Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 10 days

Pages - 310

Publisher - Arrow

Source - bought or gift

Blurb from Goodreads

As a child, she was told to forget about the missing girl. But some memories don’t die….

The discovery of a skeleton in Acadia, Canada, reawakens a traumatic episode for forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan: Could the young girl’s remains be those of Évangéline Landry, Tempe’s friend who disappeared when Tempe was twelve? Exotic, free-spirited, and slightly older, Évangéline enlivened Tempe’s summer beach visits…then vanished amid whispers that she was “dangerous.” Now, faced with bones scarred with inexplicable lesions, Tempe is consumed with solving a decades-old mystery — while her lover, detective Andrew Ryan, urgently needs her attention on a wave of teenage abductions and murders. With both Ryan and her ex-husband making surprising future plans, Tempe may soon find that her world has painfully and irrevocably changed once again.


My review

When Tempe was younger her childhood friend and sister went missing & no matter how much Tempe asked questions she got no answers. Fast forward present day, bones of a young girl has been found, older bones with strange lesions, could this be Tempe's old friend, just coincidence? It certainly drags up memories and questions from Tempe's past.

This is book 10, I have gaps I think in the series as I would pick them up and read as I found them (sorry I know this makes people twitchy) but I find you can follow it fine. Tempe's relationship features in this one well her lover or ex lover, officer Andrew Ryan (he is a detective) well I suppose you can say it is complicated. So the two themes go along side, the bones investigation/Tempe's past and the ongoing issues with Andrew. They work together on a case so it is complicated, is it over, things are getting in the way, attraction - I suppose it I had read them more recently or in order I may be a bit more invested,

I always find these books interesting because of the anthropological aspect, I love when you learn things from books or spark interest to look into things more yourself. It isn't my fave of the series but still interesting read, 3.5/5 this time.

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Review - One Day by David Nicholls

One Day by David Nicholls
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Publisher - Hodder

Pages - 435

Blurb from Goodreads

'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.' He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.' 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY.

'A wonderful, wonderful book: wise, funny, perceptive, compassionate and often unbearably sad. The best British social novel since Jonathan Coe's What a Carve Up!' The Times


My Review

I have to say I felt I was reading the wrong book going on how delighted people were and expressing how much they loved this book when they saw I was reading it. It opens in 1988, the 15th of July with Emma and Dexter, two very different people, brought together by attraction. He is a Lothario, she is a book type, into her education and passionate about the things that interest her. They couldn't be any more different, however, instead of sneaking out of her room and life they keep in touch over the years. The story spans over 20 years, always opening the next chapter on the same date, the 15th of July but in the next year and follows their progress. Dexter loves women, booze, sex, being the centre of attention and doing things that please Dexter. Emma has always loved Dexter and as their friendship grows, he has more ups and downs, becomes a celebrity, has a trail of girls, Emma is always loyal, sweet, funny and waiting in the corner to be there for him.

I did like the start of the tale, however as it went on I couldn't help but think why is she STILL waiting there for him. He treats her like a commodity, he loves her and needs to talk to her when the chips are down, otherwise it is Emma who? I suppose this is a good example of art imitating life as people do fall for and be incredibly loyal to people who treat them like that. I wanted her to tell him to grow up, have a back bone, realize she was worth more than always being second best. She had a few moments where I thought good on you but a lot of it was really irritating to read, in my opinion.

A lot focused on her mundane journey through life and the flip side was his journey of drugs, women, self pity, self importance and dramas really. I honestly felt something was missing, no idea what though, it just trawled through the years of them getting on with not an awful lot to be honest. Then near the last quarter things took quite a sudden turn, the book turned a bit on its head although even this wasn't enough to pique my interest, I just wanted it to be done by then. The other issue was the chapters jumping from year to year, there was things I would have liked to have seen played out or got more of a background on. It was dealt with in the next chapter by a brief explanation and then brought up to what that year was about. I didn't like this format, I know I am in a minority here as the book is loved by so many, including a lot of my friends. For me, I just didn't get the love for it, I didn't particularly like the characters and I won't be going to see the movie or hunting out the authors other works. Not to say I won't read him again, I just don't feel the need to delve into his writing again just yet, sadly a 2/5 for me this time. If you haven't read it though give it a go, you may find yourself in the thousands who loved it camp.

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