Book Review: One Good Thing by Alexandra Potter

One Good Thing

by

Alexandra Potter

Publisher: Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 28th April 2022

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 464

Source: Own copy

 

Review: One Good Thing

After finding out her husband of ten years was having an affair Olivia runs away to the quiet country town of her childhood to start afresh. 

One Good Thing is a highly engaging and heartwarming story of starting over, finding that 'one good thing' in your life that keeps you going everyday. That reason to get out of bed and face each new day.

Told through numerous points of view there is bound to be a character everyone will find relatable. I was eager to see how each of the characters would connect with the main character Olivia.

 

 Olivia's world changes when she adopts an old abandoned dog and through him she connects with other people in the community and learns, through Harry, to leave the hurt of the past behind and live for the moment.

Alexandra Potter is a new author to me and after reading One Good Thing I am eager to explore her backlist.

One Good Thing is a story of grief, moving on, getting out of your comfort zone,navigating different relationships, family dynamics and accepting help from others.

I loved the small community of Nettlewick in the Yorkshire Dales and how everyone came together when needed.

Potter effortlessly adds diversity through her characters without any of it coming across as contrived.

Rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Alexandra Potter is the bestselling author of numerous romantic comedy fiction novels in the UK. Her books have sold in twenty-two territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies.

Yorkshire born and raised, Alexandra lived for several years in LA before settling in London with her Californian husband and their Bosnian rescue dog.

 

 

Book Review: Drowning by T. J. Newman

Drowning

by

T. J. Newman

THE RESCUE OF FLIGHT 1421 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: 30th may 2023

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback)

Source: Own copy

 

Review: Drowning

With the release of Drowning T. J. Newman plants herself firmly on the thriller shelf, proving Falling wasn't just a one off.

Drowning is rich in adrenaline pumping action and frantic scenes that had me holding my breath as I turned the pages.

In true Newman form the reader is thrust straight into the action when minutes after take-off the plane has engine trouble and free falls into the ocean. What ensues is a story of the human will to survive, a dangerous rescue operation and trusting your life in someone else's hands.

I enjoyed (which doesn't seem to be the right word) the thoughts of the passengers as they looked back over their life; their regrets and happy times and how a near death experience can make you see everything in a clearer light.

I can already see this on the big screen. It has all the drama, emotion and an ending that is big screen worthy.

I'm eagerly looking forward to TJ's next book.

Rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

T.J. Newman is a former bookseller and flight attendant whose first novel, Falling, became a publishing sensation and debuted at number two on the New York Times bestseller list. The book was named a best book of the year by USA Today, Esquire and Amazon. Falling will soon be a major motion picture from Universal Pictures. T.J. lives in Pheonix, Arizona.

My review of Falling:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2023/05/book-review-falling-by-t-j-newman.html

Book Review: The Connection Game by S. S. Turner

 The Connection Game

by

S. S. Turner

Publisher: The Story Plant

Publication date: 21st March 2023

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 336

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

Review: The Connection Game

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It was one crazy ride and most of it went way over my head.

 

Benny Basilworth was a genius, a trivia whiz and could easily pick connections between random items. He uses this gift to win a large amount of money on a quiz show and then loses it all through online theft (you will have to suspend your disbelief here a little. The guy was a computer genius!)

He and his family move to a basement flat and he spirals into depression, watching the feet of passersby.  

 

This is where the story got weird for me. For months Benny watches shoes passing by his window and names people by the shoes they wear. He starts to concoct a conspiracy theory involving these people. I was completely baffled but I pushed on. It isn't until the end of the story that the reader is told what the whole thing is about. Then, it all made sense.

 

If you love conspiracy theories and madcap characters The Connection Game is the perfect read. I'm afraid it was a little too offbeat for me. 

3 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

SS Turner is the author of Secrets of a River Swimmer, an inspirational and humorous novel about finding the right pathway forward amidst the challenges of modern life. The novel was inspired by his experiences of swimming in the River Tweed when he lived in Scotland.

SS Turner worked in the global fund management sector for many years. But it wasn't for him. In recent years he's been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing. He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, son, one playful dog, two bossy cats, and ten fluffy chickens.

 

 

Book Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

 Black Ice

by

Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: 7th October 2014

Genre: Young Adult / Thriller 

Pages: 392

Source: Own 

 

Review: Black Ice

Black Ice has been sitting on my bookshelf since January 2015 and I was so pleased that a prompt from the  Dymocks Reading Challenge had me pulling it from the shelf.

 

Black Ice is a genre mash-up of young adult, suspense and romance. Heavy on the suspense and light on the romance but it's definitely a huge part of the plot with the romance simmering under the surface.

 

I was pulled straight into the story with a gripping prologue. The story then jumps forward one year with teenage friends Britt and Korbie heading to a cabin in Grand Teton National Park for their school break when they encounter a severe snow storm and have to abandon their car. Making their way to a secluded cabin inhabited by two men. The girls think they are finally safe but soon find out the men are on the run from the law.

