Category Archives: Reviews

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Books read in May 2017

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This month I neglected my pile of non-fiction books and read five novels instead. Two were books that I’ve been meaning to read for years – The Secret Life of Bees and When God Was A Rabbit, which I read along with thriller I Found You, the YA story The One Memory of Flora Banks and the black comedy serial killer book Sweetpea so a diverse mix for sure! 

I love reading a mix of genres but I do have a big soft spot for coming-of-age stories so I knew that I’d enjoy The Secret Life Of Bees but my favourite read this month was this one:

  
When God Was A Rabbit is a quirky, moving and almost fairy-tale like coming-of-age novel about a brother and sister growing up in 70’s England. The first part is their childhood then we jump into their twenties and follow their story as adults. The book is both funny and sad and the voice of Elly pulled me in from the first page. I just loved this quirky family and their ups and downs and could have read about them until they were eighty. I will definitely pick up the author’s other books now. Definitely one for my top books list. 

What did you love reading this month?

Victoria

xoxo 

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Books read in April 2017 

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Another month over – how are we in May already?! I only read four books this month mainly because one of them was really long and recovering from my thyroid treatment I went on a Netflix binge and didn’t read as much as I thought I would. 

  
The Bone Season has sat on my shelf for so long I thought it was time I read it – another two books in the series are already out but it was long and slower paced than I thought it would be. I enjoyed it but maybe I’m too used to faster moving YA fantasies. 

  
The first book I read this month is the second novel by Girl on the Train bestseller Paula Hawkins. There are a lot of points of view at the start of this book which made it harder to get into it and I had to keep checking who people were but it’s an interesting thriller and keeps you guessing about whodunnit. 

  
Hot Mess was a proof sent by the publisher and it’s not released until July. This was a really fun book and being nearly thirty and single and will definitely appeal to fans of Bridget Jones and Sex and the City.

  
My favourite read this month though was The Power. It’s a literary international thriller about what happens when woman suddenly develop an electrical charge that can hurt or even kill, and suddenly women are in control. It’s a really interesting and compelling book with lots of action and ideas you’ll want to think hard about. It’s dark and disturbing and really hard to put down.

What have you guys enjoyed reading this month? 

Victoria

xoxo 

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Happy Bookiversary To Me! 

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My debut novel The Second Love Of My Life was first published here in the UK a year ago today! It was a dream come true to hold the book in my hands and see it on the book shelves. And it still is.

I still receive messages from readers who have enjoyed the book and that is always the most wonderful feeling. Getting published was a long journey for me, and for most writers, so knowing the book has found a place in someone’s heart just makes it all worthwhile.  


I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who got a copy and supported the book’s release (and who are still supporting it and me!). Being a writer can be lonely sometimes and it’s easy to doubt yourself so knowing that someone has enjoyed your book is a huge boost and you guys have put a smile on my face so many times since publication.

Lots of love and hugs,

Victoria 

xoxo 

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Books read in March 2017

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I can’t believe March is over already and Spring is here. I turned 34 this month and I can’t believe that either. Sometimes time is a scary thing. It definitely scares me when I look at my pile of books to be read and how little time I have to get through them all! 

But here are the ones I managed to get through this month: 

  
I really enjoyed all the books I picked up this month. I continued trying to read more non-fiction with Lauren Graham’s book as I love The Gilmore Girls and her novel was really enjoyable. This book was pretty short and easy to get through. It was light hearted and she definitely comes across as someone you’d love to hang out with. I’m hoping she’s working on another novel.

With the fiction, I read my first Liane Moriarty novel. I know I’m behind on getting on that train! And as a massive fan of her Sookie novels, I picked up the first in another series by Charlaine Harris. Both are authors I’d read more from again in the future. 

  
Behind Her Eyes has had a lot of hype online particularly because of its ending so I was intrigued to read it. It was a page turner for sure and kept me guessing right up to the end where the twist gives you a lot to talk about to others who’ve read it! I don’t give anything away don’t worry but let me know if you’ve read it and what you thought.

