Hello everyone and welcome to another book haul here on ATIB. It is June already! Where is all our reading time going? May was a remarkable month for books and I have been furiously reading to catch up with all these fantastic editions to the TBR. I have been waiting for The Testament Of Loki for over a year and I finally have it in my clutches. Thank you to Chloe at Ebury Press (congrats!) for remember my small blog and asking me to review non-fiction titles such as F*** You Very Much. There some brilliant continuations and finales to a couple of series here too which I am excited about, especially Victory Disc (Vinyl Detective). Cheers to all the publishers who thought of me this month when sending out review copies, much appreciated. Enjoy the list and let me know if anything jumps out at you!
May Book Haul
Released 31/05/18 via Ebury Press
I thought F*** You Very Much was brilliant and it is certainly a Non-Fiction must read for 2018. Exploring rudeness in many different ways, Danny Wallace warns us that we are on a path of inconsiderate destruction. I was amused, concerned and relieved all at the same time. Danny Wallace is a funny guy, the subject matter though is very important but it is good that there is plenty we can do to be kinder to each. Pick this up immediately!
Book Synopsis
You’re not imagining it. People are getting ruder. And this is a serious problem.
Did you know that even one rude comment in a life and death situation can decrease a surgeon’s performance by as much as 50%? That we say we don’t want rude politicians, but we vote for them anyway? Or that rude language can sway a jury in a criminal case?
Bestselling writer and broadcaster Danny Wallace (Yes Man, Awkward Situations For Men), is on a mission to understand where we have gone wrong. He travels the world interviewing neuroscientists, psychologists, NASA scientists, barristers, bin men, and bellboys. He joins a Radical Honesty group in Germany, talks to drivers about road rage in LA, and confronts his own online troll in a pub.
And in doing so, he uncovers the latest thinking about how we behave, how rudeness, once unleashed, can spread like a virus – and how even one flippant remark can snowball into disaster.
As insightful and enthralling as it is highly entertaining, F*** You Very Much* is an eye-opening exploration into the worst side of human behaviour.
“A cry for human decency… deliciously hilarious. I politely encourage you to read this book. Immediately.” Adam Grant author of Originals, Give and Take, Option B
*This book was originally published under the title, I Can’t Believe You Just Said That. But we decided it just wasn’t rude enough…
Released 17/05/18 via Gollancz
I couldn’t wait to read this and it was definitely worth the wait. I have to say that the narrative was not was I was really expecting but it was brilliant none-the-less. If you enjoy mythology then you will not be able to get enough of The Testament Of Loki.
Book Synopsis
Ragnarok was the End of Worlds.
Asgard fell, centuries ago, and the old gods have been defeated. Some are dead, while others have been consigned to eternal torment in the netherworld – among them, the legendary trickster, Loki. A god who betrayed every side and still lost everything, who has lain forgotten as time passed and the world of humans moved on to new beliefs, new idol and new deities . . .
But now mankind dreams of the Norse Gods once again, the river Dream is but a stone’s throw from their dark prison, and Loki is the first to escape into a new reality.
The first, but not the only one to. Other, darker, things have escaped with him, who seek to destroy everything that he covets. If he is to reclaim what has been lost, Loki will need allies, a plan, and plenty of tricks…
Released 08/05/18 via Titan Books
The Vinyl Detective is one of my all time favourite crime series. It is unique, intense and musically charged. I did enjoy Victory Disc but not as much as I thought I would. I loved the fact that Andrew Cartmel acknowledges those who fought for us in WW2 in great ways but I felt the characters are not being developed enough for the third instalment of a series. Let’s hope we get to dig a little deeper in the next outing.
Book Synopsis
When one of his cats accidentally discovers a rare Victory Disc, the Vinyl Detective and his girlfriend Nevada are whisked into the world of big band swing music, and a mystery that began during the Second World War.
