Recent Reads #3

I’ve written a couple of these posts now and they seem to go down well – if you want to read the previous posts, be sure to check out my Books category and seek out the Recent Reads. So what have I been reading recently?

  THE HOLMES AFFAIR BY GRAHAM MOORE

 Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

This was actually a DNF finish for me. I found it too long to get into and I really wasn’t impressed with it in the slightest.  It seems to have mixed reviews so at least I know I’m not alone in just not liking it.

 SECRETS OF THE RIVER BY JESS MCGLYNN  

 Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

I actually reviewed this book here and raved about it. This is a perfect summer read and I would totally recommend it. Set in France and with a whole load of secrecy and intrigue, I am sure you will love it too.

 GETTING OVER JESSE FRANKLIN BY STEPHIE CHAPMAN 

 Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

I also reviewed this book and loved it – you can read my review here. We all had a crush on a popstar when we were younger – Cassie’s just happened to be Jesse Franklin. After an ill advised bout of Facebook stalking, she adds Jesse as a friend, expecting nothing. What follows is a whirlwind of a story – and I adored it.

GETTING TO KNOW ANONYMOUS BY CRISSTEN SHADOW 

 Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and decided to give it a quick read as it was such a slim volume. It was an okay read but was so stereotypical late 90’s teen movie in its plot. Popular boy, geeky girl, that kind of thing.

LOST IN CRAZYTOWN BY ROBERT & JAN BRYNDZA 

 Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

I just didn’t get this. It was meant to be a satirical take on Hollywood but I’m sure satire is still meant to have some truth to it. The whole plot just seemed so far fetched and the plot never went anywhere.

THE BROKE AND BEAUTIFUL LIFE BY STEFANIE O’CONNELL 

Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

Written by the blogger behind the personal finance blog of the same name, this was an interesting read. I loved Stefanie’s anecdotes but did find the information was a little dated and not as fresh as it could have been – I felt like I had read it all before.

THE MOONGLOW CAFE BY DEBORAH GARNER 

Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

I love a good cozy mystery from time to time and this was no exception. It was an easy read but there were a lot of plot holes and the outcome was pretty obvious so I didn’t mark this very highly on Goodreads.

AWAKE BY NATASHA PRESTON 

 Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

This was an ARC from Netgalley and actually hasn’t been released yet (August release) but I was not impressed. I read it all but was disappointed with how far fetched it was and the total insta love element of it all. They were dating within three pages, he’d only just joined the school. Having read other books by the author that I loved, I was totally disappointed with this.

THE SHAM BY ELLEN ALLEN

 Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

This was another DNF for me. I just didn’t get it and I definitely wasn’t alone. This book is like Marmite, you seem to either love it or hate it. The beginning is all over the place and it just didn’t seem to go anywhere. I’ve vowed not to waste time on books I’m not enjoying anymore so gave this one up.

THE TRAIN BY DIANE HOH (POINT HORROR) 

Find it on Goodreads / Find it on Amazon

After some disappointing reads, I took comfort in a series I loved from my childhood. As you guessed, I loved it and even swapped this with Rachel aka BeautyQueenUK – you’ll see my thoughts on the one she swapped with me in my next post.

SWEET MYSTERY BY MARYANN KEMPHER 

Find it on Goodreads /Find it on Amazon

This was another ARC from Netgalley and my favourite out of the three. An inoffensive mystery story – some interesting characters, however sometimes the plot seemed a little rushed. I did work out who the culprit was a long time before but I appreciated the hints to throw readers off the scent.

I’ve read so much recently that I’ve got another one of these posts coming up soon! What are your most recent reads?