 

This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller filled with heart-pumping suspense. I found myself picking the book up every spare moment I had. I did guess the twists early in the book however that didn't spoil my pleasure because I was holding my breath waiting for the characters to find out what I had already suspected.

It comes with a little bit of teenage angst, but not overdone. Black Ice is a gripping, survival in the snowy wilderness, story that will have you eagerly turning the pages.

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author (from Goodreads)

Becca Fitzpatrick grew up reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden with a flashlight under the covers. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely prowling sale racks for reject shoes, running, or watching crime dramas on TV. She is the author of the bestselling HUSH, HUSH Saga.

 

 

Book Review: Reaching Through Time by Shauna Bostock

 Reaching Through Time

by

Shauna Bostock

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 4th July 2023

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 352

RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Reaching Through Time

With Reaching Through Time Shauna Bostock has delivered an extensively researched family history going back generations, with interesting facts on Indigenous and Australian history included.

I love family research and genealogy and it doesn't just have to be my own. I can pore over anyone's family tree for hours. Births, deaths, marriages and connections between families fascinates me.

Shauna includes a family tree at the front of the book and I kept turning back to it to see where each relative came in.

You never know what you will find when you start researching your ancestry and Shauna did discover that one ancestor was a slave trader in England. I liked that this book was an honest account of her ancestry and the bad wasn't covered up or omitted.

I enjoyed every aspect of Shauna's book. Her writing is very personable and open. I was astounded by how much research, travel and time went into uncovering all the details and there are pages and pages of sources listed in the back which is a testament to this fact.

Pages of photo inserts are included which give an added connection whilst reading. Thank you Shauna for sharing your precious family photos. They are a beautiful addition to the book.

Reaching Through Time is perfect for readers who enjoy Aboriginal history, Australian history and exploring the past.

4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

A formaer primary school teacher, Shauna Bostock's curiosity about her ancestors took her all the way to a PhD in Aboriginal history.

Book Review: Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay

 Look Both Ways

by

Linwood Barclay

They think as one. They act as one. They kill as one.

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 3 August 2022

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 448

RRP: $32.99AU  (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Look Both Ways 

I am a big fan of Linwood Barclay's novels and I love how he develops his truly evil characters with no morals. So, I was a bit sceptical about a story involving self-drive cars. I mean, how evil can a car be? Very evil apparently!

Barclay has picked the perfect setting; an island where accessibility is limited.

Everyone on Garrett Island has been given battery powered self-drive cars. For one month these voice activated cars will do all the driving. For one month there will be no road deaths and no accidents as the cars communicate and monitor everything around them. Sounds like heaven, what could possibly  go wrong?

Look Both Ways was one wild ride and I was on the edge of my seat as the AI in the cars started working together and turn against their owners.

The cliff-hanger chapter endings had me compelled to keep the pages turning. The dark humour interspersed throughout the story kept me amused and as it moved along the pace picked up and the book becomes very hard to put down.

I didn't think this was going to be in the usual Barclay style however he did come through with the murder, mayhem and jaw-dropping twists I have come to expect.

Look Both Ways will have you looking at self-drive cars in a whole new light.

 

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Linwood Barclay is an international bestselling crime and thriller author with over twenty critically acclaimed novels to his name, including the number one bestseller No Time For Goodbye. Linwood has sold more then 7 million copies globally, his books have been sold in more than 39 countries around the world. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he has lived there ever since. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children.

Book Review: Don't Make a Fuss: It's only the Claremont serial killer by Wendy Davis

 Don't Make a Fuss

It's only the Claremont serial Killer

by

Wendy Davis

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 1st June 2022

Genre: Non-Fiction (memoir)

Pages: 216

Source: own copy

 

Review: Don't Make a Fuss: It's only the Claremont Serial Killer

Don't Make a Fuss is a brave and courageous memoir highlighting the ongoing culture of women's unimportance and  suppression.

 

Wendy was attacked at her workplace by Bradley Edwards. Wendy's attack was minimised and her account ignored by both police and authorities. Edwards went on to murder two, possibly three, women in the Claremont area which sparked a police investigation spanning decades.

Wendy Davis tells her story in this important novel broken up between present-day and the current investigation, and at the time of the attack 30 years ago and how it affected her.

I was appalled how the initial attack on Wendy had little consequence for the perpetrator, brushed under the carpet. However, it affected Wendy's life for years to come.

The story made me angry how crimes against women are being downplayed and because Wendy had a strong personality her trauma was devalued. She was expected to just get on with it.

I can't even fathom the monumental stress she has had to live with during the dragged out court case with years passing from arrest to sentence of this evil man.

I do hope that writing this book has been cathartic for Wendy. However, I am sure that the events of 1990 will be with her forever.

Thank you Wendy for this insightful memoir. We need to make a fuss and not only be heard but also actioned upon appropriately 

4 /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