Easy Reading Book Reviews
Easy Reading, Just Like a Stroll Along a Beach
It can be great to read books that challenge you through their deep insight, beautiful writing, and thought-provoking themes. But at the end of a long day or relaxing down at the beach, something lighter often hits the spot better. Take a look at these easy reads that are nicely written, with great stories.
Yellow Face by Rebecca F Kuang
What's it about?
Struggling young writer June is deeply envious of her narcissistic author friend, Athena Liu, who’s on the fast-track to fame and fortune. Then Athena unexpectedly dies and June profits by stealing her selfish friend’s unpublished book. But passing the work off as her own and hiding her secret is harder than June imagined.
What's to like?
The characters are messy, real, and often thoroughly unlikeable, which makes for a spicy tale. It’s easy reading and a page-turner too, because we want to see if June can keep her dirty secret and uncover who it is that’s found her out. There’s also some light exploration of cultural appropriation that adds another layer.
What's a pain?
With all the dramatic action up front, the shift into a slightly slower pace for majority of the book may not be to every reader’s liking, but it does pick up in the end. It’s hard to feel much sympathy for June most of the time, and while that does add credibility and an interesting edge, some may find her too unlikeable.
Is this book for me?
If you have any interest in the world of novelists and publishing, or want a easy reading book that takes you a page-turning ride, you’ll enjoy this. If you need to become attached to your characters or a story that has a deeper meaning, this definitely won’t put a smile on your face.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
30 Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen
What's it about?
Hannah, a Danish literary writer, publicly derides a mainstream author, claiming she can write a better crime novel than any of his, in just 30 days. Her arrogant challenge ends up being more than she bargained for, finding herself embroiled in a real-life murder, and facing her own equally frightening inner demons.
What's to like?
This book is great fun. Hannah has more flaws than imaginable and confidently blunders her way into trouble every step of the way in this suspenseful tale. There are plenty of surprises that keep the reader guessing and somehow the book effectively delivers a fast paced thriller, while also taking a poke at crime novel cliches.
What's a pain?
There are one or two twists and turns in the story that seem a little too convenient and not so plausible. But this is a novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and with Hannah in the driver’s seat we become willing to believe that anything could happen with this chaotic anti-heroine in the driver’s seat.
Is this book for me?
If you want to read a crime novel with an original main character that’s a breath of fresh air, in a story with bucket loads of action and laughs, this will delight you. If you like your crime to be dark and serious, and the lead character a razor-sharp master of investigation, you won’t be into hapless Hannah.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
All The Little Bird Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow
What's it about?
Sunday lives in the Lakes District in England and employs eccentric, often amusing methods to manage her anxiety. A ray of light seems to arrive with sophisticated new neighbour, Vita, who adopts Sunday as her new best friend. But before long it’s clear that Vita isn’t all she seems and has issues of her own.
What's to like?
As the story unfolds, the reader discovers and sympathises with the tragic origins of Sunday’s ever-present anxiety. This pathos is perfectly balanced by the quirkiness of the cast of characters in the story, who bring plenty of laughs. The writing style is well-crafted, and makes for enjoyable, easy reading.
What's a pain?
There really isn’t anything that is likely to annoy the reader unless quirkiness is a trigger. It would have been illuminating to understand more about Vita’s back-story, as she is so central to everything. That said, this support character is intentionally enigmatic and she remains as such.
Is this book for me?
If you’re interested in the debilitating impact of anxiety, or are simply looking for a fresh, easy read with a few laughs along the way, you’ll love this. If you find self-destructive characters irritating, or need a lot of action in a story, this tale will test your patience.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie
What's it about?
Detective Kate Miles is simultaneously investigating two unconnected cases in a small town in Northern NSW, Australia. One involves a hold-up in a fast-food joint, the other a popular local drowned in floods. As she hunts down answers, strands of each case intertwine, shedding light on the other.
What's to like?
This is McKenzie’s debut novel and she looks to be the next Jane (The Dry) Harper. Kate Miles is a likeable and credible lead character, and The Torrent captures the true grit of a small Australian town and its inhabitants to perfection. The suspense is also nicely held throughout.
What's a pain?
While it’s true that everyone knows everyone in small towns, there are a few interconnections and coincidences that almost push the limits. The perpetrators also tend to be slightly less multi-dimensional characters, but the story doesn’t suffer for it.
Is this book for me?
