The Psychology of Time Travel - Kate Mascarenhas

Description

A time-travel murder mystery from a brilliantly original new voice. Perfect for readers of Naomi Alderman's The Power and Emily St John Mandel's Station Eleven.

1967: Four female scientists invent a time-travel machine. They are on the cusp of fame: the pioneers who opened the world to new possibilities. But then one of them suffers a breakdown and puts the whole project in peril...

2017: Ruby knows her beloved Granny Bee was a pioneer, but they never talk about the past. Though time travel is now big business, Bee has never been part of it. Then they receive a message from the future – a newspaper clipping reporting the mysterious death of an elderly lady...

2018: When Odette discovered the body she went into shock. Blood everywhere, bullet wounds, flesh. But when the inquest fails to answer any of her questions, Odette is frustrated. Who is this dead woman that haunts her dreams? And why is everyone determined to cover up her murder?

Review

Having read just about every time travel novel there is I was wondering how different this tale could be. As soon as I began to read it I had no need to wonder any more - this is a unique novel containing time travel with so many fabulous ideas.

I was sucked in straight away - rather than just someone hoping about in time this book has a time travel HQ called The Conclave - it's recognised by the world at large that time travel exists and you can sign up to be a time traveller. 

Even when I was reading this book I was thinking about it - the author really created a whole other world. The time travellers have their own vocabulary and also they can meet and interact with themselves in future or past times, sometimes many versions of them at once!

If that wasn't all enough there is also a murder mystery to solve too. Really this book ended far too soon for me. My only reservation was that I was unable to read it for long periods and so at times I had forgotten who was who. However, I realised that some of the time you didn't know who was who as you hadn't met them yet!

I would caution against this book for those who do not subscribe to the theory of time travelling existing, as you will not like the book, or think it believable; but for someone like me it was a joy to read.

I'm giving this remarkable book five out of five stars. My thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

Formula Q - Alexander Charalambides

Description

A ruthless dictator, an ambitious driver and a race neither can afford to lose.

Vittoria Tarno lives for the speed that only Hyper Q, Earth’s most intense racing sport, can give her, but Vittoria and her team, Goofé Troupé, have been banned from the major league.
Determined to barge back into the spotlight, Vittoria jumps at the chance to be reinstated, but there’s one big catch: she has to accept the challenge of Admiral Suresh, the famously deranged dictator of distant, forbidding Mars.
On Mars Formula Q isn’t bloodless as it is on Earth. With no support, no time to prepare and no hope of winning, Goofé Troupé are thrown into race after race against competitors determined to win the trophy, a giant metal pizza slice known as the Spearhead of Ares.
When Vittoria breaks the speed record held by one of Mars’ great racing heroes, Goofé Troupé are soon racing for more than the honor of their home planet. With a new and dangerous opponent, a regime determined to bring them down and tracks more treacherous than any they’ve seen before, Vittoria and her team face a choice. Will they return home, safe and sound but defeated, or will Goofé Troupé remain on Mars and literally race for their lives?

Review

I had previously read one of the short stories which this book follows on from and was keen to read more. Overall I enjoyed the book but for me it stretched an idea a little too far for a full novel. I must admit I am not one for reading action - I prefer to see it , so the book centres around describing a lot of racing and for me that was not the best part of the book. I did like the politics behind the racing and reading about how team Goofe Troupe get themselves out of scrapes on Mars.

This book is aimed at YA and I am sure they will enjoy it for its quirkiness and the heroine Vittoria and her love of cold pizza. I certainly liked it when she got one over on everyone else but remained true to herself.

I'm giving this book four out of five stars.

My thanks to the author for a copy of the book to review.

Roar - Cecelia Ahern

Description

I am woman. Hear me roar.

Have you ever imagined a different life?
Have you ever stood at a crossroads, undecided?
Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to roar?

The women in these startlingly original stories are all of us: the women who befriend us, the women who encourage us, the women who make us brave.

