Contemporary

This What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Published by Darren on May 14, 2013 | Leave a response

This again makes a novel that is much more than it’s central romance, it’s also about what Ellie and Graham want and need from their lives, and finding their places in the world. Graham’s isolation is particularly well drawn and balanced against the love of his job.

Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce [Review]

Published by Darren on March 11, 2013 | Leave a response

Narrated by a female, teenage cancer patient, who falls for a teenage, male cancer patient… Well there is a story with obviously similar themes… Which I loved, so I was a little nervous going in to this one. Thankfully, while Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce isn’t perfect, it is very much its own book.

Speechless by Hannah Harrington [Review]

Published by Darren on February 6, 2013 | 1 Response

The vow of silence Chelsea makes, could be a really irritating device, but as Chelsea says (well writes…) at one point, when she is trying to explain the diference between talking and writing out her words, is that she has to think about them first. While it’s not as obvious, so do her new friends, and this allows us to look at the story though a slightly different window.

Naive, Super by Erlend Loe [Review]

Published by Darren on January 4, 2013 | 6 Responses

Troubled by an inability to find any meaning in his life, the 25- year-old narrator of this deceptively simple novel quits university and eventually arrives at his brother’s New York apartment. In a bid to discover what life is all about, he writes lists. He becomes obsessed by time and whether it actually matters.

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead [Review]

Published by Darren on January 2, 2013 | 4 Responses

One of my aims for this year is to read some more ‘contemporary’ books, most of my reading whether books for the adult market or the YA one, tend to have at least some level to fantasy or sci-fi elements, which I love don’t get me wrong, I just feel like I am missing out on some great reads elsewhere.

So when I spotted this one on @netgalley the other week, I quickly requested a copy, and while it didn’t blow be away I’m really glad I did.