What I've Read so far 2022

Over the last few years, I have set myself a reading challenge to read around 60 books each year, but I learned that I am a mood reader and putting too much pressure on numbers just made me sad so, this year, I set my target much lower and I have taken the pressure off myself. 

With that in mind, I am reading at my own pace and enjoying the experience more-and what an experience I've had so far this year! Not only have I discovered a few 4-star books but I also fell in love with my first 5-star read of the year. Let's have a round-up shall we?!

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

It seems strange to say that something with such a terrible subject matter can be beautifully written but this book is. The storytelling, and language used is so descriptive and even poetic at times I found myself lost in the story, and near the end I was actually on edge-I felt like I was there with Chloe and it wasn’t a nice place to be. 

This stunning debut is full of twists and turns, and my favourite trope-unreliable narrator- but despite the ever changing “facts” I figured out many of the key points quite early on. Many but not all, and the journey to the answers was still an enjoyable one which is why I gave 4 stars. 

Can’t wait to read more from this excellent debut author.

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas-⭐⭐⭐ and a 1/2

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

A solid enough YA mystery. Some conclusions easy to work out, others quite surprising. My biggest bug bear is that in the UK (at least when I bought my copy) the front cover has "FIVE GIRLS LIED FIVE GIRLS DIED" plastered across the front-bigger than the actual title in fact. But this tag line doesnt really fit with the story inside the book. I was expecting some kind of pact gone wrong, murderer starts picking girls off for revenge type story...this was not that, and I felt let down. 

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley-⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide…

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

I really enjoyed The Paris Apartment-with its twists and turns, it’s never ending cycle of trust, broken trust, begrudging trust, and an actually original story. So often books in this genre are cookie cutter and samey but Lucy manages to avoid many of the usual tropes and pitfalls in order to deliver a great two day read.

For me The Paris Apartment managed to do what The Guest List just missed out on. The tension was ever present, the story twisted and turned in ways that I was always certain of one thing before being proven wrong a chapter later, and whilst I was still able to see some thing's coming I was pleasantly surprised with the conclusion. 

Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins-⭐⭐⭐⭐

One late autumn morning, Piper’s best friend arrives at Seawings to discover an eerie 
scene – the kettle is still warm, all the family’s phones are charging on the worktop, the cars are in the garage. But the house is deserted.

In fifteen-year-old Riva Holden’s bedroom, scrawled across the mirror in blood, are three words:

Make Them Stop. 

Another great addition to Fiona Cummins crime dynasty. I only discovered this writer when I read When I Was Ten but I instantly liked the storytelling and vivid writing within so was very excited to read Into The Dark and was thankfully not disappointed. 

When I say I spent my entire time reading ITD not knowing who to root for I genuinely mean I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to end. No-one is particularly likable, I’ve developed trust issues just by reading this book! Some reviews mentioned shark infested waters and I agree Midtown-on-Sea is one body of water I wouldn’t want to swim in! 

An expertly crafted and wonderfully told story of betrayal, intrigue, love (or lack thereof), and criminality in many forms-now I’m off to hunt down DC Saul Anguish’s back story! 

The only reason this is a four and not a five star read is my own dislike of open endings! I need closure (or at least the promise of a follow up).

Blood to Poison by Mary Watson-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Seventeen-year-old Savannah is cursed. It's a sinister family heirloom; passed down through the bloodline for hundreds of years, with one woman in every generation destined to die young. The family call them Hella's girls, named for their ancestor Hella; the enslaved woman with whom it all began. Hella's girls are always angry, especially in the months before they die.

When I start thinking about my review for books I always like to think “what did I NOT like” first because that’s usually the easiest thing to think of. With Blood to Poison when I asked myself that question I had nothing! 
Blood to Poison manages to weave a tale of a cursed girl, simmering (and at times boiling) coming of age anger, generational trauma and magic, into a well paced, intense, interesting story that I couldn’t get enough of.
Mary manages to tell a story that encompasses feminism, slavery, magic, South African history, family drama, and young love, overcoming curses and introduces a strong female character that you can't help but root for-without getting bogged down in any of it. I devoured it, and when I couldnt be reading I wanted to be reading. Massive 5 stars! 

And now I am going to finish The Gifts that Bind Us. Happy Reading!

Much Love AJ xx