon get their comeuppance.
Joyce gets to shine in this installment (I'm sure she's most people's favourite) but I was a little sad that Ron took a backseat most of the time. Hopefully he'll get a bigger part next time around.
Easy 5 out of 5 but I strongly recommend you start with the first of the series and don't read them out of order....more
I’d read Confessions on the 7.45 and didn’t love it but I needed a U author for a challenge and decided to give Lisa Unger another go. Luckily I thougI’d read Confessions on the 7.45 and didn’t love it but I needed a U author for a challenge and decided to give Lisa Unger another go. Luckily I thought Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six was a much better book.
The book is broken up into chapters told from the point of view of several characters. When I finished, I actually thought Unger had included too many points of view; some were unnecessary. In fact, she could have just kept with the two - Hannah and Henry.
Hannah agrees to a weekend away to the cabin of the title, arranged and paid for by Hannah’s brother, Mako. Joining them are Hannah’s hubby, Mako’s wife, and Hannah’s best friend and her new boyfriend. Obviously, as these things go, we gradually learn the guests’ secrets which could threaten to derail their enjoyment.
Adding to the tension is the seclusion of the cabin and its limited internet and phone service. There's also the obligatory storm, loss of power, and trees down across roads. I must admit, I always love the locked-in trope and enjoy the various ways authors include it in their books.
Meanwhile, we read about Henry’s life, from his troubled childhood through to his now-happy and successful marriage. I realised Henry and Hannah’s storylines must merge but I’ll give Unger points for this only becoming obvious quite late in the piece.
On the whole, this book wasn't spectacular but it was pretty good. 4 out of 5...more
I’ve read a couple of Goldin’s other books but, easily, this is the most popular of her titles. I can see why. But…
TBH, I think I’ve decided I’m not aI’ve read a couple of Goldin’s other books but, easily, this is the most popular of her titles. I can see why. But…
TBH, I think I’ve decided I’m not a fan of this type of book. There’s quite a few other contemporary thrillers it reminds me of and I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of those either.
The storyline features true crime podcaster Rachel who is covering a rape trial in a small coastal [fictional, I presume] town in North Carolina. Once in the town, Rachel starts getting notes and emails from a woman, Hannah, who claims the rape and murder of her sister was covered up 25 years previous. Obviously Rachel is intrigued and the reader is, therefore, following both the trial and Hannah’s tragic tale.
I’m not sure why Goldin has set all her books in the US (does she live there? have dual citizenship? yes, I'm too lazy to look this up). Like a couple of other recent Aussie authors' offerings, the US setting gives the book a generic/write by numbers feel. If I were her publisher, I would recommend an Aussie setting may be a good choice somewhere along the line to add a touch of the unique.
However, the biggest letdown of the book was Hannah’s reveal near the end. I mean, this is a major plot point, that Hannah is so mysterious and Rachel has continued to just miss her or move past her in a public space, and then her identity is revealed and… I mean, what was all that build up for really? (I’m pretty sure if you’ve read this, you’ll know what I mean.)
Although I don’t think this book is worth the hype, to give it credit, I did finish it rather fast and it managed to keep my attention throughout. I think, maybe, it also had tough competition with me only having just finished The Unbelieved not long back which had similar themes and plotline, meaning I couldn’t help but make comparisons with The Unbelieved coming out on top every time.
I loved The Maid and was very excited to read its sequel, The Mystery Guest. But…
To be honest, I found this book plain boring and struggled to finish I loved The Maid and was very excited to read its sequel, The Mystery Guest. But…
To be honest, I found this book plain boring and struggled to finish it.
There’s no doubt Prose is a good writer. I love her descriptive passages and she definitely makes her characters and settings come to life. But...
The mystery plot itself was extremely weak and was easily worked out after a few chapters. There was no particular twist at the end. (Twists are a love/hate thing for me. Sometimes I think writers are so keen on including a twist that they lose focus on the rest of the storyline. In this case, however, I think it might have elevated the mystery plot and given the reader a bit more bang for their buck, so to speak.)
And, one of my biggest beefs with the book is Molly’s past relationship with the murder victim. I mean, really? Am I the only one who found this all too much of a coincidence?
Look, I understand the lure of writing a sequel to a successful book -- basically you'll have a guaranteed bestseller. There’s nothing wrong with the occasional standalone novel though. If, as hinted in the epilogue, Prose decides on book three, I won’t be rushing out to purchase it.
This third novella in the series again features Murderbot on a ‘mission’, saving some humans from harm whilst he (she? they?) secretly meanwhile invesThis third novella in the series again features Murderbot on a ‘mission’, saving some humans from harm whilst he (she? they?) secretly meanwhile investigates the events of the first book. Again, I felt this part was a little ho-hum. I can picture it all as a 1980s’ scifi movie, very popular when it hits the video shop, starring Rae Dawn Chong, Shawnee Smith and Peter Strauss.
After the bot called ART in the last instalment so successfully assisted with Murderbot’s characterisation, Wells included another robot sidekick this time. Unlike the almost world-weary ART, Miki is purely innocent and good and often described as child-like.
The most important theme of the book comes from Murderbot’s examination of Miki and Miki’s human client’s (aka human owner, I guess you’d say) relationship which I would refer to as a pure platonic love. These scenes featuring Murderbot’s thoughts on the subject, his jealousy and the realisation around his own lack of received warmth and kindness are what elevates this novella to something a little bit better than the usual.
However, saying that, I still feel like these books are just missing the mark with me
I read the first book in this series and found myself in the minority as I wasn't a huge fan. Luckily, I liked this second installment more.
The diffeI read the first book in this series and found myself in the minority as I wasn't a huge fan. Luckily, I liked this second installment more.
