The Writing Garnet turns 5! Happy birthday TWG! #blogger #blogbirthday #TWGTurns5 #Awardwinningblogger

The Writing Garnet is officially 5 years old TODAY! When I started my blog back in 2016, I never envisioned it turning out the way that it has. It never even crossed my mind that my blog could turn into a multi award winning blog (yes, multi), nor did it cross my mind that my review quotes would make their way into physical copies of books or even on the cover of some. Without blowing my own trumpet, I am unbelievably proud of all of that. At the very beginning, my blog was created as my way of saying thank you to authors for writing their books which has allowed me to escape via their words, when things in my personal life have been difficult. It wasn’t created as a popularity tool (because clearly I wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes had that have been the case), nor was it created merely to get free things because, in all honesty, I had no idea that that was even a thing when I first started.

Over the last 5 years I have met a wide variety of authors, met fellow bloggers, other like minded bookish folk, and found myself involved in a world that went beyond just loving books. I had never really had that before. I had never been able to sit and discuss books with people who had read the same book as I, nor would I have ever found the confidence to cart myself off to events such as Edinburgh Book Festival, Aye Write in Glasgow, or even more intimate events such as meeting the Orenda gang in Edinburgh (to name a few), if it wasn’t for a select few of people who, after ‘meeting’ through the online book world, have gone on to becoming real life friends (Jen, Mandie, Kelly, Joanne, Lainy, DC to name a few). Not only that, despite not having met them in real life yet, I have come to know even more people who I consider to be friends now, who one day I would love to be able to give them a hug (COVID permitting, obvs – special shout out to Liz B for being as true as they come). If I named each and every one of the people who I called friends and who I would do anything for, I would be here a while and would no doubt miss someone off so, to put it simply, if we talk, I adore you. Simple as, and I thank you for your kindness and support over the last 5 years.

For me, the highlight so far has got to be meeting Sue Perkins and Tom Fletcher as those were the times where I unintentionally embarrassed my little girl with my high pitched squealing and trampoline bounces. I think I was fair excited……. Would I have been able to meet them had it not been for my blog? Honestly? Probably not as I never knew events like that existed until I became a blogger. I have so many other authors, bloggers, publicists etc, that I would love to meet and I have everything crossed that that will become a reality.

I know blogging isn’t all about stats, but for the first time in ages I had a quick nose at the stats of TWG. In the last 5 years TWG has had:

160,424 views.
84,689 visitors.
1837 blog posts have been posted.

Also, I even worked out roughly how many books I have read over that time…..1270!!! Ermmmmmmmm, say what?

As I may have mentioned previously, 2020 for TWG wasn’t the greatest as, putting it quite bluntly, I was treated like dirt via the bookish community (not all of you, just to clarify), and it hurt me so much that I ended up retreating because I didn’t know what else to do because, as I have also said many times, I’m not the most popular of people and I don’t fit into the tight knit groups. I suppose my face doesn’t fit, so I knew that regardless of what I said and what I did, I wouldn’t have been believed which is unfair and incredibly hurtful. Because of that, my posts within the last year have been few and far between, however I still have been ‘here’ from afar and still able to keep my feet in the door so to speak. Again, I want to thank those who have stood by me, supported me, and been true friends during that time and continue to do so. I see you.

I am super shocked that my little, multi award winning blog turns 5 today. Yes there have been some ups and downs and confidence knocks along the way, and yes, at times I bit off more than I can chew and left myself over stretched. However the joys of anything in life is that you can learn from your mistakes and realise where you went wrong or what needs to change. There is only me running this blog and, even though I like to think that I can do everything, I physically can’t….I just wish it hadn’t taken me 5 years to realise that! Well, in all fairness it’s probably taken me over 20 years to realise that as I recently turned 31 but y’know, semantics.

Creating The Writing Garnet was probably one of the best, on the spur decisions I have ever made and I just want to thank every single author, publisher and publicist who have sent me countless books over the years and trusted me to review your books. I want to thank the organisers of book events of their hard work and dedication in bringing likeminded bookish folk together. I also want to thank each and every person I have come to know and admire for being true to themselves and becoming good friends of mine. I have your backs – you are all awesome. Major shout out to my fellow bloggers, and anyone who is thinking about starting a blog – you’ve got this! Just remember it’s okay to say no….

On that note, happy birthday to TWG! Heres to another year full of weird and wonderful books, intriguing debuts, and a truck load of reviews.

TWG x

#Mine – Susi Fox (@writerdrfox) @MichaelJBooks #Review #bookblogger

After waking from an emergency caesarean, you’re dying to see your new baby. But when you’re introduced something is wrong.

