BOOKS TO READ IN 2016

When others look back on their year they probably think about the memories made and check to see what resolutions they kept. I, however, put a lot of thought into what I've read and what I have failed to. 

This year I have been particularly reflective. For the past three years I have set my reading goal to around 50-52 books, so around one a week. An easy task for a reader, really. Although this year I have failed spectacularly. Whenever I've been at university I've hardly ever read a book for pleasure, this year was no different. Usually the summer is catch up time, where I end up reading at least one a week and read about 7 in the annual "BookTube-A-Thon" - well not this year! I spent my summer working in America and didn't finish a single book! And so we come to the end of the year with only 34 books read (as of 23rd December). 34, a good number for some, an appalling number for someone whose target was 50. 

Anyway, before I engulf myself with disappointment whilst skimming through Agatha Christie books in a desperate attempt to get nearer to my goal, here is my list of books I really want to read in the new year.




Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

I adored The Silkworm, the second outing for JK Rowling's crime-solving Cormoran Strike, and so I eagerly bought this in hardback when it was released last year. Here's hoping I read it soon.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 

I bought this with the intent to read it before the Man Booker winner was announced - however, the size of this book was always going to conquer me due to buying it only a few days before the announcement. I gave up before trying as to not disappoint myself.

What Remains by Tim Weaver

The sixth book in one of my favourite crime/thriller series. I got this for free at my work placement at Penguin (after asking for it for christmas and then letting my mum know I didn't need it due to free books in publishing!), and I'm so excited to carry on with this fantastic series.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

It's getting ridiculous now. Must. Read. Soon.

The Missing Hours by Emma Kavanagh

Another book I received for free whilst interning. It comes out in April 2016, so I really want to read and review it before it comes out.

Pretty Is by Maggie Mitchell 

A proof I was sent by Orion, and it has been described as perfect for fans of Clare Mackintosh's  I Let You Go - which I was certainly a fan of. Excited to get stuck in! 

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

It's time to use my kindle more this year, and I bought this as one of amazon's deals, so no excuses. Besides, it's historical fiction and I also need to read more of that!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you've gained some suggestions. Don't forget to leave me some in the comments or on twitter! 

FALL FROM GRACE | Book Review (NO SPOILERS)

Title: Fall From Grace (David Raker #5)

Author: Tim Weaver

Originally Published: 2014

Page Count: 578 pages

Genre: Crime  

Published by: Penguin Books

Date Read: December 3rd - 19th 2015

After reading Never Coming Back in the summer of 2014 I became instantly hooked to Tim Weaver's missing persons investigator, David Raker. I proceeded to read the previous three books (Never Coming Back being the fourth in the series) and have since reviewed some of Raker's ventures (see here). However, for some reason it has taken me eight months to pick up this book after finishing Vanished (the third in the series, and potentially my favourite). But after coming to my senses, trying desperately to remember what happened in Never Coming Back, I fell back into place with Weaver's writing.

THE DEAD TRACKS | Book Review (NO SPOILERS)

from my instagram: roberrrrto

Title: The Dead Tracks (David Raker #2)
Author: Tim Weaver
Originally Published: 2011
Page Count: 550 pages
Genre: Crime
Published by: Penguin

Date Read: January 6th - 18th 2015

The second book with Weaver's antihero, David Raker, sees him back on form as he investigates the disappearance of 17-year-old Megan Carver. The plot deepens and the mystery intensifies as the disappearance seems to be bringing back cases from over 100 years ago.

This is my fourth Tim Weaver story, and I have to say this is up there with his better ones. The introduction to Raker with Chasing the Dead was a bit shaky, whilst this one certainly picks up and chips away at his character even more. Raker's backstory, whilst not as fleshed out or as interesting as say Rowling's Cormoran Strike, the backstory is steadily improving.

#YouDunnit | Book Review (NO SPOILERS)

Title: #YouDunnit
Author(s): Nicci French, Tim Weaver & Alastair Gunn
Originally Published: October 2013
Page Count: 107 pages
Genre: Crime / Thriller

#YouDunnit is an interesting experiment with crime fiction. Penguin teamed up with Specsavers and twitter followers to come up with an interesting idea. They asked three crime writers to write their own short story based on plot devices thought up by twitter. Whilst the concept was basic and fairly ludicrous, the authors seemingly made it work.

There are three different short stories, but each revolves around followers of a particular twitter account getting murdered.

NEVER COMING BACK by Tim Weaver (SPOILER FREE)

Title: Never Coming Back (David Raker #4)

Author: Tim Weaver

Genre: Crime / Thriller
Originally Published: 2013

Page Count: 533 pages

Published by: Penguin

Date Read: 21st July - 30th July 2014

Never Coming Back is the fourth instalment of Tim Weaver's thrillers that use missing persons investigator, David Raker, as the protagonist. In this, my first, and Raker's fourth outing, we see Raker return to his family home in the south of England, recovering after the events of (what I assume was) the third book, 'Vanished'. Whilst there a body washes upon the shore, while at the same time an old flame visits him and asks him to investigate the disappearance of her sister, Carrie, and her family. 

This the basic gist of what sparks the rest of the novel. There are a series of flashbacks from Raker's past but mainly from other people as well, which I assume is just to keep the reader interested and so we're not just following Raker trying to piece things together whilst pissing everyone off in the process. The novel was confusing to start with, we start with Raker in 2007, and then we're in the shoes of former-Cop, Healy. It was confusing switching back and forth between the pair, who were both as annoying as one another. 

By the end of part one, we're essentially following just Raker with the occasional flashback to other characters in Las Vegas. The characters in the novel range from the stereotypical mob-boss with bird-like mannerisms (he reminded me a bit of Norman Bates, or Billy Drago in The Untouchables), to the equally stereotypical villagers, where Raker lives. The whole novel seems to focus on the enigma of one of these 'gangster-type' men, Cornell, whose stern seemingly follows everyone. 

I must admit this took a slightly different path from what I expected, I thought it was going to match that of Linwood Barclay's No Time For Goodbye, but it didn't. It became some political crime novel, which I really enjoyed.

The characters were frustrating, all the male characters are arsey with one another and can't seem to listen to each other. The dynamic between Healy and Raker was annoying, and as a first time reader with this series, I question Healy's relevance to the novel. I put in my review on goodreads: 

 "Read this if you like characters who are so arsey with other people it's a wonder people bother with them, several incredulous plot twists, and very descriptive writing."

The writing was clumsy at times with its phrasing, but what novel isn't nowadays? It was annoying that the most redundant things were being described to us. 

The strength of the novel comes with its mystery, it wasn't exactly original but it held my attention and kept me coming back for more. I just wish it strayed from the stereotypes, and had tried to keep its 'plot twists' down. I can't quite count how many chapter endings I could hear the 'Eastenders' credits sequence in my head. Despite this, the mystery was engaging, the writing was brilliant, and whilst I couldn't really care for Raker, I'll be checking out some more of his adventures soon. 4 stars.