Book Review: House Swap by Rebecca Fleet

We going to have an accidental theme.

‘No one lives this way unless they want to hide something.’ 

When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple.

On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music in the CD player might seem innocent to her husband but to her they are anything but. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.

But that person is now in her home – and they want to make sure she’ll never forget . . .

This book is sadly not really a thriller, it tries to have a twist but especially doesn't work and with the audiobook production I was more annoyed than anything. It mostly dances around the facts of the story, or things that they no reason to dance around other than laziness and to drag this thing out. The characters are very bland, they work in marketing kinda bland (they might not work in marketing, it just reference to obsession with marketing as a job in film. I don't know what they work as). I think this lacking important thriller elements as well as the characters not having much development. I guess we're meant to feel sorry for them, but I don't know who they're meant to be.  The audiobook performance was fine, not sure why they decided to spend the money on four narrators for this book. Frankly, it would have worked better with just one, with the dumb twist. It's probably OMG moment when the narrators switch but as soon as the POV was introduce it was clearly not going to be who she thinks it is, otherwise they couldn't market this as Thriller.  This book does have Thriller elements, like an obvious mystery that you know will be solved as soon as you know what terrible secret the MC has, so it's not thrilling at all. There's also the Husband's mystery drug problem, that he started because of stress, so it is a prescribed drug. I know it's not antidepressants but imagining it was and his wife was just being an arse about him still taking it, it would really fitted with this book. It's never stated so feels very McGuffin. I guess it's a sleeping pill, he's a therapist, so maybe he's meant to have self-prescribed them but that would be a scandal on it's own.  If this is not a Thriller what genre is it? I guess Drama, or just fiction for what it would be market in bookstore or library. The idea of that's promised on the back is a Thriller, but its more about petty relationships. Most of the relationships were sex scenes: have an affair and it's love because the sex is good. I'm Ace so if this meant to have been some great love story with tragic ending, it's okay if you say so. The one time it goes to back to a thriller, it sways away again. I got really excited that something was going to happen but then it didn't so back to petty nonsense.  Overall, I gave this book 2/5 stars for Dead Hamsters. If want something that's actually a thriller then go for You Let Me In (I will review this book soon, I read it first and probably should have review it that way.). It's actually a thriller and I didn't question not finishing it. It has a similar feature of someone renting their House to someone while they away.

Book Review: Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith

The night before I leave to uni, I'm going tour the fields and say goodbye to the sheep.

One night. A life-changing decision. And a list…

Of course Clare made a list. She creates lists for everything. That’s just how she is.
But tonight is Clare and Aidan’s last night before college and this list will decide their future, together or apart.

It takes them on a rollercoaster ride through their past – from the first hello in science class to the first conversation at a pizza joint, their first kiss at the beach and their first dance in a darkened gymnasium – all the way up to tonight.

A night of laughs, fresh hurts, last-minute kisses and an inevitable goodbye.

But will it be goodbye forever or goodbye for now?

I have been excited for this book, since I heard about it the Edinburgh Book Festival. While not exactly what I expected, but I was not disappointed.

It is in the third-person, but with the emphasis on Claire. The chapters are split by where they go on their quest, for example Stop #613 THE MOON. It's not very stick with it, so it's just a way of emphasising the places they visit.

The relationship between Claire and Aiden is did well. It's feels like they have a real history behind them and I also like their group of friends. This essentially a character and relationship book. It also deals with they different relationships with their parents and how that's effected them.

Overall, I gave this book 4/5 stars for attempts to save Rusty. This was good book dealing with going off to uni/college and the general life stage after High school. If you at that stage like me, I recommend this book for you and if not it's still very good and Jennifer E. Smith writes good books. 

I got this book from BookBridgr and Headline for review. It's out on 1 September 2015 or yesterday to most people so now.

Book Review: Season to Taste by Natalie Young

This is the best Cook Book I have ever read, though I can't follow any of the receipts without the risk of a life sentence.

Always let the meat rest under foil for at least ten minutes before carving...

