Reading Round-Up: September/October 2020

Happy Autumn - and Happy Halloween! In my latest spooktacular reading round-up post, I'm sharing all the details of the books I've been reading, buying, and wishing for over the last two months. As the nights start to draw in and the weather turns colder, there's nothing better than curling up with a good book! 

Read on for all the bookish mischief and mayhem from September and October 2020.

Book Review: Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben

AD* | Suburban New Jersey Detective Napoleon “Nap” Dumas hasn't been the same since senior year of high school when his twin brother Leo and Leo’s girlfriend Diana were found dead on the railroad tracks - and Maura, the girl Nap considered the love of his life, broke up with him and disappeared without explanation. For fifteen years, Nap has been searching, both for Maura and for the real reason behind his brother's death. And now, it looks as though he may finally find what he's been looking for. 

When Maura's fingerprints turn up in the rental car of a suspected murderer, Nap embarks on a quest for answers that only leads to more questions - about the woman he loved, about the childhood friends he thought he knew, about the abandoned military base near where he grew up, and mostly about Leo and Diana - whose deaths are darker and far more sinister than Nap ever dared imagine.

9 Ways to Save Money When Buying Clothes for Your Family

Last Updated: 2 January 2023

AD* | If you’re looking for ways to save money when buying clothes for your family then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you buy clothes regularly and you want to save money or you’re looking to replenish everyone’s wardrobes on a budget, it’s important that you are saving as much money as you can. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you can do exactly that. From shopping in charity stores to looking at the different options you have online, you may be surprised at how easy it can be when it comes to saving money on clothes.

 

With that in mind, here are nine ways to save money when buying clothes for your family.

Book Review: Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

AD* | Should you ever go back?

It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small-town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.

But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town's most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends - just before Kaycee disappeared for good.

Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret - a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.

Book Review: The Queen's Rival by Anne O'Brien

AD* | One family united by blood. Torn apart by war...

England, 1459: Cecily, Duchess of York, is embroiled in a plot to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne. But when the Yorkists are defeated at the Battle of Ludford Bridge, Cecily’s family flee and abandon her to face a marauding Lancastrian army on her own.

Cecily can only watch as her lands are torn apart and divided up by the ruthless Queen Marguerite. From the towers of her prison in Tonbridge Castle, the Duchess begins to spin a web of deceit – one that will eventually lead to treason, to the fall of King Henry VI, and to her eldest son being crowned King of England.

This is a story of heartbreak, ambition and treachery, of one woman’s quest to claim the throne during the violence and tragedy of the Wars of the Roses.

Book Review: Our Story by Miranda Dickinson

AD* | Otty has just landed her dream job. She's about to join the writing team of one of the most respected showrunners in TV. And then the night before her first day, she's evicted from her flat.

Joe has been working with Russell for years. He's the best writer on his team, but lately, something has been off. He's trying to get his mojo back, but when his flatmate moves out without warning he has other things to worry about.

Otty moving into Joe's house seems like the most obvious solution to both their problems, but neither is prepared for what happens next. Paired together in the writing room, their obvious chemistry sparks from the page and they are the writing duo to beat. But their relationship off the page is an entirely different story, and neither of them can figure out why.

And suddenly the question isn't, will they, or won't they? It's why won't they?

Film Review: Enola Holmes

The tale of the infamous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is one that has captivated the world since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first put pen to paper way back in the 1800s. Ever since countless adaptations and spin-offs have been released, covering books, films, TV shows, events, and much more. It seems we can't get enough of Sherlock! 

However, Enola Holmes, the latest release to feature the great super-sleuth, leaves Sherlock as a supporting character. Instead, this film focuses on the adventures and exploits of Enola Holmes - Sherlock's younger sister.