Literary Brooding

Yep, that bloody thing called life has overwhelmed me. While I have been reading, writing reviews has slipped away. This is the catch-up of all that I have used to escape that thing called reality. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter Kindle Edition, 528 pages Published August 8th 2017 by William Morrow Charlotte and Samantha Quinn, teenage years should be the beginning of new adventures but a brutal home invasion turns their lives upside down. The real pain of what occurred will be brought to light, some twenty odd years later when the family confront the ghosts of the past through the events of a school shooting. There is little let up as events unfold and you become embroiled in the character’s lives. Charlotte Quinn is determined, bull headed and broken. You find yourself rightly frustrated by Charlotte’s approach to the situation around her and her flaws makes her believable. Sam Quinn who comes into the story a little later is also broken, but her determination comes from...

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer  by Michelle McNamara Kindle Edition, 340 pages, Published February 27th 2018 by Harper Sometimes you need to know the truth. In Michelle McNamara's case she has an obsession to discover who was responsible for at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries. The book is drawn together from the unfinished manuscript after her death and her notes.  The book is compelling for the simple reason the voice of McNamara that comes through as the guides you through the complexities of understanding the timelines of what has happened.  She builds the world the responsible (as taken from the book to describe the person) is able to walk in, the lack of lighting, the creeks, the suburbs, the houses and you can picture everything vividly. You are able to imagine yourself standing in shadows watching the watcher as they plot out their crimes.  McNamara helps y...

The Search for Nefertiti by Joann Fletcher Paperback, 464 pages, Published August 1st 2005 by Hodder Paperbacks  I first come to meet Joann Fletcher and her passion for all things Egypt through a couple of documentaries so I was pleased to come across this book. It is an interesting read and to me came across as part autobiography and historical exploration. There is some downside and upside to this. It did take some time to get into this book as for the first couple of chapters Fletcher meanders between telling her life story and the history of Egypt. It is not until the halfway mark that Fletcher really finds her groove. As she explores, explains and provides a readable and highly engaging journey through Egyptian history. I am what one would consider an armchair historian, I read, query and appreciate what is being is presented. I can not tell you if Fletcher's conclusion as to whether Nefertiti survived Akhenaten and took the throne. it is plausible as any of the other...

A People's History of the Vampire Uprising  by Raymond A. Villareal Kindle Edition. Expected publication: May 29th 2018 by Hachette Australia From the outset, I have to admit that I am a fan of the genre where some virus thing alters the human condition (whether it be vampires, zombies or werewolves) and the fight for survival that ensues. I particularly like the books that use a mixture of eyewitness accounts, media articles and classified government memos to give legitimacy to the alternate universe that is constructed. In ‘A people’s history of the vampire uprising’, Raymond A Villareal has undertaken to bring a new spin to this genre by recreating the vampire myth. The time is now, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber are still selling music and down in New Mexico a new disease has emerged where people like to drink blood and shun the sunlight. First on the ground to examine this new disease is Lauren Scott from the CDC, who tries to prod the Government into action and discove...

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood) by Becky Albertalli  Kindle Edition, 313 pages Published April 7th 2015 by Penguin Simon is 16 at high school and suffering all the normal teenage angst of who is he, where does he belong and how do you get the courage to talk to someone you like? The twist is that for Simon well he likes guys not women and that makes life even more complicated. This is a gentle coming out story told through Simon's point of view. It is funny, it self-deprecating and treads through the complexities of teenage relationships where everything is life and death. The characters are well thought out and Simon is beautifully flawed. As he discovers more about who he is, he also realises just how much he does not know about his friends. The characters voices are spot on and really engaging. What I really like is when Simon does encounter issues when he makes his sexuality known Albertalli demonstrates what a perfect world can be for young people. When ...

The Nowhere Child  by Christian White   Paperback, 306 pages Expected publication: June 26th 2018 by Affirm Press Here you are coming up to 30 years of age and you think you have your life together, you are teaching photography, have a place of your own and a loving family. Then one day a male stranger sits down in front of you and says, ‘you are my long lost sister who disappeared over 28 years ago.’ Well, that would certainly turn your life upside down and that is exactly what happens to Kimberly Leamy. For Kim has to know the truth and leaves Australia to head back to Manson, USA to discover the truth about who she is. White has crafted an intriguing mystery thriller that keeps throwing doubts and suspicions on a cast of fascinating characters. The story is told via switching from ‘now’ to ‘then’ as you learn about the events surrounding Sammy’s disappearance and Kim’s attempts to learn about her past. From the outset, you are quickly absorbed into this fast-pac...

Egyptian Enigma (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #3) by L.J.M. Owen Paperback, 384 pages, Published March 1st 2018 by Bonnier Publishing Australia I had heard about this series and had wanted to read it for some time. This is the third book in the series. Elizabeth Pimms, librarian and archaeologist is in Egypt living the dream as she visits all the famous sites and museums. The trip is not all fun when someone breaks into her hotel and steals her white journal. Returning to Canberra, Elizabeth begins an investigation into the Royal Egyptian family connections of who the Golden tomb may have been constructed for. She also is trying to finalise her papers for academic publication, undertake tutor responsibilities and deal with her family issues. Elizabeth has a group of friends who assist in this cycle of printing out 3D life size mummies, measuring them, examining them and discussing who they might be. Thus takes up the majority of the book. It is interspersed with descriptions ...