This is not your child.

The nurses assure you that the baby is yours. 

Your husband believes them. And so does your father. 

But how can you be wrong? You’re a doctor. You know how easily mistakes are made.

When everyone is against you, do you trust your instincts? 

You know only one thing . . . 

You must find your baby.

(Many thanks to the publisher for the copy of ‘Mine’ received from Netgalley)

Time to catch up with a bit of blogmin! This book has been sitting on my ‘to review’ shelf for a very longer while, and it’s time I actually sat down to review it – enjoy!

What does TWG think?

Gosh, this was one of my biggest fears when I was pregnant with my little girl – that my baby would be taken somewhere and the wrong one delivered back to me. That sentence makes it sound as though something like this happens often, which I don’t think it does. However, it shouldn’t really be happening at all though should it? You put your faith into the system and the people who are there, in their field, delivering your baby, to give you the correct one back. I wouldn’t sound so judgey if I had gone into Argos to pick up my click and collect order, as those mistakes are easily made; two Holloways, or a similar looking address, you know, simple things. I would me a bit miffed if a stranger got my Russell Hobbs kettle instead of myself, a little mistake that is easily rectified. But my baby? My baby is no Russell Hobbs kettle, that’s for sure!

I’m going off kilter here, apologies. If you haven’t guessed already, the main theme surrounding ‘Mine’ is a new mother being adamant that she was given back the incorrect baby. She has a strong gut feeling that the baby in her arms is not the one she birthed, yet nobody believes her. Everybody thinks she’s going crazy, being unrealistic, causing problems for nothing. Is she right though? Has she been given the incorrect baby and, if so, where on Earth is her baby….and who on Earth has them?

It was pretty evident that the author had a medical history as the storyline contained a lot of medical words and situations which would only ring true if one had experienced them first hand. I think that Susi Fox’s history helped her in creating the suspenseful undertone to the storyline, and I felt that it gave the book the strength that a thriller would need to stand on its own.

There were a lot of moments where my eyebrows received very good workouts throughout the story, and I felt a little bit disheartened by just how outlandish the storyline seemed at times. I felt as though the author had veered a bit too far left at times which diminished a sense of credibility overall. That said, I enjoy novels that push the boundaries as long as they make them as realistic as humanly possible (unless it’s a genre that is known for its outlandish, unrealistic stories), and I think that ‘Mine’ does push the boundaries on several occasions rather well. I just think that at times it went a bit too far and left me thinking ‘ermmmmm, you what?’.

The undertone of the storyline is definitely thrilling and intense, and I couldn’t help but second guess things myself as I was reading the book which I truly grabbed with two hands.

Whilst my overall opinion on ‘Mine’ is on the fence, I did appreciate the attention to detail on the medical point of view, and the memorable, chilling events of the majority of the novel. This is definitely a unique read, one that was executed cleverly at times.

Purchase from Amazon.

Sorry @AndyJonesAuthor, but #AdamCampbell has stolen your spotlight!! @hodderbooks

Many thanks to Jenny Platt for the blog tour invite and ARC of ‘The Last Act of Adam Campbell’. Here is my review of Andy Jones’ novel for today’s stop on the tour:

A year can go quickly. Particularly when it’s your last.

Adam had a good life: a job he enjoyed, a nice house, a loving partner and a bright six-year-old daughter. Then he cheated on his partner. Then she kicked him out of their home. And then he was given approximately twelve months to live.

Despite the devastating news, Adam is determined to turn his life around before it finally runs out. Help comes in the form of an ex-junky, a cantankerous train driver, a nun experiencing a crisis of faith, and a teenager intent on losing her virginity – all living on borrowed time, all desperate to feel alive before their time is up.

What does TWG think?

What would you do if you found out that your time on Earth was limited? That you were in fact dying? Would you get your affairs in order so your loved ones wouldn’t have to deal with it after your passing? Or would you do what this crazy bunch of people did and brought Shakespeare into the 20th century?

When I say that they’re crazy, it comes from a place of warmth as I really dont know whether I would be able to do what they did. In all honesty, I dont want to think about it at all so, if you finding stories about death and cancer very difficult to read, I highly suggest taking a step back from this. Reading about death is never going to be easy, regardless of the form it is presented in. However, when a story approaches death in an honest, poignant, and humourous manner, the fear surrounding that particular topic diminishes ever so slightly.

