Category: Books

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

While recovering from surgery on my foot, I had my TV and book lineup ready for six weeks of unadulterated reading and TV watching time.

One of the TV shows on the top of my list was the HBO series BIG LITTLE LIES. My sister raved about how good the series was and I was intrigued by the description, that was until I saw that it was based on a book. I immediately changed up my reading lineup so I could read this book before watching the show.

I have been reading a lot of historical fiction and historical mysteries lately and I actually got excited about reading something more contemporary and modern.

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Continue reading “Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb

This book has been on my radar since I finished Webb’s cowritten novel, THE LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS. I loved that book and was eager to read more by her. Plus throw in that Phantom of the Opera is indeed one of my favorite films/operas and you have a reader who was EXTRA eager to read this book.

This book is told from Christine’s perspective which intrigued me. I have never read the original Phantom of the Opera novel by Gaston Leroux, but I’m curious about how much of the original influenced this retelling.

Christine Daaé sings with her violinist father in salons all over Paris, but she longs to practice her favorite pastime—illusions. When her beloved Papa dies during a conjurer’s show, she abandons her magic and surrenders to grief and guilt. Life as a female illusionist seems too dangerous, and she must honor her father’s memory. Continue reading “Review: The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb” →

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Special Feature: An Argument of Blood by J.A. Ironside & Matthew Willis

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Special Feature: An Argument of Blood by J.A. Ironside & Matthew Willis

An Argument of Blood
by J.A. Ironside & Matthew Willis

Publication Date: June 19, 2017
Penmore Press
Paperback & eBook; 369 Pages

Series: Oath and Crown, Book 1
Genre: Fiction/Historical/War

 

 

William, the nineteen-year-old duke of Normandy, is enjoying the full fruits of his station. Life is a succession of hunts, feasts, and revels, with little attention paid to the welfare of his vassals. Tired of the young duke’s dissolute behaviour and ashamed of his illegitimate birth, a group of traitorous barons force their way into his castle. While William survives their assassination attempt, his days of leisure are over. He’ll need help from the king of France to secure his dukedom from the rebels.

On the other side of the English Channel lives ten-year-old Ælfgifa, the malformed and unwanted youngest sister to the Anglo-Saxon Jarl, Harold Godwinson. Ælfgifa discovers powerful rivalries in the heart of the state when her sister Ealdgyth is given in a political marriage to King Edward, and she finds herself caught up in intrigues and political manoeuvring as powerful men vie for influence. Her path will collide with William’s, and both must fight to shape the future.

An Argument of Blood is the first of two sweeping historical novels on the life and battles of William the Conqueror.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Chapters

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes

As many of you know, I have been a huge fan of Jojo Moyes novels for quite some time. I loved the first book in this series, Me Before You, and many of her other books have indeed been my guilty pleasure over the years.

So for me, Me Before You did not need a sequel or to be made into a series. For me it ended on a high note and I didn’t think that it needed to be followed up by any more books which is why I didn’t really want to read After You. In fact I didn’t read the second book in this series.

Which begs the question, why did I pick this one up. Honest answer, I haven’t read a Jojo Moyes novel in a while and I was in the mood to linger over the writing style and romances. I felt starved for a Moyes novel and jumped at this one.

Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She is thrown into the world of the superrich Gopniks: Leonard and his much younger second wife, Agnes, and a never-ending array of household staff and hangers-on. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her job and New York life within this privileged world.

Before she knows what’s happening, Lou is mixing in New York high society, where she meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. In Still Me, as Lou tries to keep the two sides of her world together, she finds herself carrying secrets–not all her own–that cause a catastrophic change in her circumstances. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you reconcile a heart that lives in two places? (summary from Goodreads).  Continue reading “Review: Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Killer Choice by Tom Hunt

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The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the description. I liked the premise and thought it sounded different and unique.

I wasn’t prepared for how quickly I would read it nor how much I would get hooked on the plot after only a few pages.

His wife is sick.
He needs $200,000 to save her.
A mysterious man offers to give him the money with just one catch: He has to murder someone to get it.

Gary Foster’s life is finally heading in the right direction. After years of trying, his wife, Beth, is pregnant, and he recently opened a business with his brother. But one phone call changes everything….

After collapsing suddenly, Beth has been rushed to the hospital. Tests reveal a devastating diagnosis: an inoperable brain tumor. Their only hope is an expensive experimental treatment available abroad, with a cost that’s out of their reach. And Beth’s time is running out….

Then a strange man approaches Gary and offers the money he needs, on one condition: that he kill someone, no questions asked. End one life to save another.

In this nail-biting debut novel of domestic suspense, one man makes a choice that forces him to confront the darkest reaches of his soul and betray those closest to him. As he’s swept up in a nightmare of escalating violence, he must question his own morality—and determine just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman he loves (summary from Goodreads).  Continue reading “Review: Killer Choice by Tom Hunt” →