Laura Besley's Blog, page 3
June 13, 2015
May 28, 2015
May 27, 2015
This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
Title: This Is Where I Leave You
Author: Jonathan Tropper
Publication: Orion (21 Jan. 2010)
Summary: Poor Judd Foxman returns home early to find his wife in bed with his boss - in the act. He now faces the twin threats of both divorce and unemployment. His misery is compounded further with the sudden death of his father. He is then asked to come and 'sit Shiva' for his newly deceased parent with his angry, screwed-up and somewhat estranged brothers and sisters in his childhood home. It is there he must confront who he really is and - more importantly - who he can become.
What I Think
There's no point writing about an ordinary family with no problems. The Foxman family in Johnathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You is anything but normal. In fact, it's almost farcical. Every issue you can imagine arises; from adultery to death to struggling with fertility to unwanted pregnancy to you-name-it. It's a psychiatrist's dream family. But despite the struggles of this family, the book is extremely funny. It's been a long time since a book has made me laugh this much. A bittersweet novel about a man trying to find his way and I would highly recommend it.
About the Author
Jonathan Tropper is the internationally bestselling author of six novels: Plan B, The Book of Joe, Everything Changes, How To Talk to a Widower, This Is Where I Leave You, and One Last Thing Before I Go. His books have been translated into over twenty languages. He recently adapted This Is Where I Leave You as a feature film for Warner Bros. Studios, starring Jason Bateman and Tina Fey, and is currently adapting One Last Thing Before I Go for Paramount. Jonathan is also the co-creator and executive producer of the television show Banshee, which premiered on Cinemax in January 2013 and is currently shooting its third season. He lives in Westchester, NY with his three children.
Author: Jonathan Tropper
Publication: Orion (21 Jan. 2010)
Summary: Poor Judd Foxman returns home early to find his wife in bed with his boss - in the act. He now faces the twin threats of both divorce and unemployment. His misery is compounded further with the sudden death of his father. He is then asked to come and 'sit Shiva' for his newly deceased parent with his angry, screwed-up and somewhat estranged brothers and sisters in his childhood home. It is there he must confront who he really is and - more importantly - who he can become.
What I Think
There's no point writing about an ordinary family with no problems. The Foxman family in Johnathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You is anything but normal. In fact, it's almost farcical. Every issue you can imagine arises; from adultery to death to struggling with fertility to unwanted pregnancy to you-name-it. It's a psychiatrist's dream family. But despite the struggles of this family, the book is extremely funny. It's been a long time since a book has made me laugh this much. A bittersweet novel about a man trying to find his way and I would highly recommend it.
About the Author
Jonathan Tropper is the internationally bestselling author of six novels: Plan B, The Book of Joe, Everything Changes, How To Talk to a Widower, This Is Where I Leave You, and One Last Thing Before I Go. His books have been translated into over twenty languages. He recently adapted This Is Where I Leave You as a feature film for Warner Bros. Studios, starring Jason Bateman and Tina Fey, and is currently adapting One Last Thing Before I Go for Paramount. Jonathan is also the co-creator and executive producer of the television show Banshee, which premiered on Cinemax in January 2013 and is currently shooting its third season. He lives in Westchester, NY with his three children.
May 22, 2015
May 20, 2015
The Truth About Ellen by Sarah Louise Smith
Title: The Truth About Ellen
Author: Sarah Louise Smith
Publication: Crooked Cat Publishing Ltd. (19 May 2015)
Summary: When Ellen starts dating Tom, a member of the band she adored as a teenager, she can’t believe how lucky she is. She neglects to mention that she's a huge fan because that just wouldn’t be cool, would it? Ellen also keeps quiet about how she once spent an evening with Tom’s ex-bandmate/ex-best friend Jasper, her long-term celebrity crush. Tom doesn’t need to know about that, it’s all in the past. That is until Tom and Jasper get back in touch… and the truth threatens to ruin everything Ellen has ever dreamed of...
What I Think
Most of us have, at some point in our lives, had a celebrity crush. I was not really a boy band fan, but my celebrity crushes were/are Colin Firth and Richard Armitage. Therefore I can, to an extent, relate to how Ellen feels when she meets Tom Green, "who wrote the lyrics and played the bass in Four Ape"; a mixture of awe and feeling lucky, but also wanting to hide how big a fan she was and play it cool. Unfortunately for Ellen, playing it cool isn't really her thing.
Ellen is an extremely likable character and the thing that I possibly liked the most about her was her sense of independence. In a lot of chick lit novels the main characters can get so caught up in the moment that they lose their sense of self. This is not the case in The Truth About Ellen.
I've read all of Sarah Louise Smith's previous novels and didn't hesitate when I noticed that a new one was being released. I even started reading it without reading the back cover. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I sped through it and was surprised - but in a good way - at the ending. How does it end? You'll just have to read it to find out!
About the Author
Sarah Louise Smith lives in Milton Keynes, UK, with her husband, two cute cats and a loopy golden retriever. She has an extremely lovely step-daughter and spends most of her free time writing, reading, cooking, and taking long walks.