I’m not going to delve into each of the characters lives as I feel that would take it away from what the author was trying to do. What I will say is that the group of characters mentioned in this book, all have such colourful and memorable personalities that you won’t tire of quickly. I would even go as far to say that they even make you feel as though you’re one of the family. That is not so good when it comes to the inevitable though….if you catch my drift!

For me, the first and last chunks of the story were the best ones. At around the 20-40% mark I felt as though the storyline was a bit stuck in the mud and seemed to contain a bit more padding to it than absolutely necessary. I didn’t tune out of the story, yet I found my attention faltering a little throughout that twenty percent.

That said, I throughly enjoyed the other 80 percent of the book. I actually feel quite bad saying it like that because I dont want anyone thinking that I found the heartache in the story entertaining. I didn’t enjoy the death aspects – who would? Yet I appreciated the journeys of each character and their strengths until the very end. The whole concept of self picked families, support, legacies, and preparing loved ones for the day that you would be no more, was beautifully done and brought several tears to my eyes.

One character said that they missed ‘their daddy’, and it was that one sentence which broke my heart because my own father passed away three years ago and, whilst I never had the type of relationship with him that resulted in me calling him daddy, it hurt that I would never utter those words again. Well, due to estrangement it’s been a while anyway, but it was still a tough pill to swallow.

Its evident that Andy Jones has lost a loved one or two because you simply cannot fake the emotion that this book had. You dont know loss until you have felt it for yourself and it doesnt matter how many times you google it, it wouldn’t come as freely as someone who had experienced it in their lifetime. As heartbreaking as it is, I was impressed by the honesty and I truly feel that Andy Jones has done his characters, his story, and his readers exceptionally proud.

Buy now.

‘Cause every night I lie in bed, the brightest colours fill my head, #AMillionDreams are keeping me awake @AtkinsDani @HoZ_Books

Huge thanks to Head Of Zeus for the blog tour invite for Dani Atkins and ‘A Million Dreams’, as well as the ARC. I am delighted to be hosting a review today.

Beth Brandon always dreamed of owning a florist, but today the bouquets of peonies and bright spring flowers are failing to calm her nerves. Because today, Beth has a life-changing decision to share with her husband.

Izzy Vaughan thought she and her husband would stay together forever, but sometime last year, their love began to fade. They both find such joy in their young son Noah – but is he enough to keep them together?

Eight years ago, something happened to these two women. Something that is about to bring them together in a way no-one thought possible…

What does TWG think?

I really didn’t know what to expect with this one, but it sure as hell wasn’t this!! Oh my goodness me!

Two different women, both connected by one devastating move.

Two strangers, both connected by the loss of their beloved partners.

One story, connected by the journeys of multiple people, all with conflicting and powerful emotions. Nevermind a million dreams, a million THOUGHTS went through my head reading this, with the main one being ‘what would I have done in that situation?’. Looking back now, i can’t help but think that that was a very stupid question of me to ask myself, because how on earth would anyone know what they would do about a situation they may never find themselves in? We can only surmise about situations, but can any of us really put ourselves in a particular position when our lives are completely different?

Tough one to answer. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what went through the minds of the individuals involved, even though as readers, we had more of an insight to personal thoughts than the other characters. One wrong move caused so much devastation, not just for one person, but many. A decision made by people who have a lot of faith invested in them by communities.

Dani Atkins is incredible. Her attention to detail in this book is second to none and her empathetic tone shone through her words like a beacon. Not only that, the way she described such a rare, yet life changing situation, was both gutsy and very poignant. Atkins didn’t seem to sugar coat the frustration, the motherly instinct, nor the fear of wanting to flee to protect who you love. Her honesty was outstanding, which just goes to show just how much research was done to get the storyline bang on.

As a reader, I felt as though I was intruding on such a personal moment, yet on the other hand I couldnt tear my eyes away from what was unravelling before me.

‘A Million Dreams’ is a story that will have you invested in its poignancy in no time. A story that will test your emotions, whilst also questioning your own choices. A story that puts grief in the spotlight in a way that rendered me speechless, and even THAT is no mean feat.

Beautiful beyond belief, and probably the best book that Dani Atkins has written to date – outstanding and life changing, I loved it. This is a book that is going to stay with me for a very, very long time to come.

Buy now.

#BlogTour! #Review – #Control by Hugh Montgomery (@hugh_montgomery) @ZaffreBooks

Many thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for ‘Control’ by Hugh Montgomery, and thank you to Zaffre Books for the ARC via Netgalley. I am delighted to be reviewing this book for my stop on the tour today. Enjoy!

