Tuesday, July 19, 2022

James Patterson by James Patterson

James Patterson is one of the most (if not the most) prolific writers of the past few decades - releasing several books each year, the majority of which are collaborations with other writers.  I am very much a James Patterson fan and although I don't read absolutely everything he releases I have read the majority of them.  His memoir is one of the best I have read (and I have read many), the main reason being that it feels like you have met James Patterson and you're just sitting down for a chat rather than reading through a book.  

This is not a chronological story - I was born, I grew up, I did this, I did that - it is instead an introduction to the life and experiences of James Patterson the man, not just James Patterson the author.  For me it very much had the feel of being an appearance on a chat show, just with the host missing or muted so all you can hear is James Patterson talking about James Patterson.

Told in the short, punchy chapters that Patterson is famous for, it is all too easy to start reading and loose track of time as you move from memory to experience, to life lesson.  There are some surprising anecdotes involving some surprisingly famous people. as well as sweet (or bitter sweet depending on the situation) memories of the people who have had an influence on his life.  

This was a surprisingly fun read, partly because of the situations Patterson has found himself in, but also because he has a warmth and charisma that comes through - and a really good sense of humour too!  After reading James Patterson by James Patterson I can now share his co-authoring style when I am asked - something I get asked surprisingly often as a librarian.  

Even if you are not a James Patterson fan - or don't have strong feelings either way - this is a great read.

Reviewed by Brilla

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Be not far from me by Mindy McGinnis

Ashley Hawkins is strong, fiercely independent and doesn't back down from a fight.  Raised in small town Tennessee, Ashley is practically a hillbilly - living in trailer with her father after her mother walked out on them both, hunting to add food to the table, able to shoot a gun and use her fists in a fight.  That fighting spirit has got her into trouble, but it has also lead to her winning running races and earning a full scholarship to college - her chance at a real future.  She also has two close friends who alternate between keeping her sane and driving her nuts, and a boyfriend who takes her as she is.  Life isn't perfect, but it works.  

A party in the woods doesn't seem like a bad idea - booze, good friends, the chance to get cozy with her boyfriend Duke - what more could a girl like Ashley want?  Even though they can't have sex because Ashley has her period, the night seems to be working out great - until she stumbles across Duke and his ex-girlfriend having sex in the woods.  Determined to get away from them both Ashley runs off into the woods after giving Duke a (very physical) piece of her mind and finds herself lost and injured in the woods far from help and with nothing but the clothes on her back and her wits to help her survive.  AS the days pass by and her injury becomes infected Ashley has no choice but to fight on, using the skills she learned from Davey Beet at summer camp to survive - trying to ignore the niggling voice that says Davey walked into the same woods and never returned, so what chance does she have.

Mindy McGinnis has written across different genre, and her book A madness so discreet is one of my favourites from the past decade.  McGinnis writes strong, relateable characters that suck you into their story pretty quickly, and Ashley was no exception.  Ashley is smart, observant, and sees the world for what it is - she has learned that life is hard, but that feeling sorry for yourself doesn't get you anywhere.  As we follow Ashley through her 'now' we learn more about her 'then' and why she is the way she is.  This isn't a fluffy girl power novel, a chance to show perfection - at times it is gritty, scary, and leaves you wondering if you could do what Ashley does, if you could survive.  

I won't say too much more because this is a story that needs to be read more than it needs to be reviewed - but I will say that this is a book for more than the teen audience it was categorised for at my local library.  This is a tightly written novel that has relateable characters and life threatening situations that I was hooked on as an adult reader.  This is also one of those books that may have a female lead character, but will appeal to a wider audience as well.  One of the must read teen (and adult) novels of 2022.

If you like this book then try:

Reviewed by Brilla

Friday, July 1, 2022

Child zero by Chris Holm

Welcome to the world of our future, where our overuse (and misuse) of antibiotics has met with ancient bacteria and resulted in the perfect storm of a world where you can die from simple infections and viruses.  The world has plunged from being in a bright and prosperous time, to an almost medieval world of death and an unbelievable gulf between the haves and the have nots.  It's not just down to the lack of antibiotics though, they are also living in a world trying to recover from an act of bioterrorism from a fundamentalist with the goal of reducing the human population to save the planet.  The 8/17 attack as it came to be known wiped out thousands of lives in New York, lead to the creation of a 'refugee' camp in Central Park, a law that requires you to report anyone with a serious illness, and generally created a lack of trust in the people of New York who have found themselves in a world where surviving the rat race has a completely new meaning.

The 8/17 attack left Detective Jacob 'Jake' Gibson a widower with a young daughter to raise and protect, a young daughter who is now sick and that last thing he wants to do is follow the law and report her.  The last thing he needs is for an explosive case to land in his lap, but that is exactly what happens when he and his partner are called to the scene of a massacre at the Central Park camp.  Someone managed to get into the camp and kill an entire settlement with no one being the wiser, and that someone seems determined to track down a young boy who survived the massacre.  Mateo managed to escape but he's not safe yet, and he has no idea how far the men who are chasing him will go to track him down and bring him in.  Jake and his partner have walked into a conspiracy that has it's fingers in the past and the future - and they have no idea who they are facing or how deep the rabbit hole goes.

This book was absolutely terrifying to read - and not for the reason you might suspect - it is because this is a work that is best described as speculative fiction, our future that is just around the corner but coming into view.  For years (decades?) we've been hearing about how bacteria is becoming more resistant to medications, way more than the traditional baddies like MRSA, and that scientists have discovered all sorts of nasty ancient microbes while exploring permafrost layers in far flung places.  Reading the reality of a world where this disaster waiting to happen has actually happened is scary beyond comprehension - simple injuries can kill you, as can viruses, things that have been treated and healed for years are suddenly fatal and medical care has been shot back to the dark ages.  The underlying conspiracy is also all to easy to believe - the rich will always look after themselves, as will the powerful, and no one wants their dirty laundry aired in public.

This is an addictive read that was hard to put down, and a lot of that comes from the realism and the relateable characters.  It is all to easy to put yourself in Jake's shoes, to understand his motivation and drive.  There are moments where it is easy to see the best in people, but also the best of people.  I also laughed out loud a few times, which may seem strange until you realise that I live in New Zealand and there are quite a few references to our little country at the bottom of the world.  I can't help but think that Holm got the idea from our closed borders during the first two years of the pandemic.  A highly recommended, if scary read, for lovers of speculative fiction or action novels.

If you like this book then try:
  • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
  • Next by Michael Crichton
  • The devil's cure by Kenneth Oppel
  • Antibodies by Kevin J. Anderson
  • Zoo by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
 
Reviewed by Brilla