She’s the author of four chick-lit novels: Amy & Zach, Izzy’s Cold Feet, Independent Jenny and The Truth About Ellen, all published by Crooked Cat Publishing Ltd.
Author: Sarah Louise Smith
Publication: Crooked Cat Publishing Ltd. (19 May 2015)
Summary: When Ellen starts dating Tom, a member of the band she adored as a teenager, she can’t believe how lucky she is. She neglects to mention that she's a huge fan because that just wouldn’t be cool, would it? Ellen also keeps quiet about how she once spent an evening with Tom’s ex-bandmate/ex-best friend Jasper, her long-term celebrity crush. Tom doesn’t need to know about that, it’s all in the past. That is until Tom and Jasper get back in touch… and the truth threatens to ruin everything Ellen has ever dreamed of...
What I Think
Most of us have, at some point in our lives, had a celebrity crush. I was not really a boy band fan, but my celebrity crushes were/are Colin Firth and Richard Armitage. Therefore I can, to an extent, relate to how Ellen feels when she meets Tom Green, "who wrote the lyrics and played the bass in Four Ape"; a mixture of awe and feeling lucky, but also wanting to hide how big a fan she was and play it cool. Unfortunately for Ellen, playing it cool isn't really her thing.
Ellen is an extremely likable character and the thing that I possibly liked the most about her was her sense of independence. In a lot of chick lit novels the main characters can get so caught up in the moment that they lose their sense of self. This is not the case in The Truth About Ellen.
I've read all of Sarah Louise Smith's previous novels and didn't hesitate when I noticed that a new one was being released. I even started reading it without reading the back cover. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I sped through it and was surprised - but in a good way - at the ending. How does it end? You'll just have to read it to find out!
About the Author
Sarah Louise Smith lives in Milton Keynes, UK, with her husband, two cute cats and a loopy golden retriever. She has an extremely lovely step-daughter and spends most of her free time writing, reading, cooking, and taking long walks.
She’s the author of four chick-lit novels: Amy & Zach, Izzy’s Cold Feet, Independent Jenny and The Truth About Ellen, all published by Crooked Cat Publishing Ltd.
May 17, 2015
May 14, 2015
May 6, 2015
Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus
Title: Snow White Must Die
Author: Nele Neuhaus
Publication: Pan (4 July 2013)
Summary: In a trial based on circumstantial evidence 20-year-old Tobias Sartorius was convicted and imprisoned for the murder of his childhood friend Laura and his beautiful girlfriend Stefanie – otherwise known as Snow White. After serving his sentence, Tobias returns home. When the Sartorius family is subjected to a number of attacks, Detective Inspector Pia Kirchhoff and DS Oliver von Bodenstein are tasked with monitoring the tense atmosphere in the tight-knit community. As the village inhabitants close ranks it becomes apparent the disappearance of Snow White and her friend was far more complex than imagined. Then history starts to repeat itself in a disastrous manner when another pretty girl goes missing. The police are thrown into a race against time. Can they solve the mystery before it’s too late?
What I Think
I nearly gave up on this book because quite frankly the writing is a little dire in places. At times sentences were unclear, cliches have been used, there's a dramatic over-use of adverbs and the dialogue was occasionally implausible. I appreciate that some of this may be due to translation errors, but I still would not expect this is in a published novel.
However, despite all this, I plowed on and I'm pleased I did. The story is excellent with an unpredictable plot and there is a vast array of fleshed-out characters (one or two unnecessary). It was a good thriller and I enjoyed reading a book set in Germany, but I would only recommend it to people who are willing to be a little lenient and read over its imperfections.
About the Author
Cornelia Neuhaus (born 20 June 1967 in Münster) is a German writer. She is best known for her crime thrillers.
Author: Nele Neuhaus
Publication: Pan (4 July 2013)
Summary: In a trial based on circumstantial evidence 20-year-old Tobias Sartorius was convicted and imprisoned for the murder of his childhood friend Laura and his beautiful girlfriend Stefanie – otherwise known as Snow White. After serving his sentence, Tobias returns home. When the Sartorius family is subjected to a number of attacks, Detective Inspector Pia Kirchhoff and DS Oliver von Bodenstein are tasked with monitoring the tense atmosphere in the tight-knit community. As the village inhabitants close ranks it becomes apparent the disappearance of Snow White and her friend was far more complex than imagined. Then history starts to repeat itself in a disastrous manner when another pretty girl goes missing. The police are thrown into a race against time. Can they solve the mystery before it’s too late?
What I Think
I nearly gave up on this book because quite frankly the writing is a little dire in places. At times sentences were unclear, cliches have been used, there's a dramatic over-use of adverbs and the dialogue was occasionally implausible. I appreciate that some of this may be due to translation errors, but I still would not expect this is in a published novel.
However, despite all this, I plowed on and I'm pleased I did. The story is excellent with an unpredictable plot and there is a vast array of fleshed-out characters (one or two unnecessary). It was a good thriller and I enjoyed reading a book set in Germany, but I would only recommend it to people who are willing to be a little lenient and read over its imperfections.
About the Author
Cornelia Neuhaus (born 20 June 1967 in Münster) is a German writer. She is best known for her crime thrillers.
