Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six...

These are the five best books that I've read in the last few weeks.... (in no particular order)

- Hit The Road, Jack by Mimi Thebo - This is the story of a young boy who sets out to find his father after discovering some letters in his mother's bedroom.

At first I was unsure of where it was headed but, already being a fan of Thebo, I trusted in her writing and enjoyed the gentle beginning, getting into Jack's world and meeting his varied and eccentric circle of friends. However, this gentle tone was shattered when Jack's father finally made an appearance and Thebo's true skill at producing tightly written prose was revealed in all it's glory. I won't spoil the surprise, but trust me, this short novel is most definitely worth a read...

- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dogs Days by Jeff Kinney - I've reviewed this series before and this, the latest instalment is just as brilliant as the others. Funny, witty and well observed.

- Desperate Measures by Laura Summers - Narrated by twin sisters who take one chapter each, this is a look at the fostering system and what happens when siblings are torn apart. Particularly interesting as each sister's voice is clearly defined from each other and completely believable in their own, specific way.

- Arch Enemy: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor - This is a brilliant ending to a very imaginative and well written trilogy. In this, the final book, Beddor has once again managed to successfully blend fantasy and reality in a way that makes the reader forget to look for the line. Interwoven is love, hate, ambition and friendship as his characters struggle against each other as well as themselves. Just brilliant.

- Daughter of Fire and Ice by Marie-Louise Jensen - I've already reviewed this book here but I cannot praise it highly enough! I've read it three times now - a very rare occurrence for me!

Those are my top five of the last few weeks but I've read lots of other great books which I will be featuring over the next little while.

Stay happy,

WG x

P.S. If you have a recommendation for me, just leave a comment or send me a message!

Daughter of Fire and Ice, Marie-Louise Jensen

Synopsis: 'A sense of menace grew on me all morning. Not a vision. No glimpse of the future disturbed me. It was more a shadow of approaching danger...'

Snatched by a notorious Viking chieftain, Thora is set to leave her homeland on a ship bound for Iceland. But when her captor is murdered an altogether different journey begins...

My Thoughts: The phrase 'I couldn't put it down' is often thrown around and has been used so much that it's becoming clichéd. However, with this novel, it's completely true as this book was pretty much stuck to my hands for the three days it took for me to consume it.

Jensen shows once again that she is a master at creating a realistic world that blends the familiar with the foreign.

The protagonist, Thora, is a well balanced character who manages to be good without being saccharine and who pulls the reader along with her on her journey as it twists and turns.

Forbidden love can often be frustrating and annoying for the reader but Jensen manages it so that the reader feels as though Thora and Bjorn will be together eventually, making the reader willing to wait for this outcome.

The antagonist, Ragna, is also well drawn as Jensen avoids making her into a cartoon villian, instead creating a character who is complicated and for whom the reader feels a small amount of sympathy for.

Overall, this is a novel that twists and turns, taking the reader to places that they don't expect and that had me wishing for more as I read the final words.

*****