Archive | August 2021

The House Of Whispers by Anna Kent

Aug5

Compulsive, Consuming And Creepy

The House Of Whispers by Anna Kent is a completely compelling contemporary read that totally consumed me as I read.

It is a story of a magnificent obsession. It is an obsession that despite its toxicity is impossible to let go of.

There is a friendship that seems very one-sided but also completely unbreakable.

Family is important but even family is unable to prevent a character on a course to self-destruct.

The novel is mainly written in the first person from the point of view of the lead character. Interspersed throughout are transcripts of a police interview – the reader is intrigued as we try to work out what has happened.

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Who You Are by Jennifer Rodewald

Aug3

Trust God

Who You Are by Jennifer Rodewald is a powerful contemporary Christian novel that focuses on our life choices and the results. It is the sixth book in the Murphy Brothers series but can be read as a stand-alone.

“Life is a series of choices, and those choices become our legacy.” We always need to choose wisely because there are always consequences to our choices. Our choices reflect who we are.

The novel has the theme of wealth. When we love money and power, no good can ever come of it.

“Make me pretty and popular. So I can be happy.” Happiness does not come from external circumstances. Happiness is internal, being satisfied with who we are in God.

Church is important. We cannot do life alone. We need to surround ourselves with other believers. “After three weeks without attending church, [he] knew he needed spiritual nourishment.” When we miss church, we drain our spiritual battery. We need to keep ourselves topped up by going to church.

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Darkness Rising by A.A. Dhand

Aug1

An Exciting Beginning

Darkness Rising by A.A. Dhand is a suspenseful contemporary crime novel. It is 0.5 in the D.I. Harry Virdee series. In the book the reader is introduced to Harry Virdee, a hardened Bradford police officer determined to clean up crime from the streets. He is a tough copper with a sensitive side as he tries to protect the weaker elements in society.

Harry Virdee defied his parents when he entered a mixed-race marriage for love. Both sets of parents are estranged from the couple.

As the murders begin, Harry Virdee has his suspect but needs proof. He is a straight copper who cannot be bought but fears for his family. What will Harry Virdee do? You must read the book to find out.

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When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Aug1

A Legacy Of Love

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a powerful work of non-fiction that charts the author’s journey from neurosurgeon to cancer patient.

The book is beautifully and simply penned, as if the author were addressing a dear friend and not writing a book. The result is that by the end of the book, the reader feels like they have lost a dear friend.

There is a genuine feeling of loss – of what Paul Kalanithi could have achieved as a surgeon, of his daughter and wife having their years ahead without him. But there is also a feeling of celebration, too – Paul Kalanithi left behind a legacy of love – love in the hearts of his family, colleagues and patients.

The first half of the book introduces the reader to Paul Kalanithi the surgeon. He is not a surgeon without empathy, he treats every patient he meets as a person. “I had met her in a space where she was a person, instead of a problem to be solved.”

Paul Kalanithi recognized the need to connect with his patients. They needed his skill set as a surgeon and they needed his words as a fellow human being. “When there’s no place for the scalpel, words are the surgeon’s only tool.”

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