My favourite of the pile this month was this book:

  
I’ve followed Holly online for ages now and this has sat on my self for an embarrassingly long time. It’s a brilliant YA novel about friendship and feminism and at its heart a girl who’s struggling to get to grips with OCD. It’s very honest and I loved the three girls at the heart of it. There are two more books in the series which I’m looking forward to reading.

I probably don’t read as much YA now as I think I overdosed on it, particularly on the fantasy side, but I’m really happy I picked this one up finally!

What books have you enjoyed this month?

Victoria

xoxo 

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Books read in February 2017

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First of all – happy World Book Day everyone! A perfect day to look back on the books I read in February I think.

  

It wasn’t a bumper book month for me. I was concentrating on editing my own book but I managed to read three novels and one non-fiction – a humorous self-help guide. 
  
My favourite of the books I read is this little gem. It’s not released until May but a proof arrived at work and I’m so happy it did!

  

I don’t want to talk too much about it as it’s one of those books that you should just read and fall in love with but essentially it’s about a woman called Eleanor who lives a lonely life in Scotland and how she comes to terms with her past and opens up her heart finally. It’s almost a coming of age novel although she’s grown up. 

It’s funny in places and so moving in others and I had tears in my eyes at the end. It’s really original especially Eleanor’s voice and I hope it finds lots of readers when it’s published.

What book did you love this month?

Victoria 

xoxo 

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Books read in January 2017

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A new year means new books hurrah! I want to read a few more nonfiction books this year as well as my usual pile of novels, and I’ve made a start on that this month.

Here are all the books I read in January. The novels are on the left and the non-fiction on the right.

  
On the non-fiction front, I finally read The Secret to help with my year of positivity. The main premise is that you can have anything you want if you ask the universe for it and really believe you’re going to get it, even act as if you already have it. I’m trying to keep all my goals in mind and believe they are going to be achieved. 

  
I also read Capture Your Style, which is written by Aimee Song who has a huge Instagram following. It’s all about how to create a great Instagram and I picked up some helpful tips. Have a look at mine and tell me what you think! (https://instagram.com/p/BP53xQKAKDJ/)

I read some great novels this month. There was a thriller theme to my reading as you can see – just one romance read. The Roanoke Girls is a controversial book that I’ve seen talked about a lot online and a proof came into the bookshop, which I read and I was gripped all the way through.

  
My favourite book this month though was The Trap by Melanie Raabe. It’s about a reclusive author who sees the man she thinks killed her sister years ago on TV. She decides to write a novel based on the murder and invite him to her house to interview her. I am always intrigued when the main character is a writer and thought this book was really cleverly done, and I couldn’t put it down! Definitely recommended.

Have you guys read any good books this month? Do you try to mix up novels and non-fiction?

Victoria

xoxo 

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Books read July – December 2016

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Earlier last year I posted all the books I had read during the first six months of the year and chose my favourite six (https://victoria-writes.com/2016/07/07/books-read-january-june-2016/) so here is what I read in the second half of the year:

  
  
  
  
  
My six favourites from July to December were:

  
I love Colleen Hoover’s books. I’m always gripped straight away and there’s always a twist to her love stories, often a dark one. 

  
A dark coming-of-age book about two teenage girls who have an intense friendship which spirals out of control. Absorbing and unsettling. Also set in the 1990’s which I loved.

  
A book about a group of friends who are leaving university. We follow them through their lives and the twists and turns of their friendship. A great summer read. 

  
A moving story of a couple who make a decision that will carry many consequences. Set on a remote island where they tend the lighthouse, I was gripped quickly and was left with tears in my eyes.

  
This book started out with a lot of similarities to Twilight except that this is about witchcraft but then the story came into its own and had a great twist leaving me wanting to read the sequel immeadiately. 

  
I loved this true life story of a man whose life was changed by a ginger cat. It’s an easy and moving read and left me with a big smile on my face. I then read the next two books and bought a Bob calendar haha!!

What books stood out for you in 2016? Anything you’d recommend I put on my reading list for this year?

Victoria 

xoxo