Hired to track down the rest of the highly sought-after recordings of the Flare Path Orchestra, our hero will discover that the battles of the last world war aren’t over yet. And if all this sounds simple, it’s only because we haven’t mentioned drive-by shootings, murderous neo-Nazis, or that slight case of being buried alive…
Released 24/05/18 via Orbit (Little, Brown)
Claire North has a fantastic imagination and has been in a hot-streak of great reads for most of this decade. 84K turned up on my doorstep out of the blue from Orbit (thank you) but I cannot wait to get stuck in as soon as possible. Claire North is definitely worth everyone’s time!
Book Synopsis
Theo Miller knows the value of human life – to the very last penny.
Working in the Criminal Audit Office, he assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full.
But when his ex-lover is killed, it’s different. This is one death he can’t let become merely an entry on a balance sheet.
Because when the richest in the world are getting away with murder, sometimes the numbers just don’t add up.
Released 08/05/18 via Titan Books
I need to read The Rig. It has been sat on my bookshelf yelling ‘pick me up!’ over and over. I did an interview with Roger Levy and he made me want to read this even more. The concepts and ideas that are explored withing The Rig sound fantastic and mentally challenging. Can’t wait.
Book Synopsis
On a desert planet, two boys meet, sparking a friendship that will change human society forever.
On the windswept world of Bleak, a string of murders lead a writer to a story with unbelievable ramifications.
One man survives the vicious attacks, but is left with a morbid fascination with death; the perfect candidate for the perilous job of working on a rig.
Welcome to the System. Here the concept of a god has been abandoned, and a new faith pervades: AfterLife, a social media platform that allows subscribers a chance at resurrection, based on the votes of other users.
So many Lives, forever interlinked, and one structure at the centre of it all: the rig.
Released 03/05/18 via Two Roads
I was pleasantly surprised when Two Roads got in touch with a copy of The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes for review. The Keeper Of Lost Things was a remarkable read and I am sure Ruth Hogan has done a great job this time around. Just need to get a chance to read it!
Book Synopsis
Masha’s life has stopped. Once a spirited, independent woman with a rebellious streak, her life has been forever changed by a tragic event twelve years ago. Unable to let go of her grief, she finds solace in the silent company of the souls of her local Victorian cemetery and at the town’s lido, where she seeks refuge underwater – safe from the noise and the pain.
But a chance encounter with two extraordinary women – the fabulous and wise Kitty Muriel, a convent girl-turned-magician’s wife-turned-seventy-something-roller-disco-fanatic, and the mysterious Sally Red Shoes, a bag lady with a prodigious voice – opens up a new world of possibilities, and the chance to start living again. But just as Masha dares to imagine the future, the past comes roaring back …
Released 12/07/18 via Doubleday (Penguin)
I acquired a copy of Zero by chance which made my week. I am still on a bit of a Black Mirror high and I think Zero will satisfy that need. I also enjoyed The Circle but I hope Zero is darker and more edgier than that. We can only hope!
Book Synopsis
Welcome to Freemee
They can give you confidence, power, fame and all the friends in the world.
But what will they take in return?
For fans of BLACK MIRROR and Dave Eggers’ THE CIRCLE
When a teenager is shot dead after chasing a criminal in the street, investigating journalist Cynthia Bonsant is led to the popular social media platform Freemee, a competitor to Facebook whose lifestyle app claims to give you everything you need to succeed in life.
But there is someone who warns against its evils: Zero, the world’s most-wanted activist, known for exposing the toxic truths behind social media giants and their pursuit of total control.
As Cynthia gets closer to unravelling the evil mastermind behind the Freemee site, she herself becomes a target. But in this world of hidden cameras, data glasses and intelligent smart phones there is nowhere to hide…
Released 15/05/18 via Titan Books
I fell in love with this book at first sight. I know, I know. Judging a book by it’s cover and all that but look at it! The Dragon’s Legacy was good. Deborah A. Wolf has already become a heavy-weight in modern fantasy writing. I am eager to get back into her writing.
Book Synopsis
Sulema Ja’Akari is an elite warrior, one of the desert people known as the Zeeranim. She is also the daughter of the Dragon King of Atualon, whose magic is the only thing that prevents the earth dragon from waking. Should the dragon end her sleep, their world will be destroyed.
