Best Selling Books UK: June 2011

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

When God Was a Rabbit, by Sarah Winman

When God Was a Rabbit is the first novel by Sarah Winman, and readers seem to either love it or hate it.

It follows two people, brother and sister, as they make their way through life.

Elly is born in 1968 and the first part of the book is aptly named 1968 as we follow her through her childhood in the south of England and onwards with close reference to brother Joe.

We laugh and we cry as events unfold, both world and local, as the children grow up to become adults, and then face the trials and tribulations that accompany friendship, love, relationships and events.

At times very funny, and at other times very serious, 20 or 30 somethings should find plenty to empathise with.

One Day by David Nicholls

One Day by David Nicholls follows the life of two people, Emma and Dexter, who meet on the night of their graduation on St Within's day in 1988, and agree to meet yearly afterwards.

With character plays between the people they become, One Day is easily readable and enjoyable as we learn about their lives, their personalities and how they interact with each other every 15th of July.

By the end of the book we have become so attached to these characters, we feel sad that the book has finished, and that in itself makes it very readable.

David Nicholls previous work include his huge bestseller, Starter for Ten

The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst

The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst.

We have waited 7 long years for Alan Hollinghurst's long-awaited follow up novel to his Man Booker award winning previous novel, The Line of Beauty

It has been well worth the wait, The Stranger's Child follows the lives of two families from the brink of World War I right through the whole of the 20th century.

Beautifully written and easily readable, the story of The Stranger's Child, beings in the summer of 1913 when upper class poetry student stays the weekend at his Cambridge University friend George Saul's house called Two Acres.

The events of that weekend intertwine the two families irrevocably, and we see a changing Britain through their eyes throughout the next 80 years.

Highly recommended reading.

A Feast for Crows: Book 4 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin

A Feast for Crows: Book 4 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin.

Many readers have confessed to feeling a disappointment with this book after the epic rise of George RR Martin's earlier books in the same series, A Song of Ice and Fire.

Many of the earlier characters are barely mentioned, as they have been saved for another of his books, A Dance With Dragons: Book 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire (Song of Ice & Fire 5)

Instead we have the Martells of Dorne seeking revenge, and many other characters carrying out horrific and foul deeds brought about through political intrigue and dark magic.

Some readers loved this book so don;t let this put you off. Some feel it is the best in the series, so it is up to you, the reader, to decide if A Feast for Crows is for you.

A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold: Book 3, Part 2 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin

A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold: Book 3, Part 2 of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin is a continuation of his colossal and stunning epic series.

Widely acclaimed as the best yet, in A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold the Lannisters and Tyrells are now allied together, presenting an overwhelming force for the Starks.

Beyond The Wall, John Snow is on a spying mission to learn the plans of the wildlings, but finds his loyalties torn.

Meanwhile Daenerys Targaryen is attempting to amass an army from the cities of Slaver's Bay over the far Eastern waters and finds herself entrenched in freeing the peoples there, delaying her return to Westeros.

A Storm of Swords, 2 Blood and Gold is unputdownable!

A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, Book 3, Part 1 of A Song of Fire and Ice by George R R Martin

A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, Book 3, Part 1 of A Song of Fire and Ice by George R R Martin is a continuation of his highly-acclaimed epic series.

The third book is split into two parts and in A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, winter rapidly approaches the Seven Kingdoms which have been torn apart by war and feuds.

A little bit of magic creeps into this book so insidiously you'll hardly notice the change, but this is another powerful story that'll have you on the edge of your seat, rapidly turning pages, absorbed in the action and desperate to know what happens next.

In A Storm of Swords, Steel and Snow, Brother Mance Rayder prepares to lead the wildlings from the Northern borders South towards The Wall.

Newly crowned Robb Stark in the House of Stark in the North has to stretch his defences against not only the threat coming from the wastelands, but from the Lannisters to the South where his sisters are held captive.

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

How to be a Woman by The Times columnist Caitlin Moran.
This book is a laugh out loud book about modern women and our role in today's society. While feminism is a bad word in many quarters, How to Be a Woman takes a light hearted look at the world through a teenager's eyes in 1980s and forward. This is sure to touch a chord whether you are male/female, old or young. Described as the funniest book for ages, it also has a deeper message that women today can identify with.
High recommended reading and well worth nipping over the Amazon to read the reviews before you buy the book.

Best Selling Books UK July 2011

Saturday, June 4, 2011

A Clash of Kings: Books 2 of a Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings by George R.R.Martin

The second volume in A Song of Ice and Fire, A Clash of Kings is just as exciting and gripping as the first.

The Seven Kingdoms are divided and in tatters, while beyond The Wall to the north comes a great cold, bringing with it the walking dead.

The stories are told from the points of view of various members of the Stark family, the once and future kings, whose father had been brutally murdered.

With its dark air and medieval setting, A Song of Fire and Ice is a fantasy series for adults that can rival Tolkein's Lord of the Rings

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 1) by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R.Martin

Invariably described as the best new fantasy trilogy since Stephen Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" - and I loved those books - A Game of Thrones is the first of three in the series called A Song of Fire and Ice.

The Seven Kingdoms south of The wall are threatened with rivalry, greed, treachery and war. Meanwhile a darker force is moving in beyond the Wall.

Each chapter in the book is named after the character whose viewpoint you are learning about, and there are many characters each of which are utterly believable. There is no good, nor evil. Everybody is in shades of grey. In this world with a recorded history of 8,000 years, you live or you die.

Invariably described as gripping, highly readable, wonderful, highly recommended, A Game of Thrones is not one to miss!

London Calling (Inspector Carlyle 1) by James Craig

London Calling by James Craig

James Craig has written a winner with this action-packed political thriller.

