The Passenger by John Marrs @JohnMarrs1 @EdburyPublication #MustReads #SciFi #BookHangoverAward

Today I’m sharing review for The Passengers by John Marrs, if you loved The One (now being turned be turned into a 10-part series by Netflix), then this is a “must read”. You can read in for my thoughts……

Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.

The new gripping page-turning thriller from the bestselling author of THE ONE – soon to be a major Netflix series.

When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.

The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife – and parents of two – who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?

I’m all for advances in technology, especially if it involves self-drive cars as someone who never got the hang of driving it sounds like the perfect mode of transport or so I thought! Now I’ve read The Passengers by John Marrs I’ve done a U turn (excuse the pun) and I will definitely stick to riding my bike! The Passenger a futuristic novel set in the not to distance future blew me away its original, taut and brilliantly written.  I read this book at every opportunity, irritated by the slightest disturbance, which for me is always a sign of a fantastic read.  

The Passengers begins with eight driverless cars have their systems hacked and set on a collusion course, unfortunately for the eight passengers, but even more so when their fates are in the hands of the public who have to vote via social media which one should survive, and that’s where the story gets very interesting. Each passenger appears to be an ordinary person going about their day-to-day life’s,  it’s only when the author digs deeper into each character you realise that some are lying by omission, others have dark secrets or appear to be living a lie. What terrible things has each person committed, that they find themselves caught up in hackers very twisted games?

John Marrs has created a bunch of fascinating but flawed characters and none of them are as they first appear, as each of their stories unfold you will gasp with shock, fight back the disgust, and sympathise with some characters, but you can’t help forming an opinion of which passenger should die. Which leaves you with a dilemma what if you choose the wrong passenger swayed by the bare facts or what you read or saw on social media? This gives the read an interactive feel as you ponder various moral dilemmas the hacker presents. From the moment someone hack the passengers cars, you sense their bewilderment, and as events take a far more sinister tone, their fear is palatable. 

The Passengers is an edge of your seat read, one where you are thrown into the thick of the action from the start, where every chapter leaves you with a mother of a cliffhanger, urging you on to its explosive conclusion. I love the way the author has constructed a novel that plays on the fear of what happens when technology falls into the wrong hands future and is used against us.

This novel without any doubt is one of the most exciting Sci Fi  thrillers I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long time.  I’m sure this book will be snapped up for a TV adaptation following in the footsteps of The one , yes it really is that good. Would I recommend The Passengers? it’s a HUGE “yes”, it’s definitely one that will be on my top reads of 2019. A word of advice buy it now, expect the unexpected and buckle up for a hell of a ride. 

I’m giving The Passenger my shiny Book hangover award, It’s given to a book I feel is particularly outstanding, a book that covers every aspect of what I look for in a read, an original  plot, great characters and a storyline that draws me in from the first page and keeps me in its grips until I reach the very last page.

• Print Length: 406 pages
• Publisher: Ebury Digital (1 April 2019)

Buying links:  Amazon UK 🇬🇧   Amazon US 🇺🇸

#BehindTheBooks with Louise Driffield from My Chronicle Book Box @MyChronicleBB

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Louise Driffield to the book review café. Louise is the founder of My Chronicle Book Box, and although I haven’t subscribed yet I can often be found drooling over readers photos of their latest My Book Chronicle Book Box. So without further ado here’s my interview with Louise……

Hi Louise and welcome to the book review cafe, before we begin tea or coffee?

It’s lovely to be here! A cup of tea please; I love the idea of coffee and yet somehow it always smells better than it tastes.

Congratulations on My Chronicle Book Box I love this idea, luxury subscription book boxes, what’s not to like?

Thank you! 

What inspired you to create your own book box business?

I love the whole idea of book subscriptions – always having something worthwhile to read, and helping others discover new books and authors. I saw some book box unboxings on blogs and social media which were mainly focused on young adult fiction and not on my favourite genres. Most of the books on my bookshelves are crime novels or science fiction and fantasy based, some of my favourites inevitably being a devilish combination of the two!

From this nebulous idea that I would like a book box tailored to my own interests the idea for My Chronicle Book Box grew. I began thinking about what I would like in my own book box – not just the best books but author exclusives and bookish goodies that add to the reading experience too! Through chatting with friends and family I found I was not the only one who might buy such a subscription box for themselves or as gifts for others.

