• HOME
  • About Me
  • Book Reviews
    • Adult Fiction
    • Non-Fiction
    • Children’s Fiction
    • Young Adult
    • Fantasy
    • Book Wrap Ups
  • Interviews
  • Guest Posts
  • CONTACT ME
  • Review Policy

JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

October 30, 2016

Halloween Reading Recommendations for 2016

October 30, 2016

Somehow, we’re celebrating halloween again, with outrageous costumes and trick-or-treating and scary movies. Are you looking for a terrifying book to read? I’ve compiled a list of books that I’ve read that I’ve found particularly scary and thrilling. I’m sure that there are many books on your own lists that I haven’t read, like Dracula and Frankenstein and the majority of Stephen King novels. But below is a list of novels that are a little different to the conventional ‘halloween reads’ list, and I hope you enjoy reading them.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
This book is freaky, scary, thrilling and creepy. The main character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, is a skilled perfume-maker can make the most beautiful perfumes around, but he decides to craft a smell that has evaded him thus far: the smell of a virgin. In order to do this, he murders a large number of virgins and capture their smell, and then he puts it all together for the signature smell he’s been desperate to make. The plot is quite ridiculous, but really fantastic at the same time. It’s a really enthralling novel, and you can read my review of it HERE.

American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis
American Psycho has an age limit of 18+ in Australia because of it’s gory storyline and detailed murder scenes. Need I say more? Patrick Bateman is a serial killer and in American Psycho, the reader delves into his mind to try and understand his thought process. He’s an absolute nut, with thoughts that seem to resemble stream of consciousness and don’t have any real pause. It’s a fast-paced novel that will have you eager to turn the next page.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus isn’t a particularly scary novel, but more it’s a dark, ominous novel that does well to add to the atmosphere that is halloween. The circus featured in this novel appears out of nowhere, with no warning. People from all around come to see it, and then all of a sudden it’ll be gone. The characters that work at the circus are playing their own little game – they’re trying to best each other. And they know that at the end, in order for one of them to win the game, the other has to die. It’s a slow build novel, but the characters are fascinating and it’s a dark novel, and you can read my review of it HERE.

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
My Sister Rosa is a creepy novel about a young psychopath named Rosa. The book is told from the point of view of her brother Che, who seems to be the only person who knows what her sister is. He keeps having to remind her not to hurt or kill anyone, and she seems to say just the right things to get away with everything. She looks sweet and she acts polite in public, but in private she makes comments about harming people, and then some family friends actually get harmed and it looks like Rosa is to blame. It’s a chilling novel that will leave you desperate to keep turning the page. Rosa is truly terrifying.

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
Broken Monsters is about a serial killer who is attaching human remains to animal parts. It’s odd, creepy, and terrifying. The criminal investigation heightens the pace of the story, and the characters are three dimensional and they anchor the novel. Broken Monsters is a thriller as well – you’re not sure who is safe and who might die and you find yourself desperately turning the page to find out. You can read my review of Broken Monsters HERE.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book is a children’s novel and the perfect level of scary for them. After a grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own. For a children’s book, it’s quite scary. But it’ll have them entertained and intrigued. There are magical elements to the tale and the book features plenty of adventures sure to enthral all readers.

The Passage by Justin Cronin
The Passage is a post-apocalyptic novel set after a viral outbreak has killed most of the world’s population. We meet the main character, Amy, when she is abandoned by her mother at the age of six. She is then pursued and imprisoned by shadowy figures behind the government experiment ‘Project Noah’. But she is no vampire. She can hear the others’ thoughts, and the thoughts of their victims, and she doesn’t age. She stays the same age for years after the outbreak and becomes a vital character in the series. She is the key to saving the world from this viral apocalypse. The Passage explores survival, devastation, mourning, regret, and friendship. You can read my review of The Passage HERE.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Book Thief is a children’s classic, but it’s a really fantastic novel that I recommend for adults to read. It’s written from the point of view of Death as he travels across Nazi Germany collecting souls during the Holocaust. He’s actually quite a reverent character, but he is ominous and creepy. He mentions things about the future that the reader is unaware of. He mentions how a favourite character is going to die, and when, and it’s a momentary plot point that terrifies and saddens the reader. It’s a literary masterpiece, but it’s also a chilling tale. You can read my review of The Book Thief HERE.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This novel is a slow build, and it follows detective Mikael Blomkvist as he tries to solve a centuries-old cold case about a young girl who went missing on Hedeby Island in 1966. He starts to uncover mysteries about the island and also about all of the characters he’s met. The young woman aiding him with the investigation – named Lisbeth with a dragon tattoo – is going through some quite horrifying problems herself. This book is beautifully written, but it’s very disturbing.

