Countdown to 2025: Day 4: Gifts – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to
4 December 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Book You Enjoyed More Than You Expected To, A Little Trickerie, Blake Crouch, Countdown to 2025, Day 4, Gifts, Murder Road, Rosanna Pike, Run, Simone St James
Once again I am counting down to the New Year, as with the previous two years I shall be highlighting at least one book per day to fit the prompt on that given day. The main aim for this countdown is to highlight some of my reads during the past year and to shine the spotlight on them once again (although some of the prompts relate to forthcoming reads). Today is day 4 of the countdown to 2025 and a list of prompts can be found here if you wish to join me in counting down to 2025 and casting a spotlight on some of your favourite books (if you join in please leave me a link so I can check out your book choices).
Today’s Prompt : Gifts – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to:
27 Days Remaining
I’ve highlighted three books for this – these were all authors that I read for the first time and I loved all three so thought they well deserved a spot in the light. Run, A Little Trickerie and Murder Road.
Tomorrow’s prompt: Chocolates – a book that was simply delicious
Review: Run by Blake Crouch
11 November 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Blake Crouch, Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Run
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Constantly Moving and Tension Packed
I had a good time with Run. This is actually my first book by this author, although I do own others, and in some ways I dare say this makes it easier for me to love this one because I’m not comparing it to what I’ve already read or holding it up to some very lofty expectations. I went into this completely in the dark, I had no idea what the story was really about and I think this was something else that also worked out well for me.
As you may imagine from the title this is a story of a family trying to flee to safety. There is constant movement with this story and the characters (and reader) gets little chance for a breather. In fact I found myself hoping that the author would cut his characters a little slack – but he didn’t. Anyway, let’s work back and see what’s what.
I will say that I just went back to check the description for this one and if you still haven’t read it – I suggest you don’t do so. I found this so much better going into the read with no preconceived notions.
With that in mind I’m going to be very cagey about the plot. Yes, this is a family on the run trying to survive. They’re not the only ones and they have no idea what’s going on. Likewise, as a reader you’re equally in the dark and discovering things on the fly as this family try to stay one step ahead of what’s coming for them.
This is such a tense story. It’s the type of survival story that keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what comes next. I won’t lie, there is violence here and death aplenty, it comes with the new territory, but, at the same time, there are moments where you can see this family coming together and in fact that’s one of my favourite aspects of the story. This family, over the duration of this story, and everything that the author puts them through, definitely achieve massive character growth. This is a family that comes together in their time of need. Before everything hit the fan they’d been on the brink of giving up the ghost. Now, I’m not saying that with hindsight they’d wish this disaster onto themselves in order for their relationships to survive, but, the way they react and grow during the story made for addictive reading.
I liked the characters, which also helps. Like I mentioned, as the story begins they’re certainly not the perfect family, the father is the last person you’d expect to become your hero and yet all of them step into new shoes and adapt. Sometimes accompanied by a bit of screaming and crying and other times by starvation and thirst.
In terms of crticisms. Well, sometimes it doesn’t pay to question the whys and wherefores too deeply but instead roll with the punches and go where the story is trying to take you. I was, without doubt hooked to this from a very early point in the story and so I didn’t look too finely at the plot or any potential plot holes so can’t really say whether they were present or not. I think the ending felt a little hasty which was perhaps my only real issue.
Overall, this was very entertaining and definitely the sort of story that I think would make a great adaptation to the big screen. I’m now really looking forward to picking up some of my already owned books by this author to see how they compare. Any suggestions where to start always welcome.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Friday Face Off: Run by Blake Crouch
11 October 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Blake Crouch, book-blog, Books, Friday Face off, reading, Run
Today I’m returning to the Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). I’ve missed these for the past few months and so would like to get back to comparing covers (and hopefully I will be updating this page with a new banner. This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
This week I’ve chosen a book that is on my shelf waiting to be read. Run by Blake Crouch. I like the sound of this one and the covers are very ominous:
My favourite this week:
They’re all different and yet similar – if that makes sense. I quite like the blue and the yellow but that sticker annoys me. I also like ominous feel of the bottom left. But I think my favourite this week is:
This cover feels out of focus and fuzzy but I feel that gives it an edge and I also like the grey title. This one definitely gives the feeling of trying to run away. Which is your favourite?