The difference I think was this one's humour which I don't remember being present in book one. Most of the laughs came via the new character, a pilot bot called ART. With ART's inclusion, Wells was not limited to only Murderbot's thoughts when telling the story. Murderbot and ART initially bond over their newly found love of TV shows, in particular a serial named Sanctuary Moon. I chuckled along at the running joke aobut the show.
I appreciated the details that Wells included about the series' universe. She's definitely thought it all out and created something which feels real. It's given me the itch to catch up with some more scifi soon. However, there were still sections of the book where I became bored and I assume I'm not completely invested in Murderbot's story as yet.
This wins my award for Most Disappointing Read of the year. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It’s just that all of O’Leary’s other books have been sThis wins my award for Most Disappointing Read of the year. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It’s just that all of O’Leary’s other books have been so fabulous, and The Wake Up Call didn’t live up to my high expectations.
Izzy and Lucas both work as receptionists in the same hotel. I loved the hotel setting, it was such a sweet atmosphere with a cast of cute co-workers and regular guests. Izzy and Lucas are both nice enough characters. Izzy is your typically sweet and generous rom-com leading lady, right down to her quirkily coloured hair. Izzy’s warmth and friendliness is at odds with Lucas’s standoffish and exacting standards. Despite being physically attracted, Izzy and Lucas claim to dislike each other, leading to a competitive workplace (which, tbh, is quite toxic and inappropriate at times, but is prime for the ol’ enemies to lovers trope).
One of my fav things about O’Leary’s previous books has been that something important she’s added into the plot - topical and important themes which make you stop and think, and elevates her books to something more than the run-of-the-mill chick lit. This time, this depth (for want of a better term) was missing. There was no touching moment or a punch in the guts realisation.
Another thing I've always noticed about O’Leary’s books was their universal appeal. I would recommend them to someone from late teens onwards. When I’d finished reading, I passed them onto my mother who is in her 80s. This time I won’t bother. I know she’ll probably not enjoy this one.
So, all in all, I’m really disappointed but, as I said, The Wake-Up Call was probably a hundred times better than a couple of other popular romances I’ve read of late. I guess 3 ½ out of 5 ...more
I needed an ‘I’ author in the crime/thriller/mystery genre for a challenge and, unless you read something by one of the many Ians, options are rather I needed an ‘I’ author in the crime/thriller/mystery genre for a challenge and, unless you read something by one of the many Ians, options are rather limited. I dug through my ereader and found this title, one I must have picked up for free somewhere along the line.
The book actually had a really good premise for its main mystery plot. A woman’s body is washed ashore in France, presumably drowned but in fact murdered. The French police struggle to identify her but, when they eventually do, they find she is an English citizen, a secretary who works in the Foreign Office. The subsequent investigation from the English police, therefore, involves the M15 and the book then melds its murder mystery with an espionage thriller.
Ison focused on the plot and, unfortunately, didn’t bother as much with characterisation. I would likely not even be able to tell you who was who in the investigating team, not even who is who out of Gaffney and Tipper (whom the series is named after). The only thing I could tell you about them is that they’re homophobic, sexist and racist.
This book was written in 1988 and it did not age well. I don’t easily get offended, and usually let this type of thing wash over me, remembering often that these attitudes were the norm in society at the time. However, this book was next level and I was quite tempted to DNF it on this basis several times. Actually I think I only finished it as it was very short and I needed that ‘I’ author book…
While investigating, the police constantly imply the victim brought her death upon herself by being promiscuous, bisexual and just generally dressing in sexy attire. The list of suspects the police put all their efforts into are her ex-lovers and those ex-lovers even agree she likely had it coming, with most of them confirming they aren’t surprised by her fate, considering her bedroom activities. W.T. actual F.
There’s even a scene featuring the fictional prime minister where he stresses that being gay and employed by the British government wouldn’t happen as its employees are carefully vetted to check for such tendencies. It’s even implied that this thought would upset him much more than any of his staff being an adulterer (practically this is expected, especially amongst those in line for a knighthood - wtf), a spy, or a murderer. W.T.F.
The most disturbing thing is that Ison is an ex-police officer and this attitude was likely not as rare as I would have imagined by 1988.
I really enjoyed Warner’s River of Salt, so I decided to read this for my ‘Z’ book in a challenge, crossing my fingers that it wouldn’t matter too mucI really enjoyed Warner’s River of Salt, so I decided to read this for my ‘Z’ book in a challenge, crossing my fingers that it wouldn’t matter too much that I hadn’t read the other books in the series. (Thankfully, that last bit was true and most of the characters’ history was pretty easy to follow.)
During the 2000 Olympics, Snowy Lane is a private detective who is investigating the disappearance of three young women in Perth. Only one body is found but, when one of the police’s prime suspects commits suicide, the crimes cease and, despite Snowy’s misgivings, it is supposed the deceased was the killer. Flash forward to 2015 and Snowy finds himself in Broome, teaming up with a local police officer, Dan Clement, on a new case when he stumbles over evidence that perhaps the killer from 2000 is still very much alive and kidnapping women again.
I liked both the lead characters. They are different enough that you never get confused as to who is who but I liked the fact they worked together instead of that usual, ‘this is my jurisdiction, go away’ crap often included in police procedurals.
I loved the settings. Using both the city streets and beaches of Perth and the more isolated northern croc-infested areas of Western Australia was a great idea. The transition was seamless between both settings and time periods, and both were just as interesting as the other.
Again, I loved Warner’s style. His similes are often quite funny. He also included a lot of his musical background again which was fun.
I will definitely be catching up with the other books of this series. 4 ½ out of 5 ...more
Lee at ReadWriteWish
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