I’ve been extremely good this month and I haven’t bought a single book. On the other hand, I have been sent seven books by publishers, so perhaps the scales even out a bit! Either way, I’m equally happy with the restraint I’ve shown towards my bank balance and the books I’ve still acquired. I’ve already managed to read about half of these and I’m looking forward to getting around to the rest. So, without further ado, here are the books!
One of the first things to arrive in the post this month was Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed. I’ve already read this book (you can see my review here) and thought it was an excellent novel, made all the more impressive because it’s actually the authors debut. It’s dark and disturbing yet gripping all the while. As you can see, the book has been beautifully published by Tinder Press. For more information, the author’s website has some brilliant reviews to ponder over: www.jenniemelamed.com
Gather the Daughters was quickly followed by a book kindly sent over by the team at Quercus. Elly Griffiths is a seasoned author, with this being the ninth novel in the Dr Ruth Galloway Mystery series. I’d never read anything by this author before but I did not feel that this hindered the reading experience at all. It was a quick, enjoyable read and is a series that I would like to continue with . . . as well as reading the back catalogue! My review can be found here.
The final book which I was sent this month and have already gotten round to reading was Benjamin Percy’s The Dark Net. Percy was an entirely new author to me, and I am really glad I got the chance to discover his work. It’s a mixture of technological horror/thriller with strong foundations in fantasy. The writing was excellent and really portrayed the author’s skill. I can certainly see why he has been likened to Stephen King! The book is due to be published shortly by Hodder on the 3rd August in the UK.
I requested the next book based purely on the tagline of the novel: ‘She can’t remember why she’s afraid of her husband’. As the eerie words suggest, this is a physiological drama which follows a mother and wife who suffers amnesia after a fall, leaving her with no memories of the last twelve months. Published by Headline, the book has already been optioned for TV by a prominent figure in Hollywood, so is definitely one to look out for in the future.
The next two books arrived on the same day, although sent by different publishers. Aesthetically, they are without a doubt my favourite books which I have been sent this month. Both are beautifully designed hardbacks with stunning covers, although vastly different in genre. Firstly, we have The Sixteen Trees of The Somme by Lars Mytting, a Norwegian author. I’ve read quite a few books by Scandinavian authors, the most recent being My Grandmother Sends her Regards and Apologies which I absolutely adored! I was thrilled to receive this book in the post, which is described as a family saga spanning from Noway, to the Shetland Islands, and of course, to the battlefields of the Somme in France. I’ve already started reading this and my review will be up shortly.
The other hardback which I was so impressed with was G X Todd’s The Defender. You can’t tell it from the photo but the book has a lovely matte finish which just begs to be read. The premise of the books is that the biggest threat mankind faces is from the voices inside your own head, a terrifying thought which hints at the thrilling nature of the book. The book has also been likened to power houses such as Stephen King and Neil Gaiman, so I’m sure the imagination will be brilliant. This was sent to me by Headline, and is the first book in a four part installment.
The last book of the month arrived just two days ago and is the only non-fiction book I have acquired this month. The title of the book, A History of Heavy Metal, is pretty explanatory, and as a love of heavy metal and rock music I am really excited by this unique addition to my shelves. The author is Andrew O’Neill, a comedian who has performed the main substance of this book to vast audiences at both Download festival and the Edinburgh Fringe. Flicking through the first pages I can already tell the book is saturated with humour, yet also seems to be a genuine study of how heavy metal has evolved over time. With bands such as Black Sabbath and Metallica, and sub-genres from Thrash Metal, Death Metal and Glam Metal, it is sure to be an insightful read for lovers of this music.
I think this is a pretty eclectic range of books that I have received this month and I am extremely grateful for each one. I can’t wait to get up the reviews for you all as soon as I can. Have any of you read any of these books yet, or are interested in picking any up?
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