The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

I've just recently started reading books by Connelly, the first one being The Lincoln Lawyer, and I must admit, I'm hooked! Personally, the field of law really does interest me and that little bit of crime added into story line gives the novel a great kick!

I feel honored to follow the intelligent criminal defense lawyer, Mickey Haller, as he lives his life immersed in his job. He endures many struggles, such as losing a close friend, however this loss winds up with him inheriting the biggest case of his life which will earn him enough money to live comfortably. However, Haller is constantly watching his back because the person who killed his friend may be after him. This novel is written so well that you really cannot put it down for a moment.

Along the way Mickey meets an investigator who is on the search for the killer. These two independent men suddenly find that their paths are crossing and they may need to start working together if they want to solve the murder as well as find out the truth behind the biggest case of Haller's life. 

This novel has tons of twists and turns and is very unpredictable which makes it so much better than the average crime novel. I highly recommend reading this book on a gloomy, rainy day to make the most out of it! Please comment what you thought of the book!

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

This novel was recommended by a friend and although I don't read books that are recommended to me, this one really stood out. I don't know if it was the cover or the blurb but I knew I had to read this book. When I heard this novel was turning into a movie, starring Chloe Moretz, I just had to read it before it became a mainstream novel so I could enjoy it to its full capacity and not get any spoilers. Also, to know that a second book is currently being written called 'The Infinite Sea' makes me so happy and anxious to read it as soon as it comes out!

The 5th Wave a complex story and one needs to make sure not to miss a single sentence. It's fast-paced and an intriguing page-turner.

Cassie is a very brave, interesting character who doesn't let anything or anyone stand in her way. She's persistent and and although she's quite closed off, you feel as though you can connect to what she believes in. If I say too much, I'll give the book and it's conflicts away but lets just say it's a very complicated alien apocalypse. The use of technology is very advanced and this novel is quite gory, and definitely not for the faint-hearted. The descriptions are in quite a lot of detail and paint a clear picture of what is being described which I find to be very important in a good book.

I cannot get over how amazing this book is and highly recommend that you read it! Leave a comment here once you read it and let me know whether you liked it or not!

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

'Shift' is a very intriguing mystery. I couldn't leave the book until I'd finished a chapter, it was just that good. The two main characters, Chris and Win, have a very interesting, dysfunctional friendship, which is shown through their behavior. At times they can be best friends, and then suddenly turn into arch enemies. But their friendship is deeper than what is on the surface, they have this mysterious connection, which you can't exactly pinpoint until you are well into the novel. Chris and Win embark on a long bike trek across the United States during the summer between their high school graduation and freshmen year of college. Chris is ready to attend college but Win is not so sure. Win is a rich kid but being rich doesn't always been you have the best life. Win could vouch on that. Chris on the other hand, his family is middle-class but they're your average family.When an argument takes place, between the two friends, after weeks of biking, they're separated. They're going their own ways and who knows what's in store for them?

I personally enjoyed this book because I love that it was a page-turner, and I didn't want to put it down until I knew what happened next. The format of the story is very compelling too, with the chapters going back and forth from when they were on their journey, to the present with Chris and his life.

The mystery isn't just simply written on paper, you need to read in between the lines and try to figure out what it really going on, and that's another thing I really liked. The mystery wasn't given to you on a silver platter and you needed to use what you know about their characteristics from previous chapters and predict what will happen next.

I'm not going into too much detail about this story because if I do, it'll give it all away. Read it for yourself and then comment here what you thought of this engaging novel.

Surface Tension by Brent Runyon

Surface Tension by Brent Runyon

‘Surface Tension’ is a great coming of age novel. Luke is a teenage boy, and it is told from his point of view. This story is broken down into four parts. The four parts represent his life through four summers and you can really see how much he has grown, mentally and emotionally. He also overcomes many problems and issues.

In the first part of the story, Luke is thirteen years old. In this part of the novel, Luke is excited for his future and he is not worried about too many things. He’s looking forward to going to his cottage with his father and mother just as he has been doing since his childhood.

In the second part of the story, Luke is fourteen years old. During this part of Luke’s life, he’s the cool kid and is making new friends. You can see how much he grows up during this part as his opinions change and the new people in his life influence his decisions.

When he turns fifteen, he goes to his cottage with his best friend, Steve. During this part of the novel, Luke is very angry with himself and others. The smallest thing can set him off. I can personally relate to this part, because I’m in this age range and can understand why he gets mad so easily. It’s usually because of so many things going on and you’re trying to figure out what you want to do or be.