Leave a Comment · Labels: Book Wrap Ups Tagged: 2016, halloween, reading recaps, reading recommendations

September 7, 2016

AUGUST 2016 WRAP UP

September 7, 2016

So I have to admit that my wrap ups aren’t as consistent as I’d like them to be. Surprisingly enough, it’s hard to keep track of what I’ve read and reviewed and I do believe I’d be lost without Goodreads. If anyone is reading this and HASN’T got a Goodreads account, you need to rectify that immediately!

So, August was a month that I am rather proud of – nine reviews posted and eleven books read! It was a pretty big month in terms of events as well, and I’ll get around to posting event recaps for Justin Cronin and Rainbow Rowell/David Leviathan soon! They were such amazing performers and I LOVED going and seeing them at Kinokuniya in Sydney city.

Until I get around to writing those event recaps, see below for the books I reviewed this month and the books that I read this month!

IMG_6502

REVIEWS POSTED IN AUGUST:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K Rowling
Because You Will Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
The Angel’s Share by J.R Ward
Heir of Fire by Sara J. Maas
Burning by Danielle Rollins
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Captive Prince by C.S Pacat
Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon

IMG_6429

BOOKS READ IN AUGUST:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K Rowling
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
The Next Together by Lauren James
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Rembrandt’s Mirror by Kim Devereux
The Angel’s Share by J.R Ward
Black by Fleur Ferris
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.Lockhart
Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon
Eleanor by Jason Gurley

1 Comment · Labels: Book Wrap Ups Tagged: august 2016, book wrap up

July 17, 2016

Potterhead July: What It’s Like Re-Reading Harry Potter as an Adult

July 17, 2016

This month I’m participating in Potterhead July, run by Aentee at Read at Midnight. All month long, book blogs (about 85 of them!) are posting about Harry Potter! The bloggers have chosen what they’d like to talk about, and for my blog post, I’ve chosen to write about what it’s like to re-read Harry Potter as an adult when you spent so much of your childhood loving the books.

Some part of me wishes that I could read Harry Potter for the first time again, where the characters were unknown and the plot a surprise and the endings all shocking and suspenseful. Harry Potter is one of the greatest children’s book series that I’ve ever come across – J.K Rowling created a world of magic that every child wanted to be a part of, filled with wonderful characters and friendships and heroism.

I recently re-read Harry Potter again. I’ve re-read it many times since I was a child, and with each re-read I discover things that I didn’t know before. There’ll be a sneaky line between dialogue that hints at a twist later in the book – a sneaky line I had missed all those times before that I’d read the book. Or perhaps there’ll be a particularly hilarious conversation between two characters full of innuendos that I hadn’t understood as a child. And as a child, there would’ve been many ‘big picture’ issues about the Ministry of Magic and the betrayal from certain characters that I just wouldn’t have understood, but I now do.

Re-reading Harry Potter as an adult can be very rewarding. The first few books are quite short and don’t take long to read, and you come to understand more about the world and the characters. However, what you miss is that childhood love for the world and that desperation to keep reading to find out about more spells, characters, secret passageways and potions. The entire series is complete and re-reading it is not going to stop that.

J.K Rowling could easily begin a new series in this world – James and Lily Potter’s story, or perhaps the story of Harry’s son at Hogwarts. I have no doubt J.K Rowling could come up with a villain just as scary and brilliant as Voldemort. But maybe we don’t need another series. J.K did such a marvellous job of making sure that every question was answered at some point in the series. Things that happened in the second book made sense in the sixth, even though we didn’t even pick up on anything being wrong (I didn’t think twice about Riddle’s diary until it was revealed to have been a Horcrux all along later in the series).

Maybe Harry Potter is meant to be one of those series where you spend your adult life participating in multiple re-reads. But if we had magic like the characters in the book, wouldn’t it be just fantastic if we could travel back and read it for the first time all over again?

5 Comments · Labels: 10/10, Book Reviews, Book Wrap Ups, Children's Fiction Tagged: harry potter, potterhead

March 29, 2016

March 2016 Wrap Up

March 29, 2016

Another month has gone by, meaning another month of books acquired and reviews posted! Here is a list of the books I’ve received/bought/borrowed in March:


1. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for supplying this book to me through Netgalley. This is about Lily, a beautiful daschund who develops a brain tumour. But we don’t refer to it as a tumour. We call it an octopus. Lily’s owner is desperate to help Lily beat this Octopus because he’s so close with Lily and can’t imagine losing her. I’ve already read this book and am writing up a review for it soon. I absolutely loved it! It’s such a heart-warming tale for all animal lovers, but it’s also exceptionally well written! A favourite of mine for 2016.


2. Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley
Thanks to Text Publishing for supplying this book to me through Netgalley. Sid and Cassie are sisters who live in different countries and aren’t as close anymore, so they start writing letters to each other to better keep in touch. And out comes their marriage problems, parenting woes, and all the concerns they’ve had and been too afraid to tell the other. I’ve posted my review already and thought it was a lovely read.


