Book Review: OCTOBER IS THE COLDEST MONTH by Christoffer Carlsson

Publisher Scribe
Length 192 pages
Format paperback
Published 2017
Series standalone
My Copy provided by the publisher

My Review

I've got a feeling this book could be one of the sleeper hits of the year, particularly for those readers who enjoy dark rural settings and tainted yet endearing characters. 

October is the Coldest Month has a rural noir feel akin to Daniel Woodrell; it's not quite Winter's Bone or Tomato Red in terms of plotting but it is deep in character and atmosphere.

The focus is on 16 year old Vega, a school kid street smart in a country way who unwillingly becomes an accessory to murder. When the police come knocking on her mother's door in search of Vega's older brother Jakob, she knows her secret is out and it's only a matter of time before her family is torn apart for a second time; the first being the death of her father. 

October is the Coldest Month is a quick read that will resonate with the reader long after the last page is turned. Vega is a character I just want to read more of, along with backstory snippets of past conflict over land and the illegal making of moonshine, these's a whole lot more to this book that begs for a second volume. 

My rating: 5/5 stars 

Review: READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline

Publisher Random House Audiobooks
Length 15hrs 40mins
Format audiobook
Published 2012
Series standalone
My Copy I bought it

My Review

Ready Player One envelopes the reader in a warm and comfy haze of 1980’s nostalgia, complete with pop culture references through a detailed exploration of early generation home gaming consoles, TV shows, movies and fashion. 

Set some 60 years after the 80’s, Ready Player One focuses on a lonesome young man named Wade Watts - an avid gamer who lives inside the Oasis (a massive multi-player online game) more than he does the real world, as he embarks on a hunt for an elusive egg hidden by the games developer before he died. 

This isn't some simple side-mission to kill time, finding the egg will bring fame and fortune to the lucky treasure hunter - in both the real world as well as online. Hindering Wade's chances of being the first to discover the egg is an evil corporation of cookie-cutter gamers known as the Sixers; a conglomerate of generic gamers with no personality or unique avatar - they are the public minions of corporate evil. 

Ready Player One is a nerd boy (or girls) dream. Even readers who don't 'get' all the nerdy references will still get a sense of time and place, and how these 80's relics play a huge part in the overall story and Wade's race to be top of the leader-board. 

I loved everything about it - the plotting, characters, pacing, narration - all of it. 

Movie to be released in March 2018. 

My rating: 5/5 stars 

Midyear Best of Crime Fiction [Published 2017]

2017 has already provided some memorable crime fiction reads. This year, more than others, I've been reading a lot of the newer books (this despite my TBR continuing to overflow) which feels refreshing; I can talk about the hot new book just on or about to be on the shelves with fellow readers rather than playing catch-up (though there's a fair amount of this going on still - such is the life of an avid reader). In no particular order below is my list of the best of a very good bunch with some honorable mentions thrown in:

Little Deaths by Emma Flint (published January) - review HERE

The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea (published April) - review HERE

Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love (published March) - review HERE

Crimson Lake by Candice Fox (published January) - review HERE

Marlborough Man by Alan Carter (published June) - review HERE

The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham (to be published in July)  - review HERE

Honorable mentions:

Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith (published Feb) - review HERE

The Girl in Kellers Way by Megan Goldin (published May) - review HERE

Something For Nothing by Andy Muir (published Feb) - review HERE