Review / The Long Walk by Richard Bachman aka Stephen King

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This is my first Richard Bachman book (but not my first Stephen King book).  I am very slowly making my way through Stephen King's backlog of books and thought I would give this a go to see what is so different about writing under this name to books written under the Stephen King name. 

Honestly, I am not sure what the difference is but I really enjoyed this one.   Am I sure why they were doing the Long Walk in the first place, no.  Am I wondering if I have missed something in the novel that told me why, yes.  Will I re-read it to find out, no.    I think its better not knowing and just leaving it at that.  Also, I really enjoyed the ending.  I am not going to say why because I don't want to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read it yet but it was the perfect ending and the one I had been hoping for.  

Would highly recommend...

Book Review / Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

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I can't tell you how long I have been waiting for this book to be both released and to be in my hands.  I had mistakenly added it to my Christmas list so had to wait to receive it before I could read it!!  Fool!

Matthew Perry has been one of my favourite actors since Friends.  He is a firm favourite on that show for me and for every single project he has done since (my favourite being the movie Fools Rush In - I can't tell you how many times I have watched that movie!).  

This book was definitely an eye opener.  That's for sure.  For someone to go through so much and still be standing today, is impressive.  I can't imagine having to go through only one of the things that have happened let alone all of them!

This book doesn't follow a specific timeline but tends to go from one aspect of Matthew's life to another, past or present, randomly, and I really liked that.   It put me right there is any moment I was reading at any given time.  

Would highly recommend :-)

 

Book Review / A Winter Memory by Lulu Taylor

A house full of secrets lies at the heart of this absorbing family drama that is perfect for the winter months, from Sunday Times top ten bestselling author Lulu Taylor.

Where is Sylla? Why will no one tell me where she is?

Helen is married to Angus, the younger of the Ballintyre brothers. They met as students and Helen fell in love, not just with Angus but with the romantic Ballintyre family and their beautiful house on the edge of a loch. But marriage to Angus has not proved happy.

Now, years later and with a family, Helen and Angus have been forced to move back to live at Ballintyre with his older brother, Charlie. Helen is surprised to find that Sylla, Charlie’s wife, has disappeared and no one seems to know where she is. Helen is worried, not least because Charlie and Sylla lost their teenage daughter, Rose, only a year before. Surely someone should be looking for her . . .

Sylla Ballintyre has spent her life ministering to her husband, Charlie, and coping with the presence of his overbearing mother, Josephine, until the tragedy of losing Rose drained her happiness away. When she stumbles on the path to freedom, she knows she must take it, whatever the cost.

As Helen struggles with the fallout of recent events and its effect on her life, Ballintyre House becomes the setting for revelations of love, obsession and betrayal that have resonated beyond the present and into the past, affecting the lives of all those who have called it home.

 

Published:     25th November 2021
Publisher:  Pan
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought

 

MY REVIEW

 

One of the things that I love about this author is that she knows how to weave a story together that has the perfect amount of suspense and drama that keeps me hooked right to the very last page.  This book was no different. 

What I loved the most about this story is the family history of the Ballintyre family and the feeling that I had that there is more to the story than meets the eye.   You have various characters appear throughout the story and all very important to the overall plot.   As with most of this author's novels, we follow two timelines; Helen in the present day and Tiggs in the past.  As the story slowly goes along, you get to see the two timelines slowly get closer and closer together until you get to plot twists that I really wasn't expecting.

Loved this story and could not recommend it highly enough!