3. The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis
I picked up a copy of The Sidekicks earlier this month at a book event, and I finished it in one sitting. This book is about three school students who are dealing with the loss of their friend, and it is painfully raw. The characters are all very different and yet they mould well together and they work to find themselves again after the sudden death. I really enjoyed this book!


4. Ruined by Amy Tintera
This is the first book in a fantastic new YA/fantasy series by Amy Tintera. I borrowed an early copy off a friend and read it within a couple of days. The main character is feisty, daring, bold and courageous. She impersonates a princess to seek revenge on the royal family because they murdered her parents and kidnapped her sister, and the story unfolds at a rapid pace!


5. Yellow by Megan Jacobson
I bought this book earlier this month after its release and have since read it and posted a review on the blog. Yellow is about a young girl who is struggling to fit in. Her friends bully her, her father has left them, and her mother is an alcoholic. And then she meets a ghost who was murdered 20 years earlier, and she seems to be the only person who can hear him. This is a really compelling debut novel!


6. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
This is another book I bought upon release date after hearing so much about it on social media. Imagine Aladdin set in a dystopian world, and you’ll understand the setting of Rebel of the Sands. The main character is a fantastic shooter, and she’s desperate to escape her no-hope town and find a better life. Action and adventure ensues.


7. A World of Other People by Steven Carroll
I’ve had this on my bookshelf ever since Steven Carroll won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award last year. He’s a wonderful writer, and A World of Other People is about a couple whose lives intersect multiple times but who tragically part ways every time. Steven has done a marvellous job of telling their story.


8. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
I bought this one at a Lifeline bookfest a few weeks ago and I’ve just started reading it. It’s beautiful. It sheds light on a piece of American history that is often forgotten, and the writer is extremely talented. The characters are wonderfully real and painfully flawed.

And in case you missed it, here is a list (with links) of reviews that I’ve posted on Jess Just Reads this month!

REVIEWS POSTED IN MARCH:
1. Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley
2. Hold by Kirsten Tranter
3. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
4. Yellow by Megan Jacobson
5. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
6. A World of Other People by Steven Carroll

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

3 Comments · Labels: Book Wrap Ups Tagged: adult fiction, book reviews, march wrap up, young adult fiction

March 1, 2016

February 2016 Wrap Up

March 1, 2016

This is my first monthly wrap up for Jess Just Reads, after an extensive overhaul of the website and complete revamping, including a new layout, structure, feature images, information, and new sections of the website (this wrap up section, for example, and also the giveaway section). Firstly, let me run through all the books I bought/borrowed in February 2016.


1. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

I’ve borrowed this book off a friend to read, and I’m currently about half way through it. I loved Never Let Me Go (you can read the review of that HERE) and I’ve been dying to read another Ishiguro book ever since I finished that one. The Buried Giant is about a couple who leave their small village and travel to see their son, who left quite some time earlier. The book blends fantastical elements with reality, which is what initially intrigued me about it. Plus the cover of the book is stunning. Unfortunately, I might not be able to finish this one – it’s a little slow, and I’m really struggling. But we’ll see!


2. The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

I heard so much about this book when it came out last year – Charlotte did a lot of events and signings and I heard rave reviews about how fantastic this book is. And now that I’ve read it (you can read my review by clicking on the title above), I can say that it really does deserve all the praise and all the awards. It says so much about modern society and it is so perfectly written. A masterpiece, actually.


3. When We Collided by Emery Lloyd

As a YA fan, I couldn’t pass up to opportunity to read this one. A blogger friend has lent me the proof of this book and I’m really excited to delve into it.


4. Torch by Cheryl Strayed

I loved reading Wild last year (you can read my review HERE), so I picked up Torch at the bookstore a few weeks back.


5. This Shattered World by Amie Kauffman and Meagan Spooner

This Shattered World is the sequel to a fantastic science fiction YA novel called These Broken Stars, which I finished reading a couple of weeks ago. The first book was fantastic and I’m looking forward to seeing where Amie and Meagan take the series.

 

So those are the books that I acquired in the month of February, and here’s a brief list of the various books I read in both January and February (and am in the process of writing reviews for at the moment):

Books I read in January and February:

The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo

Eat the Sky Drink the Ocean (a collection of short stories by many different Australian authors)

The Stars at Oktober Bend by Glenda Millard

Lost & Found by Brooke Davis

These Broken Stars by Amie Kauffman and Meagan Spooner

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

 

 

1 Comment · Labels: Book Wrap Ups Tagged: book reviews, childrens, february, fiction, non fiction, wrap up, young adult

  • Newer Entries
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Previous Entries
Welcome to Jess Just Reads, a book review blog showcasing the latest fiction, non-fiction, children's and young adult books.

FOLLOW ME



Follow JESS JUST READS on WordPress.com

STAY UPDATED

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts.

CATEGORIES

ARCHIVES

[instagram-feed]

Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by WordPress & Genesis