The last part is where Luke is sixteen years old and this is the part in his life where he falls in love. There are lots of advantages and disadvantages for this stage in his life. He goes through feelings such as being on top of the world and then being heartbroken.

This novel is really easy to relate to if you’re going through your teenage years and many things that Luke goes through, may be similar to those things you’re going through. I’d recommend this book to people who fall between the age ranges of thirteen to eighteen. 

Wounded by Eric Walters

Wounded by Eric Walters

Wounded is a very emotional book. In this novel, Marcus's father is serving in the Army and is currently stationed in Afghanistan. Marcus and his sister are counting down the days for which his dad is to return. Little does he know that when his dad does return, things will not be the same.

Other people, whose family members aren't in the war, just don't seem to understand the heartache and struggle for those families who do have family at war. Marcus is a very conflicted individual and has too much on his mind at such a young age.

This story clearly describes what life is like when you have someone close to you at war and the emotional struggles and issues when they return. When one comes home from war, everything is not perfect and is not just as how it was before they left. Everything changes and nothing is the same.

When his father comes back, what struggles and problems does he face? Will his father hurt their family, physically and emotionally? Is this the father that Marcus and his family were waiting for?

Shaken by Eric Walters

Shaken by Eric Walters

I've always enjoyed reading Eric Walters' books. They have been a pleasure to read because they're so detailed and descriptive! I really like the fact that most of them are based on a real life event. For example, Shaken, is a take on the devastating earthquake in Haiti, which was of magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale!

Sixteen year old Canadian, Joshua Evans, has been very conflicted since his mothers death. His mother was such a kind and loving person whom always put everyone else first. Joshua loved her very much. When she died, things took a turn for the worse.

Joshua was always on the edge with faith, he sometimes believed there was a God and other times he didn't. His dad was a Preacher, or Pastor as many called him so Joshua thought he would disappoint his dad if he didn't believe in the religion his dad preached. There were many reasons as to why Joshua had considered there wasn't a God. The main reason was that, if there was a God, why did He take Joshua's mother, who had never caused harm to anyone. Why didn't God take someone else? When his mom fell sick, Joshua's whole family prayed and prayed to God that she would get better, but in the end she didn't. Joshua always wondered, no matter how much we pray, God will not listen to us, as there are so many other people he needs to listen to as well.

Joshua, his sister and father are part of a Church group and they have a mission to go to Haiti and help build a shelter for orphans to live in. These orphans have lost their parents due to disease, violence or natural causes. Joshua was reluctant because of the stories he had heard about Haiti, but more importantly he didn't want to leave home, where he was comfortable but not happy.

When they get to Haiti, Joshua is surprised at the living conditions that these orphans live in. He can't believe how happy they are even though they have neither parents or family. Still, in all this sadness, he makes a new Haitian friend named Phillipe and Phillipe teaches and tell Joshua all the things he has wanted to know about Haiti.

Joshua seems to be settling in well and the building of the shelter for the orphans seems to be going as planned, until disaster strikes.

What will Joshua do? Can him, his father and sister return home to Canada safely? Or will they be in danger? What heroic acts does Joshua preform? How can he communicate with people who don't speak English? Will he survive?

Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai

Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai

This book was a true page-turner. Much like all the books I read, once I start reading it, I couldn't stop. 'Shooting Kabul' was a great story about perseverance and hope and it really gets you thinking about all the great things and people you have in life, and how you should be thankful for having and knowing them everyday.

I'm not going to go into depth about this book, because I seriously recommend it to everyone and don't want to give away too much.

The protagonist in this story is Fadi and him and his family have been through a lot. They move to California, which is thousands of miles away from their home in Kabul, Afghanistan. He never thought he'd be starting middle school in California, out of all places but he's starting without his younger sister, who is missing back home. 

You see, Fadi and his family were trying to escape was-torn Afghanistan, but they never dreamed of leaving without a family member. Fadi knows that trying to find his sister in Kabul would be his worst nightmare because of the war and danger, but he has hope.

While in California, a photography competition takes place and the prize is a trip to India! He is thrilled and excited for this event because he knows he will be that much closer to finding his beloved sister and mending his family. 

Will he win the photography competition? Does he have a chance at finally finding his sister, or is it too late?