End of the month, here comes autumn.

As it's now Aug 31st and tomorrow in my mind is basically the start of autumn I thought I'd do a bit of a recap of August and my favourite books of the last month. I haven't read as much as I would have liked, getting out and about with the Monkey means less free time to get into a book, but it's been great to visit so many fun places.

It was a good month for short story anthologies, I read four of them and gave three of those 4*s. However for me one merited a full 5*s -  Walking Through Shadows by Tara Manuel. It is a dark contemporary work where some of the stories are connected, to the point it could be considered a novel rather than a collection of short stories.

Of the novels I read and gave 4*s there was one that stands out to me, probably because it has helped restore my faith in action novels. Hired Guns by Mark Boss includes some great characters, with an almost superhero air about them, and was a real romp around the globe.

My 200 follower giveaway, the first one I have run, attracted a respectable number of entrants, and I hope the winners are enjoying their books.

Looking forward I have plans for more giveaways this month, so keep an eye on the blog and twitter (@TCBookedUp) for updates.


September is going to be an exciting time here, with Be Nicholson's Agent taking place throughout the month. Expect to hear more about that very soon!

Goodbye August, and here's to an Indian summer!

Book Review: Walking Through Shadows by Tara Manuel

Small towns always seem to offer a range of distinctive characters, and more often than not you can trace the links between them. That is exactly what Tara Manual does in this book. It is effectively a collection of short stories, each revolving around one of these characters, with some of the stories and people being connected in various often unexpected ways.

Spider Girl is a lonely teen who has built up a fantasy life and is vulnerable to online predators, predators like her seedy teacher Don Wand. The self-styled White Prince is a noted member of the community but disliked by many around him, including the young man whose father's life he has destroyed, and the committee member who sees through his facade.

The individual stories are beautifully crafted but the way they work together is brilliant. I'm not sure whether to consider it a novel, or an anthology, either way it is a clever work. The author has peeled back the respectable veneer of a religious small town and picked some fascinating characters to introduce to the reader. This piece of fairly dark contemporary fiction really engaged me and for anyone who likes short stories and fiction with a hint of noir I would highly recommend this book.

Format: E-book, review copy (only available in paperback at present)
My Rating: 5*