Changing the narrative of mountaineering books, Sherpa focuses on the people who live and work on the roof of the world.

Amid all the foreign adventurers that throng to Nepal to scale the world’s highest peaks there exists a small community of mountain people at the foothills of Himalayas. Sherpa tells their story. It’s the story of endeavour and survival at the roof of the world. It dives into their culture and tells of their existence at the edge of life and death. Written by Ankit Babu Adhikari – a writer, social science researcher and musician – and Pradeep Bashyal – a journalist with the BBC based in Nepal – Sherpa traces their story pre- and post-mountaineering revolution, their evolution as climbing crusaders with previously unpublished stories from the most notable and incredible Sherpas of the last 50 years.

This is the story of the Sherpas.

My Thoughts:

WOW WOW WOW What an incredible book, I never knew much about Sherpa’s but after reading this book I have so much respect for them. It is such an incredible journey that you go on when reading this book, I really feel for these men and women who are trying to provide for their families but are risking their lives every time they make the journey not just up Everest but down too. I found this book a really interesting and knowledgeable read and the pictures bring the stories of these men and women so much more to life, every single one of them are incredible and I am so in awe of them and what they do on a daily basis. After reading this book it is not something I would ever want to do because of some of the sights that you see but anyone that does it and comes back safe is incredible. Sherpas are unsung heroes in my book.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Everyone wanted her life
Someone wanted her dead

It was Hannah who found April’s body ten years ago.
It was Hannah who didn’t question what she saw that day.
Did her testimony put an innocent man in prison?
 
She needs to know the truth.
 
Even if it means questioning her own friends.
Even if it means putting her own life at risk.
 
Because if the killer wasn’t a stranger, it’s someone she knows…

My Thoughts:

I can’t believe I have never read any of Ruth’s books before, that is now going to change as this one was phenomenal. It is that type of read where you read the plot and know what could potentially happen but when you read the book, you get the most craziest twists and turns that you cannot even believe what is going on. The story continues to build and gets intense and I feel as though this is a multi layered story that has many red herrings, twists and turns and many omg moments. Also I found the plot to be one that you could believe that could happen which felt as though it made the story come to life more. I am definitely purchasing more of Ruth’s books. This one is going to be a big hit for the Summer.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Jose Federico Burgos is a failed painter turned forger trapped in surreal, menacing splendour with an enormous Flemish altarpiece, an impish vagabond, and a pair of resourceful yet intimidating twins. He drinks too much, he roams the grounds, and everyday that he doesn’t succeed in copying the painting, he gets a little bit closer to what’s really happening behind the high garden walls.

My Thoughts:

I think the cover of this book works really well, it is simple but effective. This for me was a quick read it took me a couple of hours to power through it. One thing to remember when reading it though is it has been translated, and done really well. That Jose is a character and is very amusing, he is a failed painter and really wants to start painting again but he drinks a lot, but when he decides to go for a walk, he finds that something is happening behind the high garden walls and he is determined to find out what. But will it help him finish his painting or will he be forever labelled the failing painter. I liked finding out more about Jose and it was a quirky and fun read that I did enjoy.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Emily is on holiday with her best friend, Kristen, in the stunning mountains of Chile. They’re having the time of their lives until, on the last night of the trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find it covered in blood.

Kristen claims a backpacker attacked her. She shouted, but no-one heard. She struggled, but he was too strong.

She had no option but to kill him.

With no evidence of the assault, Emily must help her hide the body. . .

Back home, Emily tries to forget what happened, but a surprise visit from Kristen forces her to confront the events of that night.

As the walls close in on their cover-up, Emily asks herself: can she really trust her closest friend?

My Thoughts:

The plot of this book sounded good, I was expecting plenty of twists and turns but got very few. The first several chapters were good, but then it became very predictable and the main characters Emily and Kristen I felt for me became rather annoying. I did finish it but just to see if it got any better which unfortunately it did not. It is a shame as it had everything going for it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

1953, New York City

Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next week to accomplish the task, but they will do it.

1918, Tampa

Raised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann’s talent and offers her an amazing opportunity—the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida’s society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

My Thoughts:

This is based on a true story of one of the most famous designers of the twenties, it is such an enchanting and awe inspiring read that makes you feel full of determination. I had never heard of Anne Lowe before reading this book but I have so much utter respect for her and what she went through, she makes me feel as though if I set my mind to something I can do it if I really want it. I found it a fascinating and humble read that I will never forget. It is a bit different to what I would normally read but I really enjoyed it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Ronnie and Jake are twins – obviously not identical, but close as. They even have that twin intuition thing going on. Ronnie lives with her soon-to-be husband and new-born baby, and Jake is happily married with two daughters. One sunny April day, he hops onto somebody else’s motorbike to ride home when a horrific crash leaves him lying brain injured on the road. On hearing the news Ronnie rushes to Jake’s bedside. Having once been a physiotherapist, she knows it’s bad, and her life threatens to crack apart as she begs him to return to her.

Fifteen months later, it’s suggested by Jake’s wife that the two families go away to Brittany, France, on holiday. But surely, it’s too soon, thinks Ronnie. The tensions and events which follow threaten to rock both Ronnie’s marriage and her relationship with her sister-in-law, as she tries to reach Jake. And when secrets from their past begin to surface, will Ronnie seek comfort from another man? At the heart of it all is Jake, who is more than her brother, he is her twin. Once they floated side by side in their mother’s womb. Can Ronnie somehow remind him of the person he once was, or is he changed forever? The world turns with or without them, a butterfly flaps its wings, and only hummingbirds fly backwards.