Add to that a long-held desire to run my own business and have greater flexibility for my young family and here we are!

How do you choose the books you feature?

Oh my goodness, it is soooo difficult! There are so many great books out there all of which I would love to include 😊

I spend a lot of time reviewing publisher schedules, reading ARCs, finding out author availability, drinking tea, chatting with book-loving friends, reading book blogs and keeping up with industry news to identify trends and possible book choices.

Then I have to consider what combination of books will work together, what will physically fit in the box, the budget (sadly), the time frame needed by publishers, etc, etc…

I do have a few guiding principles for my choices: 

1. I read all the books that go into the boxes before making the final decision. I must love the books!
2. The books are new releases. 
3. The books must also standalone, I don’t want to include books that would require our subscribers to go and read previous books in order to enjoy the book they receive from me. 
4. In terms of goodies I like them to add to the reading experience and I like to include things that tie in to the selected books and/or the genre of the boxes whenever I can.

 How do you think your service helps authors?

I search high a low for new great books and feature authors both new and established, through our boxes we introduce books and authors to new readers they may not otherwise have found. 

We also help create a greater connection through author exclusives. By including an interview or letter the subscribers learn more about the author and can feel more connected with the author becoming not just fans but loyal fans.

Why should readers buy a My Chronicle Book Box?

I find something very comforting and satisfying about reading a printed book. It is a precious gift to have the chance to lose yourself in a tactile print book, free from the interruptions of emails, adverts and notifications and I want to help people create that chance.

A book subscription is a great way to discover new books and authors and always have something ready to pick up and read. We like to take that a step further and add to the reading experience with signed books, author interviews and thoughtful bookish items.

I like to give the boxes a personal touch too, each one contains a personalised letter and envelope sealed with a wax seal which we stamp ourselves. I also gift wrap every book that goes into the subscription boxes and take great care on the packing so that every box is like receiving a gift (even if it’s to yourself!). I also really want the experience of receiving the box, unwrapping the books, unsealing your letter and revealing the bookish goodies to be all part of the fun!

I have seen some fantastic photos of your boxes on social media, how important do you think social media is for your business?

It’s not an easy thing to prove but I think it is very important! Most of our growth has been by word of mouth and I really appreciate all the unboxings and sharing our wonderful subscribers do. It really means the world to me when people take time to tell us and others how much they have enjoyed our book boxes.

I’m not that great at the social media aspect myself, its actually one of my aims for 2019 to get better at it which makes all the posts other people post and share even more important and valued.

What makes My Chronicle Book Box different to other subscription boxes?

There are a few things that give our box its own character and set us apart from some of the other subscription boxes. We only include the latest releases and every box has author exclusives such as signed books, signed book plates, interviews and letters making the boxes extra special.

Then we complement the books with thoughtful related items to add to the reading experience. 

The genres we offer set us apart from other book boxes too, you can choose between crime & mystery and sci-fi & fantasy themes (my favourites!).

Being a small business, we put great care and attention into every box I like to give the boxes a personal touch and it means every customer is really important to us.

How much does a book subscription cost and what does this include?

Each My Chronicle Book Box costs £45. This includes 3 recently released books, author exclusives and around 3-4 lovely bookish goodies. 

You can also gift a subscription and for £5 we send out a printed gift card for the recipient. This is personalised with your special message and explains what they have been gifted and when they can expect to receive their box or boxes.

Our boxes are quarterly and arrive in the first week of February, May, August and November each year.

You must read so many books, which books would you recommend to readers?

I do – it’s one of the best things about my job! I don’t just read books that are potential titles for our book boxes either. Sometimes I want to read a book just for the fun of it.

I would like to recommend Murder by the Book by Claire Harman. A fascinating true crime book I read just recently about the murder of Lord William Russell in 1840 and its literary connections. This isn’t a candidate for our boxes because it is non-fiction.

I would also like to recommend the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It’s a wonderful historical fantasy series which captured my heart and imagination. The first in the series A Discovery of Witches was recently adapted for television and features witches, daemons and vampires hiding within plain sight. 

