Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Tuesday, 6 October 2020
Monday, 5 October 2020
Guest Review: Hysteria by LJ Ross (The Alexander Gregory Thrillers Book 2)
In a beautiful world, murder is always ugly…
Recently returned from his last case in Ireland, elite forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory receives a call from the French police that he can’t ignore. It’s Paris fashion week and some of the world’s most beautiful women are turning up dead, their faces slashed in a series of frenzied attacks while the world’s press looks on.
Amidst the carnage, one victim has survived but she’s too traumatised to talk. Without her help, the police are powerless to stop the killer before he strikes again – can Gregory unlock the secrets of her mind, before it’s too late?
Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Parisian landscape.
Review: This is the second book in the Alexander Gregory Thrillers series by LJ Ross. I have long been a fan of another series by this author concerning DCI Ryan and his team of police detectives, set in the north of England. Alexander Gregory is also concerned with crime, but in this case as a forensic psychologist. I read and enjoyed the first book in this new series, and was looking forward to the second. There is some follow on from the first book, but nothing to stop this being read as a standalone.
This story is set in Paris, where Alex Gregory is attending a conference on criminal profiling, a field in which he is an expert. When a hideous crime is discovered quickly followed by a murder, both victims being models and known to each other, Alex is called upon by the Paris police to help in identifying the culprit. With this being fashion week in Paris and the victims being models, the investigation leads Alex into the high pressure world of fashion and down paths he could never have guessed at. There is also the promise of romance, but the circumstances of his position make difficulties for the relationship. When the dust has settled, and all becomes clear, nobody could have guessed at the story that emerged.
Another skilfully thought out thriller from LJ Ross. The twists and turns in this mystery had me puzzled as to where it would all end. As with the last book in the series, we learn a little more about Alexander Gregory’s history and the price he pays for being so passionately involved in his chosen career. Also highlighted in this story are the pressures experienced by fashion models and others in this cutthroat business. I can recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys a good mystery that will keep them guessing.
Sunday, 4 October 2020
Saturday, 3 October 2020
Guest Audiobook Review: Richard III and the Ultimate Game for the Throne By Carol Derbyshire
This is no mythical kingdom. This is England.
This is not fiction, but complete fact. Don't they say that the truth is stranger than fiction?
This was the 15th century and in this green and pleasant land, numerous players took their chances in the ultimate game. The prize was the throne of England.
The game was harsh and it was brutal.
Rival families went to war, leaving cousins dead on the battlefield. Brother fought brother as power corrupted and twisted men's souls. Families were imprisoned and executed. Men were dragged from holy places and murdered where they stood. Advisers schemed and swapped sides. King murdered king in the Tower of London.
And it finally ended with a glorious battle charge to either absolute victory or certain death.
This was the Wars of the Roses.
For 30 years a brutal and bloody civil war ravished the country. The two rival royal houses, York and Lancaster, fought for control and for the crown. During this period the throne changed hands seven times. Two kings were murdered in the Tower. Princes of the realm were executed in cold blood. The period includes immortal figures from history, Henry VI, Edward IV, The Princes in the Tower, Margaret Beaufort, Henry Tudor, Elizabeth of York, and the Kingmaker himself: Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.
But there was one figure that lived through the entire war. One figure that was central to the conflict. One figure that still divides opinion today.
Richard III.
This is his story and the game that he played for the throne of England.
Review: Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester and later to become King Richard III of England, was born at Fotheringhay Castle in 1452. This was immediately prior to the Wars of the Roses, a dynastic struggle for the throne of England between the Houses of Lancaster and York which lasted some thirty years. He died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and Henry Tudor became King Henry VII, the first of the Tudor dynasty, at the end of the Wars of the Roses. Richard was the last Plantagenet king of England and the last king to die in battle. His rise to power and his rule is shrouded in controversy. This short book is a history of his life and of his reign, set against a period of conflict in England.
There is a short introduction to his early life, but the book focuses more on his later life following his brother Edward IV’s consolidation of power in 1471. After Edward’s victories at the Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, Richard based himself in the north of England, spending most of his time at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire. In 1483, Edward died suddenly and his son, who was 12, became King Edward V, with Richard appointed as his protector. However, Richard had Edward V declared illegitimate and assumed the role of king himself, becoming King Richard III.
The book also describes the discovery, in 2012, of an almost complete skeleton during an archeological dig at the site of what was believed to be the former Greyfriars Church in Leicester. Subsequent examination of the skeleton revealed a marked curvature of the spine and severe trauma injuries to the skull, whilst DNA testing provided support for the proposition that the remains were those of Richard.
The book provides an introduction to the life and times of Richard III but I found that, due to its shortness, it lacked detail. There were also numerous typographical errors throughout, which detracted from the book somewhat.
Friday, 2 October 2020
September 2020 Reading Wrap Up
I feel like you're going to look through this wrap up and comment that not very many of these books were actually on my TBR... you would be right. We ended up doing 3 pretty lengthy road trips this month because that's the way to safely see some of this wonderful state I live in so I ended up listening to some books that suited both of us rather than books on my TBR...
I got off to a really slow start to the month in terms of reading and so the majority of these books were read/listened to in the latter stages of September. Here's hoping I get to more of my review books in October!
As always, I will link any reviews I have already posted.
Ebooks
Physical Books
Audiobooks
This Month's Videos
Thursday, 1 October 2020
October 2020 TBR
Well October is a big month for new release in the UK and the US so there are a LOT of releases to talk about this month. I did manage to pick up a couple of these in September so keep an eye out for that wrap up to see which I read last month. I also have a couple of book vs movie books that are rolling over from September because I waited so long for my audiobook holds to come through.
As always I have broken these down into categories-should I pick up a scary book or 2 this month though since it is Halloween?
October Releases
October 1st UK
October 6th US
October 13th US
October 15th UK
October 15th UK
October 15th UK
October 15th UK
October 15th UK
October 19th UK
October 22nd UK/October 6th US
October 29th UK
October 29th UK
November Releases
November 5th UK
Book Vs Movie
Library Books
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