Renowned surgeon Michael Trenchard locks his office door and prepares for a relaxing evening. But what follows is a living nightmare when later he is discovered in a locked-in coma, the victim of an auto-erotic asphyxiation.

It is left to Doctor Kash Devan, Trenchard’s young protégé, to uncover the truth. And what he discovers is chilling . . .

In his ruthless pursuit of wealth and success, Trenchard has left a trail of wrecked lives, and angry people, behind him. Which of Trenchard’s victims hated him so much that they wanted to ruin not only his reputation, but his life as well?

Not all doctors are heroes . . .

What does TWG think?

Goodness me – I have never, EVER read a book like this before! A book which was so gripping, yet mindblowingly farfetched at times, I just simply couldn’t tear my eyes away.

I didn’t dislike the book, in fact, I really did enjoy it. However, certain eventualities within the storyline were a bit too unbelievable at times, and my enjoyment dipped ever so slightly because of that. I am fully aware that ‘Control’ is the work of fiction and the author is well within their right to overuse their imagination wherever they see fit and, seeing as I have my own overactive imagination at times, I don’t mind when situations go off on their own little tangent. To a point. There’s always that fine line, isn’t there?

Kash Devan is fresh meat, so to speak, and he finds himself under the wing of an exceptionally well known surgeon, Michael Trenchard. As far as Kash is concerned, as soon as he steps foot onto the various wards, the life and health of his patients take precedence over everything else. Did I mention he was under the wing of a well known surgeon? I never stated whether Trenchard was well known due to his positive actions, or whether he was well known because more people seemed to dislike him than genuinely like him…..

Let’s just say that Kash Devan’s mind was elsewhere due to the Chinese whispers around the hospital. Were they true, or were they purely fiction?

What I enjoyed most about ‘Control’ was how the author incorporates the reader into the storyline which enables them to form their own opinion of certain characters, as well as trying to work out who should be in the firing line, if anyone at all. It was as though Hugh Montgomery refused to steer his readers down his thought path in an obvious manner, even though deep down I knew that that was going to happen, simply because he knew what was going to happen and us readers could only attempt to guess.

The medical side of the book were incredibly eye-opening and very, very dark. Some of the descriptions are a teeny bit graphic, however the book isn’t full of scenes which would make you chuck up your previous meal. At times I thought that there was a lot of medical jargon which flew over my head, but I just went with the flow as ‘Control’ is centred around medicine due to it being predominantly set in a hospital. That said, if you’re wanting to feel as though you could go on and become a doctor right after finishing read this, kudos to the medical jargon!

‘Control’ is a compulsive, complex and psychologically twisted novel which kept on surprising me and left me in a false sense of security. I thought that the characters were brilliantly written, each adding their own dynamics to the overall vibe of the book.

I really do recommend picking up ‘Control’ if you’re a fan of dark, medical reads – just not straight after eating food….

Buy now.

#Review – #UnnaturalCauses by Dr. Richard Shepherd (@MichaelJBooks) @PenguinUKBooks #Pathologist #Medicine

(Thank you to Michael Joseph for the ARC)

Meet the forensic pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd. A detective in his own right, he must solve the mystery of sudden and unexplained deaths.

He has performed over 23,000 autopsies, including some of the most high-profile cases of recent times; the Hungerford Massacre, the Princess Diana inquiry, and 9/11.

He has faced serial killers, natural disaster, ‘perfect murders’ and freak accidents.

His evidence has put killers behind bars, freed the innocent, and turned open-and-shut cases on their heads.

Yet all this has come at a huge personal cost.

Unnatural Causes tells the story of not only the cases and bodies that have haunted him the most, but also how to live a life steeped in death.

What does TWG think?

If you had said to me a few years back that I would be reading a book about pathology, I would have quite literally laughed in your face. As soon as someone spoke about death, I would walk out of the room because of the fear I had associated with it. Fast forward many, many years, and not only am I now reading books which are fictionally gorey, I am also reading non-fiction books about death, autopsies, and forensics. Funny how things can change, isn’t it?

There was just something highly intriguing by the title of this book and and the tagline on the cover; I just knew I had to read it.

Not only is ‘Unnatural Causes’ about some of the bodies which Dr. Shepherd has been faced with, it is also an honest account from the doctor himself, about how those autopsies affected both him and the people around him. The life that Dr. Shepherd chose was one which intrigued him from the moment he clapped eyes on a certain medical book as a young boy. His hunger for medicine and dead bodies put fire in his belly – it wasn’t just a case of accumulating dead bodies in the mortuary where he worked, it was also the mystery behind those deaths which spurred him on. However, his personal life suffered greatly because of his profession. I have no idea how he managed to switch from forensic pathologist, to husband and father, at the touch of a button, but I can only assume how difficult that must have been for both him and his family.

