Liv’s Book Corner

  Synopsis: Beautiful, fortune-telling Solitaire is the prisoner (and tool) of Mr. Big-master of fear, artist in crime, and Voodoo Baron of Death. James Bond has no time for superstition-he knows that Big is also a top Smersh operative and a real threat. More than that, after tracking him through the jazz joints of Harlem to the Everglades and on to the Caribbean, 007 has realized that Mr. Big is one of the most dangerous men that he has ever faced. And no one, not even the enigmatic Solitaire, can be sure how their battle of wills is going to end ... My Review: Some parts of this book were really good and some parts were…not. I really enjoyed the whole pirate treasure plot and especially the action scenes involving sharks, barracuda and all manner of dangerous fish. The backdrop of beautiful Jamaica in the second half of the book with the lush forests and wild coral reefs was really cool. However I didn’t really like the racist undertones of the book and the way that the black cha...

  Synopsis: Moonraker, Britain's new ICBM-based national defense system, is ready for testing, but something's not quite right. At M's request, Bond begins his investigation with Sir Hugo Drax, the leading card shark at M's club, who is also the head of the Moonraker project. But once Bond delves deeper into the goings-on at the Moonraker base, he discovers that both the project and its leader are something other than they appear to be. My Review: A good spy thriller, but definitely not the best Bond book I’ve read. Moonraker got quite boring in the middle when nothing much was happening and I felt like I was just dragging myself through it to get to the exciting part. However I did really like Drax as a villain and his backstory and I enjoyed Gala and Bond’s relationship. I think the story itself could have been made a little shorter and that would have helped with pacing issues My Rating: 7/10

  Synopsis: In this heartfelt, deeply personal account of life as a junior doctor in today's health service, former television journalist turned doctor, Rachel Clarke, captures the extraordinary realities of ordinary life on the NHS front line. From the historic junior doctor strikes of 2016 to the 'humanitarian crisis' declared by the Red Cross, the overstretched health service is on the precipice, calling for junior doctors to draw on extraordinary reserves of what compelled them into medicine in the first place - and the value the NHS can least afford to lose - kindness. Your Life in My Hands is at once a powerful polemic on the systematic degradation of Britain's most vital public institution, and a love letter of optimism and hope to that same health service and those who support it. This extraordinary memoir offers a glimpse into a life spent between the operating room and the bedside, the mortuary and the doctors' mess, telling powerful truths about today...

  Synopsis: Daughter. Sister. Priestess. Protector. Son. Brother. Demi-God. Hero. Monsters. Gifted and burdened with beauty far beyond that of mere mortals, Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when the lustful gaze of mighty Poseidon falls upon her, even the Temple of Athena cannot protect her. Young Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest. Equipped with only bravado and determination, his only chance of success lays in the hands of his immortal siblings. Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena's wrath Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is? History tells of conquering heroes. Tales distorted by time. Medusa's truth has long been lost. Until now. Now it is time to hear her truth. Revel in this powerful retelling of one of mythologies greatest tales today. My Review: A short but (bitter)sweet retelling of Medusa’s tale. I lo...

  Synopsis: In the novel that introduced James Bond to the world, Ian Fleming's agent 007 is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux. His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent who's been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table. One of SMERSH's most deadly operatives, the man known only as "Le Chiffre," has been a prime target of the British Secret Service for years. If Bond can wipe out his bankroll, Le Chiffre will likely be "retired" by his paymasters in Moscow. But what if the cards won't cooperate? After a brutal night at the gaming tables, Bond soon finds himself dodging would-be assassins, fighting off brutal torturers, and going all-in to save the life of his beautiful female counterpart, Vesper Lynd. Taut, tense, and effortlessly stylish, Ian Fleming's inaugural James Bond adventure has all the hallmarks that made the series a touchstone for a generation of readers. My Review: A classic page turner that introduces the mos...

  Synopsis : Sometimes Marisa gets the fanciful notion that Kate has visited the house before. She makes herself at home without any self-consciousness. She puts her toothbrush right there in the master bathroom, on the shelf next to theirs.  In Jake, Marisa has found everything she’s ever wanted. Then their new lodger Kate arrives. Something about Kate isn’t right. Is it the way she looks at Marisa’s boyfriend? Sits too close on the sofa? Constantly asks about the baby they are trying for? Or is it all just in Marisa’s head? After all, that’s what her Jake keeps telling her. And she trusts him – doesn’t she? But Marisa knows something is wrong. That the woman sleeping in their house will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Marisa just doesn’t know why. How far will she go to find the answer – and how much is she willing to lose? My review: This book was good, but unfortunately didn’t quite live up to my expectations I felt that the first half and the second half of the boo...

  Synopsis: You can't see them. But they can see you.  This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time. Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers and why are these creatures keeping them imprisoned, keen to watch their every move? My Review: A brilliant debut novel with an eerie, dark atmosphere, filled with tension and a twisty story.  I loved how the story focused on only a handful of characters which meant that each one...

  Synopsis: What if society wasn't fundamentally rational, but was motivated by insanity? This thought sets Jon Ronson on an utterly compelling adventure into the world of madness. Along the way, Jon meets psychopaths, those whose lives have been touched by madness and those whose job it is to diagnose it, including the influential psychologist who developed the Psychopath Test, from whom Jon learns the art of psychopath-spotting. A skill which seemingly reveals that madness could indeed be at the heart of everything . . . Combining Jon Ronson's trademark humour, charm and investigative incision,  The Psychopath Test  is both entertaining and honest, unearthing dangerous truths and asking serious questions about how we define normality in a world where we are increasingly judged by our maddest edges. My review: A book with some very interesting ideas and revelations but was sometimes written in a way that didn’t particularly capture your attention. The structure was very ...