My Thoughts:

I found this such a powerful and moving story that really makes you revaluate your life. More so that at the end of the story I read that the author Rosie went through a similar thing with her brother so it is written from experience and the heart. The story is centred around Ronnie and Jake who are twins, all grown up now and have their own lives they live, but one day their lives change forever when Jake is in a serious accident. Several months later Ronnie and her family go away on holiday with Jake and his family, Jake is not the man he used to be and has complications from being brain damaged. We see how Jake’s wife is coming to terms of her husband being the way he is with a head injury and how everyone is affected. It was a tough read but one that made me think about life and how precious it is. It is a very honest account of grief, loss, love and having acceptance.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

For most of her life, Chrysta Bilton was one member of a small, if dysfunctional, family of four. There was her sister, Kaitlyn, her hedonistic, glamorous, gay mum Debra, and Jeffrey, who Debra hand-picked, in an LA hairdressers, to be the father of her children. During Chrysta’s unstable childhood, Debra struggled to keep the family afloat and Jeffrey wandered in and out of their lives.

Then, in her twenties, Chrysta discovered that her father had secretly donated his sperm over 500 times – and that she had at least 35 other siblings.

My Thoughts:

what do you do when you discover your dad has secretly donated his sperm over 500 times and that you now find out you have at least 35 other siblings? that is the question on Chrysta’s lips when she discovers just this. This is an eye opening and heart felt memoir of Chrysta’s journey of embracing the family that she has and coming to terms with adjustment. It is a very engaging story that is thought provoking and makes you feel grateful for your family around you. You will go through many emotions reading this story, there are parts that are funny but also parts that are tender and could make you weep. Overall though it is a good read and I am glad Chrysta has decided to share her story.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

LONDON. Early morning, June 2019: on the foreshore of the river Thames, a bag of bones is discovered. Human bones.

DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene and quickly sends the bag for forensic examination. The bones are those of a young woman, killed by a blow to the head many years ago.

Also inside the bag is a trail of clues, in particular the seeds of a rare tree which lead DCI Owusu back to a mansion in Chelsea where, nearly thirty years previously, three people lay dead in a kitchen, and a baby waited upstairs for someone to pick her up.

The clues point forward too to a brother and sister in Chicago searching for the only person who can make sense of their pasts.

Four deaths. An unsolved mystery. A family whose secrets can’t stay buried for ever …

My Thoughts:

I thought the plot sounded good and was intrigued to see where the story was going to lead too. DCI Owusu is investigating a bag of bones that have washed up in the Thames but little do the police know that there is more to this story than meets the eye, after investigating more DCI Owusu needs to find out what happened and why before it is too late. I liked this story it held my attention and made me think about the story when I was not reading it, but for me it was very long and drawn out and there were too many characters, I felt as though I was constantly going back and forth trying to remember who was who, least to say this is one of Lisa’s books I did enjoy. The ending took me by surprise as I was not expecting it at all.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Your fate arrives in a box on your doorstep. Do you open it?

It seems like just another morning.

You make a cup of tea. Check the news. Open the front door.

On your doorstep is a box.

Inside the box is the exact number of years you have left to live.

The same box appears on every doorstep across the world.

Do you open yours?

My Thoughts:

I was after a book that had a new and fresh idea and this book came along. The chapters are broken down into different people and their stories. Everyone over 22 years of age receives a box that has a piece of string in it and the length determines how long you have left in the world. The story follows a few people and how they deal with their news either good or bad. It was a very thought provoking and life affirming read for me and I am sure everyone else who reads it will think the same. It is a very clever concept to write about and I think Nikki the author has done really well and this is her debut novel. I don’t know what I would do if I received a box, there are so many questions to think about. I would prefer not to know but just to live my life to the fullest. The only thing I would say about this book is it did go on and felt toward the end that it could of been wrapped up a while before, but I did enjoy reading it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Newlyweds Keith and Kit Collins can hardly believe their luck when the general manager of the iconic, opulent Pink Hotel invites them to come for a luxurious stay as a bid to hire Keith. Kit loves their small-town life, but Keith has always wanted more, and the glittering, lily-scented lobby makes him feel right at home.

Soon after their arrival, wildfires sweep through the surrounding mountains and Los Angeles becomes a pressure cooker, with riots breaking out across the city amid rolling blackouts. The Pink Hotel closes its doors to outsiders, and Keith and Kit find themselves confined with an anxious, disgruntled staff and a growing roster of eccentric, ultra-wealthy, dangerously idle guests who flock to the hotel for sanctuary, company, and entertainment.

My Thoughts:

I found this a great read, it was packed full of interesting characters that really intrigued me. I loved the sound of the story, I felt as though it was a little different but in a good way. It is all centred around the Pink Hotel, Kit and Keith have been invited to stay at the pink hotel as they want Keith to work for them, it is all going swimmingly until wildfires rip through and threaten to devastate the surrounding areas. Everyone flocks to the Pink Hotel and we meet an interesting bunch of characters that have come to brave out the wildfires. An interesting story, one where I wasn’t sure where it would leave but was pleasantly surprised by the ending. A great read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here: