Hey all, a bit late with my September wrap up but I have decided to start posting to this blog page again! If you follow me on either my Instagram or Twitter, then you may have already seen this but I’m going to start using my blog for more detailed content.
I had a fairly good reading month in September with finishing six books, all above 3 stars. The full review for each will be posted soon, but below is a short section of my review for each.
The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood 5/5
I absolutely love books that focus around a cult. The idea of one leader being so powerful to a community that they are believed with everything they say and do, completely fascinates me. This story follows 22-year-old, pregnant Romy who has survived from a cult which she has only known all her life. There are three different narrated sections, each section shows the before, during and after the cult. We follow Romy as she learns that the horrors from the cult are going to catch up with her.
The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary 4/5
I never read romance books, but I picked this up to give it a go as I had heard so much about it across Bookstagram. I was very pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed this a lot! We have Tiffy who is coming out of an abusive relationship and decides that the best way is to move out of the house, however, living in London, rental prices are super high! She comes across an advert from a guy called Leon where outside of her working hours of 9am-5pm, she will have the flat to herself as Leon works nights and spends weekends with his girlfriend. The catch is that there is only one bedroom so they have to share a bed! The reader sees their “relationship” grow as they communicate via post-it-notes and I desperately wanted the story to get to their meeting.
Ice Station Zebra by Alistair MacLean 4/5
I had this book on my TBR for ages as I kept putting it off due to the synopsis. I thought that it would be way too political as it mentions the UK, US and Russia. Turns out that this was another read that I surprisingly enjoyed. We follow Dr Carpenter who boards the USS Dolphin submarine which is being captained by Commander Swanson. Dr Carpenter explains how a distress call has come in from Ice Station Zebra and that they must get to the survivors who are out on the Arctic ice. This is a very tense read which then turned into a bit of a murder-mystery as when they arrive, they realise that a couple of the dead have in fact been murdered. This gives a bit of a locked-room mystery and Agatha Christie vibes which I loved!
Gone Without A Trace by Mary Torjussen 3/5
This started by giving of Gone Girl vibes and I thought that this was going to be the premise. While on a work conference, Hannah has been given some idea that she may be made director of the company. She buys some champagne on her way home, ready to celebrate with her boyfriend, Ben. When she arrives, she is shocked to find that Ben has in fact gone! Not only him and his stuff, but all photos, emails and messages have been erased. We follow Hannah as she tries to work out what has happened to Ben, whether he has gone on his own accord or if something more sinister is involved. A bit of a psychological thriller but the narrator, Hannah, is quite annoying and the story-line is quite unrealistic. Not my favourite of the month.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward 5/5
The synopsis is very vague, we just learn that this is about a man named Tim who lives with his daughter, Lauren and cat, Olivia. Multiple POVs (one including the cat) A story that you should go in blind to and not know anything about. As the reader goes through the book, you think you have sussed out what is happening, why and how, but I can guarantee that you will be wrong.
The Passengers by John Marrs 4.5/5
This book is set slightly in the future where every vehicle is driverless, an idea that terrifies me and this story certainly didn’t help in quenching my fears! Eight different passengers get into their vehicles which are then hacked. The lives of each person is in the hands of a jury and every worldwide social media user. Who dies and who survives is chosen after learning small snippets of information about each passenger.
I will post my full review for each book soon!
Books A Plenty Reviews 