The Dragon King is dying. As heir to his throne Sulema must be trained to take his place, yet the more she learns, the less she trusts the sinister agendas that surround her. Knowing that her life hangs in the balance, Sulema seeks to return to the Zeera.
Salvation may lie with her mother, Hafsa Azeina, who walks the dark and deadly pathways of the Dreaming Lands. To save her daughter, the dreamshifter will be forced to strike a pact with her greatest enemy, a huntress who would rather kill her than assist her.
Upheaval stretches far beyond Atualon—to the forbidden city of Khanbul where the emperor rules with an iron hand. An elite cadre of rebel conspirators chafes beneath his rule and plots to overthrow him.
Among them is Jian de Allyr, the half-
dae prince born of a human mother
and a twilight lord. If they are to challenge the emperor in his stronghold, however, Jian and his co-conspirators must secretly raise an army…
Released 15/05/18 via Titan Books
Two Lost Boys was a surprise hit in camp Always Trust In Books. I felt it was going to be slow-burning and upsetting but it was actually a solid legal thriller that left me wanting more. Madman Walking looks like L. F. Robertson has taken her writing up a notch and I am excited to see how much!
Book Synopsis
Howard Henley is not a killer. That seems obvious to lawyer Janet Moodie when she’s called in to work his appeal. Her new client was convicted of arranging the shooting of a drug dealer, but the man who pulled the trigger has always said Henley had nothing to do with it. So why is Henley the one on death row?
Janet’s new case takes her from the desperate world of prison gangs, where men are murdered as an initiation rite, to the courtroom, where a mental illness might mean the difference between life and death. Can she convince a judge of her client’s innocence before it’s too late?
Released 31/05/18 via John Murray
Quantum Physics is one of those things that I have always wanted to appreciate but who has time to delve into the fabric of our universe and potentially millions of others… Well it is time to look behind that curtain. I will let you know what I find :D.
Book Synopsis
Every physicist agrees quantum mechanics is among humanity’s finest scientific achievements. But ask what it means, and the result will be a brawl. For a century, most physicists have followed Niels Bohr’s Copenhagen interpretation and dismissed questions about the reality underlying quantum physics as meaningless. A mishmash of solipsism and poor reasoning, Copenhagen endured, as Bohr’s students vigorously protected his legacy, and the physics community favoured practical experiments over philosophical arguments. As a result, questioning the status quo long meant professional ruin. And yet, from the 1920s to today, physicists like John Bell, David Bohm, and Hugh Everett persisted in seeking the true meaning of quantum mechanics. What is Real? is the gripping story of this battle of ideas and the courageous scientists who dared to stand up for truth.
Thanks for coming by to peruse another book haul on ATIB. I am eternally grateful to each and every author and publisher who approach me with new books and content to share with you all. I have a lot more reading to do! What a shame 😀 2018 is shaping up to be a superb year for books in my eyes and May has definitely shown me why. There are some unbelievable books out next month too, I am talking about you Ravencry, so keep an eye out for next months haul. Thanks for reading and let me know what books interested you the most on this list.
Always Trust In Books 
Lol at the Ravencry mention! Tick tock on that, can’t wait for it!👍
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I asked about a copy the other day and Stevie said soon so hopefully next week!
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Quite the haul!! F*** you very much has been on my list for a while (actually, the first 3 books are on my TBR list!) and I’ve been hearing mixed things about it, good to know that you enjoyed it! 👍👍
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Greatly done review
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Great list! I’m adding Zero to my TBR. The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes sounds nice, too.
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It is an enticing list. Zero does sound awesome 😀
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‘The Rig’ has a fantastic blurb… I’m definitely interested in that now. I’ll also have to pick up ‘F*** You Very Much.’ After working in the tourism industry for two years, I can say I’ve had my share of rudeness. I wonder what else Wallace has to say about it.
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There are some great looking books on here.
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