From The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared to The Woman Who Was Kept on the Shelf and The Woman Who Returned and Exchanged her Husband, discover thirty touching, often hilarious, stories and meet thirty very different women. Each discovers her strength; each realizes she holds the power to make a change.

Witty, tender, surprising, these keenly observed tales speak to us all, and capture the moment when we all want to roar.

Review

I'm not usually one for short stories but these are great reads and you don't get to the end and feel like there should be more, or wondering what happened. Each one is a perfect little life lesson.

When I read the first story I wasn't really expecting it to be quite so off the wall, but once I realised the stories are not totally set in the real world I was fine with it. A little like fairy tales but not always with a happy ever after ending.

My favourite has to be "The woman who thought the grass was greener on the other side" this one actually made me laugh out loud" as well as getting over the message. Another favourite was "The woman who was Pigeonholed."

So if you want a little escapism but with a little wake up call then these are the stories for you. My advice is to read a few at a time and look forward to the rest. I will be re reading them from time to time.  I'm giving this book five out of five stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the book.

Access Universe - R S Hill

Description

Silver Rainwater, a psychology graduate student on the verge of breaking through the glass ceiling and becoming the first in her family to graduate college, obtain a Ph.D., and gain access to the “American dream,” is running out of time. While struggling to complete her psychology mentor’s interactive dream catalog, embrace her complicated heritage, deal with her mother’s escalating addiction, and confront a past that haunts her relentlessly, Silver finds herself in the unique position to teach a rogue artificial intelligence the difference between right and wrong and how to make ethical decisions.
The relationship starts after Silver experiences a catastrophic data crash that could end her graduate school career. She is invited by a Systematic Network Infiltration System (Sneeze) to play a secret online game at Access Universe where she begins to earn easy money completing simple life challenges. As Silver continues to play Sneeze’s game, she begins to lose sight of her priorities and eventually abandons her ethics for Jimmy Choo, Neiman Marcus and Sax Fifth Avenue. When a rogue player threatens Silver and a good friend ends up dead, Silver and Sneeze must work together to uncover the truth behind the lies and reestablish what it means to be human in this rapidly changing, fast-paced, technology driven world.

Review

When I started out reading this book I was not sure I would like it. The language being used and the content were not what I was expecting. Luckily I kept with it for the first 20 pages or so and once the tech side kicked in I was hooked.

There are so many themes in this book - you have the basic tech story of Silver interacting with the computer, but also the people she encounters whilst doing so turn it into a thriller. There are moral tales of what she is doing - is it wrong or right. Then there is the heritage side of the character of Silver. She has a very complex background and the part I loved the most, Native American heritage. I really felt the author tapped into something here with the dream analogy and the sensory ability and intuition which fascinates me.

The book was so deep at times I did feel I was reading a text book, however it was educational too. Silver also has some difficult issues from her past and near the end of the book the computer helps her to deal with them - tough love, and it was written brilliantly.

I can see this being turned into a film - someone really needs to read this and see the potential for the big screen. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. R S Hill certainly has a fantastic imagination.

The Little Paris Patisserie - Julie Caplin

Description

In a cosy corner of Paris, a delicious little patisserie is just waiting to be discovered. And romance might just be on the menu…

As the youngest of four, Nina Hadley has always had her big brothers telling her what to do. So, when she’s given the chance to move to Paris and help run a patisserie course, she can’t say au revoir quick enough!

There’s just one problem: high-flying chef Sebastian Finlay is the owner of the patisserie. He’s also her brother Nick’s best friend – and the man she has secretly been in love with since forever.

Amongst the mouth-wateringly delicious eclairs and delicate macarons, Nina’s culinary creations aren’t the only tempting thing she’s working with…

Review

Once I got this book for review it leapfrogged over many books on my TBR pile. Julie Caplin is I have to say now one of my favourite authors. This is the third book of hers I have read and it was just as wonderful as the previous two. It's a standalone book so you don't need to have read the other two first.