Our hero of the day is down-to-earth London Police Inspector John Carlyle whose job it is to track down a brutal murderer.

The country is in the middle of a General Election and the leader of the opposition, Edgar Carlton, a powerful and ambitious man from an upper class background, goes out of his way to ensure the killer is not found, because it could compromise his position.

An exciting and fast-paced thriller, this book is un-put-downable and a thoroughly good read as well as insightful into the world of power and murky politics.

Hard Landing: The First Spider Shepherd Thriller by Stephen Leather

Hard Landing by Stephen Leather

Hard Landing: the First Spider Shepherd Killer is a thoroughly enjoyable book about undercover agent Jack Shepherd, who, as Bob MacDonald, is caught red-handed carrying out an armed robbery.

Fast -tracked off the the remand wing of a category A British prison, he continues his undercover work behind bars.

Full of believable characters from the other prisoners to the wardens, this is an action-packed British thriller of the highest quality.

Daddy's Home by A.K. Alexander

Daddy's Home by A.K.Alexander

Daddy's Home is a crime thriller about a man who befriends single mothers so that he can get close to her children, hence the title "Daddy's Home".

But unlike a real Daddy, this Daddy turns nasty and kills them when things are not going well for him. The San Diego Police Department are investigating the murders and trying to track the killer down, but none more so than Crime Scene Investigator Holly Jennings, herself a single mom, whose best friend and her family become a victim of this evil entity known as "The Family Man".

Holly is also fighting her own personal demons, feeling guilt for the death of her husband while resisting an affair with an attractive veterinarian Brendan O'Neill.

Full of twists and turns, this book can move the reader to tears at times, dealing as it does with such sensitive issues as child murders.

Daddy's Home seems to be a book you'll either love or hate, if you can ignore the typos and errors throughout the book.

Mommy, May I? by A.K. Alexander

Mommy, May I? by A.K.Alexander

Mommy May I? is fast-paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Action-packed, exciting and utterly readable, Mommy May I? is the story of a once-powerful super-model, Helen Shea, whose life has relaxed a bit now that is no longer modelling and is instead running her own modelling agency.

Her daughter, 16 year old Frankie, who she gave up for adoption when she was a baby, comes tentatively back into her life. Just as mother and daughter start to get to know each other again, along comes an evil serial killer intent on ripping apart their lives forever.

You are going to love this one! Great book!

The Dukan Diet by Doctor Pierre Dukan

The Dukan Diet by Dr. Pierre Dukan

Women (and men) the world over are losing weight fast and KEEPING IT OFF, thanks to Dr. Pierre Dukan who developed The Dukan Diet diet plan 10 years ago. You may have read about it on the internet, but no-one explains it so well, and the science behind why it works, than the author himself.
There are basically 4 stages to the Dukan Diet:

Attack - during this phase that lasts several days you are only allowed to eat from a list of 70-odd lean proteins and water.
Cruise - stay on Cruise until you have achieved ideal weight loss by alternating protein only days with protein plus vegetable days.
Consolidation - Gradually adding starches and fats back into your diet in a carefully controlled way, plus the introduction of celebratory meals.
Stabilisation - Maintain your target weight by following three simple rules, fully explained within the book.

I'm a fan of low-carb dieting and I know it works. In fact, a friend just now is following the Dukan diet and she is not only slimmer, she looks better too.

Truth Dare Kill by Gordon Ferris

Truth Dare Kill is set in post-War London.Lead character is Danny McCrae and he is a private detective.

No normal PD, Danny McCrae is haunted and damaged by things he did and saw in France during the War and he suffers blackouts and flashbacks and has all this to deal with, as well as the struggles of day-to-day living in a bombed and devastated London.

Follow Danny as he searches through the rubble of London looking for clues to help his rich client, Kate Graveney, while battling black-outs that sometimes last days at a time, bringing Danny into trouble with the Law and other enforcers before this book reaches its exciting final conclusion.

Widely thought to be an excellent book that readers do not want to put down.

The Unremarkable Heart by Karin Slaughter

The Unremarkable Heart is a short story, a teaser to make you want to read Karin Slaughter's full length novels coming out soon.

And you will want to read them because Karin Slaughter is a master story teller, capable of weaving believable tales in a manner that keeps you glued to the pages, wanting more.

The Unremarkable Heart can be read in under an hour, and tells the story of June Connor, who is dying of cancer. It is more her thoughts and feelings being divulged, with trips down memory lane of things her family have done in the past, all in the last few hours of her life.

Readers have described the first third of the story as depressing, but that it then suddenly gets really interesting and a fantastic tale is told, albeitly on the short side.

Bone and Cain by David Belbin

Bone and cane by David Belbin

Bone and Cain a political thriller set in Nottingham in the last 1990's, which according to reviews has been warmly received all round.

A young MP helps quash the conviction of a man accused of the murder of a policeman and his wife, but this man, Ed Clark, later attempts to rape the MP and admits to her that he was in fact guilty.

During the course of the story and with elections looming, the MP, Sarah Bone, meets up with old university flame Nick Cane who is fresh out of prison having served 5 years for an illegal cannabis growing operation. The biggest question on his mind is 'who grassed him up?'

He is now driving a mini-cab and a colleague of his is Ed Clark, the man whose conviction MP Bone helped to quash.

Pressure is growing on Sarah, as the dead policeman's sister, Polly Burton, demands a fresh enquiry into her brother's death and is making it a political issue with the upcoming election.

Sarah herself has grave doubts about the Ed Clark's release as she realises she may have helped a gross injustice, and is determined to find out the truth.

Reviewers have stated that this book is a little bit difficult to get into at the start, but then it become un-put-downable with a great storyline that leaves the reader feeling knowledgeable about how election campaigns are run.

Best Selling Books UK

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