ClareR (6062 KP) rated The Memory Wood in Books
Feb 27, 2020 (Updated Feb 29, 2020)
Elissa is abducted from outside the chess tournament that she's playing at, and wakes up manacled to the floor by a chain. Her only contact with another person is Elijah, a 12 year old boy who lives in the Memory Wood. He calls her Gretel, she calls him Hansel, and the house above the cellar she is imprisoned in is referred to as the Gingerbread House.
Meanwhile, the police have started the investigation, and are trying to locate Elissa. Detective Superintendent Mairead MacCullagh is in charge, and to be honest, Elissa couldn't have a more committed person to lead the hunt. Despite very upsetting personal circumstances, Mairead works hard and persistently to try and find Elissa.
I loved this book - it was non-stop action and so tense! I'm so glad I gave it a chance, because I'm sure it will be one of may favourite books of 2020!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and to Sam Lloyd for reading along with us.
The Boys in the Boat
7.3
Rate It
Book
Cast aside by his family at an early age, abandoned and left to fend for himself in the woods of...
Edmund Burke: The Visionary Who Invented Modern Politics
Book
Longlisted for the Orwell Prize and the Samuel Johnson prize for non-fiction; both conservative and...
My Mzansi Heart
Book
King Adz is a grown-up kid whose focus is youth culture. He's a Brit by birth whose heart beats...
Never Mind the Bullocks: One Girl's 10,000km Adventure Around India in the World's Cheapest Car
Book
**A Scotsman Non-Fiction Book of the Year** Vanessa Able wanted a truly independent Indian...
Screening Soviet Nationalities: Kulturfilms from the Far North to Central Asia
Book
Filmmakers in the early decades of the Soviet Union sought to create a cinematic map of the new...
On the Spartacus Road: A Spectacular Journey Through Ancient Italy
Book
In this inspiring and original book, former editor of The Times, Sir Peter Stothard, re-traces the...
Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles
8.0
Rate It
Book
From the internationally bestselling author of the Sharpe novels - this is the true story of...
Insect Emporium
Book
Open up this treasure trove of insects and immerse yourself in a wondrous collection of creatures as...
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre in Books
Jun 19, 2020
If you read World War Z, you know Max Brooks does an exceptional job at writing the fictional documentary format, making it feel like non-fiction. He does it again in Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre.
Devolution's release is accidently well-timed. The catalyst is the eruption of Mt Ranier. Roads are closed and destroyed by lahars, boiling mudslides. The government is working to help those affected. Outside the eruption zone is Greenloop, a small environmental utopia which consists of smart, completely "green" houses but still contains all of the modern amenities, Since their intention is to go completely green and reduce their carbon footprint, their food deliveries are for a week at a time. What happens when they are cut off and do not have the necessary food or supplies to get through the crisis? The discussion about consumers not stocking up and supermarkets offering farm-fresh items hit home during the Covid-19 crisis.
Oh, and there are also sasquatch they need to deal with. The premise might sound far fetched, but Brooks does a fabulous job of making it seem not only possible but probable. The people seem so real; I cheered out loud at one point.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/18/20.