What I’m Reading Wednesday | A THRILLING Beginning

Hello and welcome to a new series that I’m attempting to produce for this little blog! As you might have guessed, if you’ve been here before or follow me on Instagram, I love books. But as much as I love them I can’t find a decent way to bring them to this site.

I’m going to try every fortnight to talk to you about the books I’m currently reading; what I’ve been buying and basically anything bookish that comes to mind. This week, as a starter I’m going to talk about four of my most recent reads because, for once, they’re all linked in genre.

THE BOOKS*

• 99 Red Balloons : Elisabeth Carpenter (3/5)

I read this one a couple of weeks back after picking it up in a ‘three for a fiver’ deal at a bargain bookshop. It’s one of the first crime books I’ve read in a long time! It covers the story of a missing little girl and deals with family secrets, which is one of my favourite themes in books. I found it an engaging read and the twist, although a little predictable, was interesting.

• The Drowning Game : LS Hawker (2.5/5)

Another bargain buy, but unfortunately I enjoyed this one a little bit less. Along the same kind of theme theme, this book covers some family secrets (I told you I love that!) and involved a bit of kidnapping too. I was first attracted to this book because my edition was a nice, floppy paperback which excited me no end! The writing was very accessible but I found too many tropes to be fully engaged. I did get into it by the end, however, and found myself rooting for the fairly two-dimensional characters nonetheless.

• One Of Us Is Lying : Karen M McManus (3.5/5)

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a long time! I was so excited to get it after being followed around by it’s Instagram advert – oh the powers of social media! – and to be totally honest it was the title that captivated me. If you’ve ever read any one of my book posts before then you’ll know I love a bit of YA – especially when it’s done well. Although this book did have a lot of cliches to it, I found myself getting hooked into the mystery and was desperate to know who had killed Simon.

• The Virus : Sarah Langan (4.5/5)

I’ve talked about this book a little on my Instagram, but boy did I just devour it! I haven’t read something like this – creepy and mysterious – since I was a young teen and I didn’t realise how much I missed it. The story takes place in a small town where a young boy goes missing in the woods. When he returns, he brings with him a strange virus. I don’t really know why I loved this book so much, but I found myself delaying finishing it because I just didn’t want it to end! For fans of Stephen King and the like, it’s perfect for this grey, autumn season.

THRILLER, CRIME AND DRAMA – OH MY!

I don’t know if it’s something to do with the changing seasons or the fact we’re now officially in the ‘spooky’ month, but thrillers have been my favourite thing to read at the moment.

This genre is something I used to read a lot when I was a teenager, but I haven’t found anything that’s tickled my fancy until now. My biggest bug bear with this genre is the fact all the books seem to be the same. They’re often written in the same style and follow the same patterns, but luckily I’ve found a few exceptions to get me back into the swing of things.

Now I’d love to know what you’re favourite crime/thriller books are? I have a couple of recommendations already but I’d love any excuse to find more books.

What’s your favourite genre to read?

CURRENTLY READING…

As I’m writing this post, I have just started reading The Bees by Laline Paull. This is another charity shop find and I first heard about it from a lady called Becky M on YouTube. I’m not that far into it yet, but it covers the story of a bee in her hive…

I thought that sounded pretty unique for a novel and I’m sure it’s going to cover a lot more than what I’m expecting!

What are you currently reading? 

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I’d like to try continue this series, covering all kinds of bookish topics every fortnight. I adore books and have finally found my mojo again! I can’t wait to keep this conversation going.

Speak soon,

Rachael.

*affiliate links used