Before we fall too far into 2016, it’s time to update you on my November and December reads and wrap up the year with a few reading stats!
I started November with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. After deciding it was about time I read some Christie, I headed to Foyles. I was completely overwhelmed by the choice but figured the bestselling mystery novel of all time was probably a good place to start! I definitely was not disappointed. And Then There Were None follows the story of ten individuals who are mysteriously invited to a remote private island and are murdered one by one. With nobody else on the island, it is the ultimate whodunit! We ended up reading this at our work book club and not one of us had correctly guessed the identity of the murderer before the big reveal. Christie is so clever in quickly changing your mind as soon as you are on the right track. The BBC’s recent adaptation is definitely worth a watch too, whether you read the book first or not. Despite the addition of sex and drugs to spice things up a bit for the screen, it remains faithful to Christie’s intelligent story.
After all that crime, I turned to one of the best “women’s fiction” or “chick lit” (if we must use that term) authors out there and devoured Paige Toon’s The Sun in Her Eyes. Paige always pulls me in and draws on my emotions when I least expect it. It often takes a few chapters, but by the end I am completely addicted. The Sun in Her Eyes is one of the best of Paige’s novels I’ve read (up there with One Perfect Summer!) and tells the story of Amber Church, who survived at age three the car crash that killed her mother and is about to discover her mother’s dying words that may change her life forever.
My final read of November was Emerald Fennell’s Monsters, a recent YA release from Hot Key Books with one of the best cover designs this year (look closely!). Emerald Fennell, who is best known for her role in Call the Midwife, has created a fantastically dark murder mystery, set in a seemingly perfect seaside town, with some very sinister children at its heart. This is YA at its best, with no fear of nastiness. Do not underestimate the brilliance of this book.
I will continue the end of year wrap up with my December books later in the week. Until then, happy reading!
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