Also anything and everything by Agatha Christie and Sir Terry Pratchett!

website: http://www.mychroniclebookbox.com/

Twitter: @MyChronicleBB

Facebook:  https://facebook.com/mychroniclebookbox/

My thanks to Louise for taking the time to answer my questions and for allowing me to use photos from My Chronicle Book Box website.

Special limited edition My Chronicle Book Boxes

Mothers Day Box

Book Sleeve Box

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain #BookReview @D_Chamberlain

Today I’m sharing my review for the latest novel by Diane Chamberlain, The Dream Daughter. As a huge crime thriller reader, there are just a handful of authors outside this genre that I turn to when I need a “non crime fiction fix” and this author is one of them.

When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back. 

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby’s heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline’s part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother’s quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget. 

I have long been a fan of Diane Chamberlain I just adore her books, now if I’m honest I had reservations about reading The Dream Daughter as I read on line that the author’s latest book is part science fiction, don’t get me wrong I’m not adverse to reading this genre I just couldn’t work out how a authors whose novels normally focus on very human story’s  could possibly incorporate science fiction into one of her story’s. After finishing this novel I have to admit the author has done a fabulous job, and the mix of genres exactly made The Dream Daughter a unique read which captured my imagination.

The Dream Daughter is a novel about one mother’s quest to save her child. Carly finds out that her unborn baby has a heart defect. There’s no treatment available in 1970, and the baby will likely not survive after birth. Her enigmatic brother in law Hunter has knowledge of treatment that could help Caroline’s unborn baby, but first he needs to convince her to take a mind-bending leap of faith. This description may seem vague but I’m desperate not to give away the heart of this novel and spoil the read for others. The way Diane Chamberlain has crafted a story of a mother’s love, risking everything she knows and believes, all for the love for her daughter was incredibly moving at times. If I’m giving you the impression The Dream Daughter makes for a depressing read I apologise, this novel also has uplifting and heartwarming moments that warm the heart.  

Diane Chamberlain has a knack of creating characters that are not only multi dimensional but she also draws on the raw emotions the characters are feeling. You feel Carly’s despair, you understand her need to do everything in her power to save her daughter, you empathise when Carly has to make heart breaking choices, you feel like your alongside Carly on her journey. I’m really pleased the author decided not to give The Dream Daughter the ending  I envisaged, personally I found the authors conclusion to be a more satisfactory one (that’s why I’m not an author) it was definitely more fitting to the overall story.  Diane Chamberlain has written a multi-layered, genre crossing, complex novel that is both emotive and compelling, and a novel that I found a joy to read. 

• Print Length: 380 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan; Main Market edition (18 Oct. 2018)

Buying links:   Amazon UK 🇬🇧    Amazon US 🇺🇸

 

**Blog tour** #RavensGathering by Graeme Cumming #GuestPost @GraemeCumming63 #Lovebooksgrouptours

Today I’m on the blog tour for Ravens Gathering by Graeme Cumming and although I didn’t have time in my reading schedule to read his book, I really wanted to be part of this blog tour as the author has always been a huge supporter of my blog and bloggers in general. So Graeme Cumming has kindly written me a very special guest post which explains why he is taking the Indie route.

The Next Big Thing

A complaint often levelled at movies, and Hollywood in particular, is that studios churn out the same old thing repeatedly. If it’s not a sequel, it’s a remake, or it’s something in a similar vein to an already popular franchise. It’s a complaint I sympathise with, though I see where the studios are coming from. With movies usually costing over $50 million to make – and the blockbusters often well in excess of $100 million – they need to have a lot of confidence they’re going to get their money back.

At the same time, the studios (and audiences) are curious about what the next big thing will be. Because audiences enjoy seeing the same type of stuff again, but we also want something different enough to get us really excited. Unfortunately, studios err on the side of caution.

That means the new and interesting stuff ends up being produced by independent film companies. They take the risks, and a lot of them fail because of a lack of profile and marketing budget, but occasionally something new and different appears. It’s nearly 20 years ago since it came out, but The Blair Witch Project was a good example, generating a sequel (the big studios got involved and it bombed) and influencing the development of several other movies filmed in similar ways – Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield, for instance. 