Meet Lizzie Prain. Ordinary housewife. Fifty-something. Lives in a cottage in the woods, with her dog Rita. Likes cooking, avoids the neighbours. Runs a little business making cakes. No one has seen Lizzie's husband, Jacob, for a few days. That's because last Monday, on impulse, Lizzie caved in the back of his head with a spade. And if she's going to embark on the new life she feels she deserves after thirty years in Jacob's shadow, she needs to dispose of his body Her method appeals to all her practical instincts, though it's not for the faint hearted. Will Lizzie have the strength to follow it through?

 I really like this book. What's not to love about a book about a middle-age woman forcing herself to eat her husband in affect to get rid of the body. Before those without the taste for gore and horror leave, this is not what this is book about. It's more about relationships and being unsatisfied with life. While there is no  gory details, the idea of eating of a foot did sicken me a little but the feet of the living can be petty disgusting.

The book is formatted into three points of view, it is mostly a third person narration. We also have Lizzie notes to herself (though those are in second person) and the first person point of view of a neighbour boy. It really worked for a story and really enjoyed the notes.

 This is of course a character driven book with flashbacks. I didn't hate either Lizzie or her husband by end of the book which is weird since one murders the other.

Overall, I gave this book five out of five stars for undelivered cakes. I enjoyed the writing style and was an interesting idea and who doesn't want to escape to Glasgow.

I requested a this book off BookBridgr for Review and it is published by TinderPress.

Book Review: The Savages by Matt Whyman

Vegetarianism and Cannibalism are basically interchangeable. Just ask the Fannibals.

They'd love to have you for dinner . . .

Sasha Savage is in love with Jack - a handsome, charming ... vegetarian. Which wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that Sasha's family are very much 'carnivorous'. Behind the family facade all is not as it seems. Sasha's father rules his clan with an iron fist and her mother's culinary skills are getting more adventurous by the day. When a too-curious private detective starts to dig for truths, the tight-knit family starts to unravel - as does their sinister taste in human beings . . .

The Savages explores the relationship between family and food. The Savages are petty normal family, well maybe except for being a cannibals and having a possible future serial killer. So Titus, is the father and head of the family. He thinks that the family's unique diet is what bonds them, which is why Sasha is bit concern to tell him that she went vegetarian, a challenge set by her current and first Boyfriend Jack.

Titus is a ruthless business man and is expected of dodgie business practices cause his next prey (in business) to hire a private investigator, Venon English, to find evidence of such in attempt to save their company. Anyway, Venon becomes convince that the Savages had something to do with the death of a model, leading him to become a tiny bit of obsessed with finding the "Truth".

Whyman has really done a good job of creating a realistic family. A mother, lying about Money; a father having seconded thoughts about his career; a slightly rebelist teenager and slightly socialpathic brother. Maybe he just autistic, doesn't understand why anyone outside of his family matters. But then again he does almost kill his sister.

Interestingly, there is sort of comparison of cannibalism and veganism. I suppose in away there both extreme views. Cannibalism is everything fair game, including your fellow man while veganism is not touching anything that came from animal (I always wonder if vegans breast feed their children as that would be something from an animal). I personally don't like either, as I believe it best to use our canines but not each other. Okay, I'm going to just say that I might reading a little deep, but that my right as reader. It just makes me think that's all.

The vegans ain't very well portrayed (though vegetarian get off about the same as the cannibals). What I mean is that two vegans in this book ain't very likable. You got Jack, Sasha's boyfriend whose a douche. He only plans to stay with Sasha till she sleeps with him and then sorts of cheats on her (he tries but never gets that far). Then there Amanda who want to (get other people to) actually kill meat eaters. Though, I've never really liked vegans (well, the stereotype or idea) as they remind me of PETA who I hate (but that is topic for another post). Sasha is the non-annoying type of vegetarian as it about choice. The books does make you reflect on diet. I think that we should have more vegetable based diets, like not every meal needs meat in it, but still meat is good for you. Balanced diets are important.

I liked the ending, even if it is bit unrealisic. It was satisfying wrap up.

Overall, I gave it 5/5 stars for Psycho Vegans. Highly recommend to anyone, with the switching narration I think it should appeal almost anyone.