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Friday Face Off : Abandon by Blake Crouch
Today I’m returning to the Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). I’ve missed these for the past few months and so would like to get back to comparing covers (and hopefully I will be updating this page with a new banner. This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week is a book I haven’t read yet but I’m hoping to catch up wit soon. Abandon by Blake Crouch. Here are the covers:
My favourite:
That little collection of houses, lights on in only one – and that eery greenish tinge.
Which is your favourite? Have you read this book yet??
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Friday Face Off : Out of Perspective, or makes you feel a bit dizzy
18 June 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Blake Crouch, Books by Proxy, Friday Face off
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout.
Small update – I’m still catching up with blog hopping and I haven’t even started on comments on my own blog. I have read them all just not got back to everyone at the moment. I’ve been catching up with reviews and review books – or at least trying, I’ve caught a wicked cold and I don’t mind telling you it’s wiped me out. One day I will be fully caught up – one day very soon *fingers crossed*.
This week’s theme:
Out of Perspective, or makes you feel a bit dizzy
This week I’ve chosen a book that I’ve not read yet (in spite of owning a copy and reading very positive reviews – (something about time and lots of books, yadda yadda yadda). Anyway, I think the covers for this are just what I had in mind, it took me a while to figure out what I was really thinking for this theme and then this book popped into my head: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – the covers really fit this whole skewed/out of perspective makes you blink or feel a bit off kilter. Check them out:
My favourite this week
I’ve updated the list now to include themes for next year. If you know of an event that’s coming up let me know and I’ll try and include covers that work for the event itself so that you can link up to the Friday Face Off and, as always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know. Also, I would just mention that it’s very possible that some of these might be repeats from previous FFOs although I have tried to invent more ‘open ended’ prompt that can be interpreted differently and also prompts that relate to emotions. Finally, don’t struggle with any of these, this is meant to be a fun way of highlighting books. If you can’t come up with a book you think fits for a particular week use a freebie – perhaps a recent read for example:
Next week – Upside down, back to front or topsy turvy
2021
June
25th – Upside down, back to front or topsy turvy
July
2nd – A book with a landscape you’d like to visit
9th – A Wicked Grin
16th – Books with ‘book’ in the title
23rd – A Black Hole – could be in the universe or going deep into the ground
30th – Chaos – maybe too much going on in this one
August
6th – “They cluck their thick tongues, and shake their heads and suggest, os so very delicately!” – The Motel
13th – A favourite holiday read
20th – Dressed to kill (could be literally someone dressed to kill, or someone dressed up for a big night out
27th – Sunbathing or on the beach
September (RIP event)
3rd – 1920s feel, noir detective
10th – I’m Henry the Eighth I am – let’s look at Kings or other Emperors/rulers
17th – Books with ‘Murder’ in the title
24th – A favourite thriller
October
1st – A Halloween read
8th – Chills – anything at all that almost makes you too scared to pick up the book (your own pet hate)
15th – Your favourite book of magic
22nd – Books with ‘Queen’ in the title
29th – Must be gothic
November – Sci Fi Month
5th – Your earliest sci-fi read or the first sci-fi you reviewed
12th – A book with ‘star’ in the title
19th – Futuristic vista
26th – A Black Hole – in the universe or going deep into the ground
December
3rd – Windswept, the classic figure, stood majestically, with wind blowing out in a fetching way
10th – A fairytale retold
17th – Winter Solstice approaching – anything cold and seasonal
24th – All things fire – red hair, red covers, fire breathing dragons, simply fire?
31st – What’s your catnip – if it’s on a cover you have to pick it up
Books and travelling with Lynn 