Although the budgets are substantially lower, the same issue applies to publishing. In the main, publishers aren’t taking the risks they might have done twenty or thirty years ago. Instead, they’re churning out more of the same, because they know it’ll sell.

Shortly after completing Ravens Gathering, I made a trip the States and, as chance would have it, met someone who worked in the publishing industry there. I took the opportunity to pick her brains, and her advice was succinct. 

“You might as well stick it on Amazon yourself. All the big publishing houses are watching Amazon’s stats, and if we see a book or author who’s doing really well, we’ll swoop in and offer them a deal.”

So the publishers want the Indies to do the experimenting for them.

Why did that advice resonate with me? Because Ravens Gathering doesn’t fit neatly into one of the genre pigeonholes. And it made me realise publishers were unlikely to want to experiment with it so, unless I dropped incredibly lucky, I’d be wasting my time with submissions. From that point of view, I had nothing to lose, and went down the Indie route.

Am I claiming Ravens Gathering is the next big thing? No. But it is different, so who knows? What’s clear to me is that, if I’d gone down the traditional publishing route, I’d probably still be waiting for a positive response, which means readers wouldn’t have had the chance to judge it for themselves. 

Book description

As she let her gaze drift around her, she saw that there were more birds. Perhaps a dozen or so, perched among the trees that stood on the edge of the clearing. And yet more were arriving, swooping down through the gap overhead and landing on branches that overlooked them. The birds weren’t threatening, yet the sight of them all coming together in this dark and isolated spot was unnerving. Tanya reached a hand out towards Martin, and was relieved to feel him take it. She felt him move in behind her. After the uncertainty she’d experienced with him in a similar position only a few moments ago, she recognised the irony of her reaction. His closeness offered security.
“You know what they are, don’t you?”

A stranger’s arrival in a small village coincides with a tragic accident. For the Gates family in particular it’s more than a coincidence, but unease increases following a brutal attack. As tensions rise, a dark past returns to haunt them and others, while newcomers to the village are drawn into a mystery with terrifying consequences.

And only a select few know why the ravens are gathering.

Buying link:    Amazon UK 🇬🇧

Graeme Cumming has spent most of his life immersed in fiction – books, TV and movies – turning to writing his own stories during his early teens.

He first realised he genuinely had some talent when he submitted a story to his English teacher, Christine Tubb, who raved about it.  The same story was published in the school magazine and spawned a series that was met with enthusiasm by readers.  Christine was subsequently overheard saying that if Graeme wasn’t a published author by the time he was 25, she’d eat her hat.  Sadly, she probably spent the next 25 years buying her groceries exclusively from milliners.  (Even more sadly, having left school with no clear direction in life, Graeme made no effort to keep in touch with any teachers, so has lost track of this source of great support and encouragement.)

Having allowed himself to be distracted (in no particular order) by girls, alcohol and rock concerts, Graeme spent little of his late teens and twenties writing.  A year-long burst of activity produced a first draft of a futuristic thriller, Beyond Salvage, which has since lain dormant, waiting for a significant edit.

With the onset of family life, opportunities to write became more limited (though it could be argued that he got his priorities wrong), until he reached his early forties, when he realised he hadn’t written anything for several years.  Deciding to become more focused, since then he has written regularly.

With his interests in story-telling sparked by an excessive amount of time sitting in front of a black and white television, his tastes are varied.  Influences ranged from the Irwin Allen shows (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, etc.) to ITC series (The Saint, The Champions, Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) and so many more), so the common theme was action and adventure, but crossed into territories including horror, fantasy and science fiction as well as crime and espionage.

This diverse interest in fiction continued with reading books and his discovery of the magical world of cinema.  As a result, his stories don’t always fall into a specific genre, but are always written as thrillers.

When not writing, Graeme is an enthusiastic sailor (and, by default, swimmer), and enjoys off-road cycling and walking.  He is currently Education Director at Sheffield Speakers Club, although he lives in Robin Hood country.  Oh yes, and he reads (a lot) and still loves the cinema.

My thanks to Graeme Cumming for taking time out of his busy schedule to write a guest post for the book review café. There are some fabulous book bloggers on this tour, so you may want to check out their reviews…..