The detail in this book is second to none. Whilst there is a lot of medical language used, Dr. Shepherd gives explanations for the medical terms, and the terms used whenever he had to give evidence in court. I had never read a book about pathology, and to be honest, I was worried that I wasn’t ‘clever’ enough for a book of this calibre, however due to the simplistic explanations and incredible detail, I was able to understand and enjoy everything about this book.

It feels a bit weird saying that I enjoyed reading a book about death! It’s not that I enjoyed the fact that many people died, or the devastation each of the victims families had to faced, it was the science behind the post mortem’s and trying to reach a conclusion as to how that particular person died. Were drugs involved? Was it a murder? If so, was the victim killed in the place that they were found, or were they merely dumped there? The fact that Dr. Shepherd went as far as reenacting (as best as able) a murder in his own living room, trying to establish whether the culprit was left or right handed, really did open my eyes to what a pathologist actually did. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t just that which opened my eyes, I mean, the whole discussion regarding how a body is cut open during a post mortem, certainly stopped me in my tracks.

It is very clever how to realise just how our bodies work from the inside out, when at times we take that for granted because all we can see is the outside of our bodies. We don’t really think about what goes on inside unless we are getting checked for certain things. We know our hearts beat, but would you know how much your heart is meant to weigh? Would you know what type of body would rise to the surface first, should a body be found dead there? Would you be aware of internal body temperature? I know those answers now, but only because I have read this book.

Honestly, my brain was like a sponge soaking up all of the science throughout this book! It was extremely interesting, whilst also intense, how the book went on to discuss how the post mortem’s were carried out for the 9/11 attacks, as well as other unfortunate disasters. Plus, it’s not every day that you read about Princess Diana’s death from the pathology side instead of reading the conspiracies in the Daily Mail. I was blown away by the steps that had to be taken, the organisation, how courts were involved. Everything.

‘Unnatural Causes’ is an absolutely fascinating, honest and brutal account of life versus death and visa versa – I have learnt so, so much thanks to Dr. Shepherd. I highly recommend!

Buy now!

#BlogTour! #Review – We All Fall Down by Daniel Kalla (@DanielKalla) @SimonSchusterUK @AnneCater

Many thanks to Anne Cater for the blog tour invite for ‘We All Fall Down’ by Daniel Kalla, and to Simon & Schuster for the ARC. Here is my review:

…**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**…

IT STARTS WITH ONE PATIENT

A woman is dying in an Italian hospital, coughing up blood, convulsing and barely conscious.

BEFORE IT SPREADS TO THE TOWN

Dr Alana Vaughn, an expert from NATO, confirms everyone’s worst fears: the woman has the highly infectious disease that swept through Europe eight hundred years ago. The Black Death.

AND TAKES THE CITY

The sickness is spreading so quickly that soon the outbreak becomes a global pandemic. Markets crash and governments fall as quickly as the citizens they govern.

THEN THE COUNTRY

As panic takes hold and the death toll climbs, the consequences become horrifically clear – Alana must discover a way to stop the disease or it will be the end of us all.

THEN THE WORLD – AND WE ALL FALL DOWN

What does TWG think?

I was so looking forward to reading this one! I don’t know what it is about medical novels and medical memoirs at the moment, but I just cannot get enough of them.

With a storyline as black as the epidemic ‘Black Death’ itself, ‘We All Fall Down’ explores the devastation of a disease that wiped out millions of people hundreds of years ago. The author states at the end of the book that, whilst the building blocks of the storyline are indeed fiction, the cement which holds them together, ie the medical knowledge, is indeed fact.

I did feel as though I had walked into a storyline half way through, because I felt like I was missing something at the beginning. Unfortunately that feeling did stay with me until the end, so I did spend a lot of time confused and wondering whether I had missed a book beforehand or something. I don’t know.

That said, the contents of the novel was written in such a gutsy and chilling manner, with the author describing the events with astute attention to detail, I often felt as though I was in amongst the devastation myself.

‘We All Fall Down’ is very graphic and very gripping so, despite being confused by the shell of the book, I was able to appreciate the medical side of the book like a duck to water.

Daniel Kalla is such a powerful and intelligent writer – I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Chilling, disturbing, eventful, and extremely eye opening, ‘We All Fall Down’ is a gritty and dark read which makes you reach for the anti bacterial handwash, ten times more than usual.

Buy now.