Nina finds herself in Paris organising a patisserie course at a run down patisserie. The course is to be run by an old crush of hers called Sebastian. He's made it clear he could do without her being there, but as he's broken his leg she is his only hope.

I really didn't want this book to end - it was just so lovely to come back to each time and read all about the people and the course they are on. The references to Paris and the streets, the visits to Laudree made me feel I was back in Paris myself.  I also loved all the vintage finds in the Patisserie - it just felt like I discovering everything with them. Of course there is some romance but it seems as if it will never work out, the cliff hangers were great.

If you want to lose yourself in a world of patisserie, Paris and old world charm then this is the book for you. If you are on a diet - maybe not!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

One day in December - Josie Silver

Description

Two people.

Ten chances.

One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist. After all, life isn't a scene from the movies, is it? But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.

Laurie thinks she'll never see the boy from the bus again. But at their Christmas party a year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to the new love of her life. Who is, of course, the boy from the bus.

Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life. But what if fate has other plans?

Following Laurie, Sarah and Jack through ten years of love, heartbreak and friendship, One Day in December is a joyous, heart-warming and immensely moving love story that you'll want to escape into forever, for fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Diamond and Nicholas Sparks. 

Review

Laurie is sitting on a bus when she first sees a man who she decides is "the one" but the bus moves on, the guy doesn't get on the bus and that's it - except she can't stop thinking about him. For one year she tries to track him down without success, until she meets him again. Only this time he's now the boyfriend of her best friend and he's called Jack.

She doesn't let on that he is "the one" she has been raving about for a year to her best friend and so begins a journey 10 years of being Jack's friend.  With the story being told through both the eyes of Laurie and Jack so we get what's running through both of their thoughts as we progress through the story.

To begin with I felt this book was a little slow - I didn't connect with the characters and also couldn't see that Laurie and Jack were that connected either. I'm not a big one for romance per se - I do like there to be some sort of a back story and eventually that is what happened in the book. There was a story other than just Laurie and Jack and slowly I began to care about the characters in this book and felt a bond with them. Each new chapter brought changes in their lives and how the bond between Jack and Laurie evolved and grew with some very poignant scenes between them - still friends. 

I devoured this book over a couple of days because once it took hold of me I had to know what was going to happen to everyone.There were also some great supporting characters in her best friend Sarah, Oscar and the MIL aka HRH Lucille. Great writing that was so easy to read.

The end of the book has to be up there with some all time great love scenes - I did shed a few tears and it was a corker of an ending. This has got to be made into a film, I think I would watch it again and again and of course my impatience for the story to get going would be easily resolved!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and my thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

The Woman at 72 Derry Lane - Carmel Harrington

Description

On a leafy suburban street in Dublin, beautiful, poised Stella Greene lives with her successful husband, Matt. The perfect couple in every way, Stella appears to have it all. Next door, at number 72 however, lives Rea Brady. Gruff, bad-tempered and rarely seen besides the twitching of her net curtains, rumour has it she’s lost it all…including her marbles if you believe the neighbourhood gossip.

But appearances can be deceiving and when Stella and Rea’s worlds collide they realise they have much in common. Both are trapped in a prison of their own making.

Has help been next door without them realising it?

Review

I haven't read any of the author's books before and was settling in for rather more of a cosy read than some of the dark stuff that the pages contained. To begin with I really wanted to read something else as it was a little too realistic in places to enjoy.

There are three stories told  - Rea, Stella and Skye. I wasn't sure where the story of Skye fitted in and kept trying to second guess it. I think on balance I enjoyed this part of the book the most, although again it had a gritty true to life side to it I thought it was very well written and truly conveyed the horror of the situation that developed.

Towards the end the stories all come together in a surprising way - one I thought I had partly guessed. After lots of outloud "oh no's" from me and cheering on the supporting characters, I was pleased with the ending, which was delayed slightly from where I would have thought it might have been. 

Such realistic writing, which at times I found hard to read so I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.