If you enjoy Aussie Crime and unembellished writing, you’ll love this and probably read the next two in the series, which are just as good. If you are looking for something really different that you haven’t experienced before in the genre, this won’t rock your world.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
What's it about?
Diana Cowper visits a London funeral parlour to organise the details of her own funeral, then promptly dies that very same day. Writer, Anthony Horowitz, a fictional version of the author, teams up with former police detective Daniel Hawthorne to hunt down what happened, to provide the plot for his next novel.
What's to like?
This is Agatha Christie reincarnated for the 21st century. The hallmarks of Christie’s work, of a complex plot, intelligent hero, ruthless villain, eccentric side characters, and red herrings, are all here. The judicious use of humour and the fact that Horowitz has cast himself as the hero adds a fresh spark.
What's a pain?
The author himself notes in the novel that there’s a fine line between Detective Hawthorne being enigmatic versus one-dimensional. The reader really is left wanting to know more about what makes him tick. While the ending is a nail-biting climax, it perhaps pushes the boundaries of credibility a little.
Is this book for me?
If you love Agatha Christie and hanker for a modern take on her formula, with a few laughs along the way, you are really going to love this. But if you like your crime gritty, real, and with chills that keep you up at night, then this retro-feel novel will probably puts you to sleep.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
What's it about?
Ageing artist Ray Hanrahan is about to stage his comeback after a 20 year hiatus, and his entire family has descended on their London home for the momentous event. At the centre of the drama that unfolds is Ray’s long-suffering wife, Lucia, who is tightly holding secrets that could split her family apart.
What's to like?
Watching Lucia Hanrahan coping with her narcissist husband and self-absorbed family, while keeping her secrets hidden, is a page-turning ride. The neurotic members of this family are hilarious and a little too real. Mendelson’s well crafted, fluid style of writing makes for an easy, entertaining read.
What's a pain?
Lucia’s repeated faltering efforts to rise above Ray’s deeply selfish behaviour and to become the woman she is meant to be, may be torturous for some to witness. Also, the novel doesn’t really resolve everything at its conclusion, despite the clues as to the direction of Lucia’s destiny.
Is this book for me?
If you find the unique microcosm of family life fascinating, or have compassion or empathy for women who had to deal with a narcissist partner, you’re going to love this. If you become easily frustrated with people who won’t take control of their situation and live their best life, this novel is won’t be for you.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves
What's it about?
n a bleak snowstorm of a night, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope finds an abandoned car with a crying baby inside. Her quest to solve this mystery leads Vera back to her own family, who become suspects in a murder. This 9th book in the much-loved Vera series doesn’t require reading prior books.
What's to like?
Vera is one of the great characters of crime fiction. She’s sharp, uncompromising, and belligerent; but underneath it all has a heart. This mystery is well-crafted, and wonderfully atmospheric, being set in the depths of a northern rural-England winter with chills coming from all angles.
What's a pain?
While this book is well-written and easy reading, it isn’t a literary experience. Although you are unlikely to solve the mystery quickly, there is a degree of familiarity of the characters and their secrets which is typical of this genre and this great series.
Is this book for me?
If you love a cosy mystery or the iconic character that is Vera Stanhope, this is one of Cleeves’ best novels and you’ll absolutely love it. If original characters, spine-chilling plots, and gruesome killers are more your thing, the Vera novels could be too ‘country-village’ for you.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
What's it about?
Jen experiences a mother’s nightmare: Her teenage son stabs a man to death right in front of their home. But the next day she wakes up and it hasn’t happened. It’s the day before. Each day that passes Jen wakes up earlier, gradually going back in time to discover what happened and if she can possibly stop her son’s crime.
What's to like?
This is a fast paced page-turner that keeps the reader fully engaged from start to finish, with plenty of surprises along the way. The structure of the story going back in time, days and weeks at a time, is a clever device the author handles with skill. Jen is a likeable main character and this is an easy, entertaining read.
What's a pain?
This isn’t a literary read and it’s not meant to be. The reader might feel like the characters seem familiar and while you might like them, there isn’t a lot of depth happening in terms of insight into human motivation beyond the obvious. But what you do get instead is non-stop action and thrills.
Is this book for me?
If you’re looking for an easy read offering pure, unadulterated escapism with a suspenseful storyline, this will be a great ride for you. If you want complex characters, an original storyline, and a cerebral crime experience, this novel will definitely be Wrong Place Wrong Time for you.
Book Pug rating? 7 paws/10
