What is the last book you read, and your rating?

[Bushra Nasim]

The last book that I read was The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini and honestly I got goosebumps by the end of it . I would rate it 10/10.

[John-Patrick Isiaka]

I submitted a review from a book - BAMA BOY by BOBBY MORRISON. I give it 3/4 stars.

[Kareka88]

I read Becoming the Dragon (The Dragon Inside Book 1) by Alex Sapegin. It had a good storyline but poor execution and therefore I gave it 2 our of 4 stars.

[Redlegs]

I'm really not sure how to review Black Rock, White City by A S Patric, winner of the 2016 Miles Franklin Award.

Is it a contemporary novel of rare and unique genius, or is it a muddled tale, with a confusing structure and under-developed characters that could have been so much more? This felt like a novel that could easily have been 100 pages longer.

It is the story of a refugee couple, making a new life in modern suburban Melbourne, struggling to come to terms with past traumas. Jovan and Suzana were forced to flee the ravages of the brutal wars and ethnic cleansing of the former Yugoslavia, where they were subjected to savage treatment and the deaths of their two children.

Jovan works as a janitor in a local hospital, despite his extensive education and reputation as a published poet - he has forgotten most of his poetry. Suzana, also well-educated, at home battling her own personal demons, sets about writing a novel.

At the hospital where Jovan works, a deranged person, suspected to be an insider, is leaving increasingly creative, cryptic and disturbing graffiti messages, which Jovan is required to clean up. He is also personally targeted by the anonymous person referred to as Dr Graffito.

Despite some absolutely breathtaking prose and insightful observations by Patric, it was the structure of the novel that confused me somewhat. Sudden jumps in scene, shifts in time and mood and sections that just didn't seem completed, left me looking back a few pages to make sure I hadn't missed something.

There is much to love about this novel, but I wanted more, much more, than what Patric offered.

As I approached the final few pages with so many elements and threads unresolved, I wondered how Patric was going to pull this all together in a satisfying ending. That he managed it so concisely and sparsely (not everyone will agree) was one of the aspects of genius in this book, which convinced me to rate it at 4 stars out of 5, despite my other frustrations.

[msomigreat]

I have just finished reading the Spirit of Want by William H, Coles. its a perfect read and am rating it 4 out of 4

[Margaret1756]

The last book I read was The Spirit of Want and I rated it a 3. I thought it was really descriptive which spun me a bit in my tired late night reading. But it was good and clean dialogue that was really like a scene to a movie or something. The "visualise it" factor was great except for the vast amount of scence descriptions to be specific. Also hi i'm new...

[Margaret1756]

I have just finished reading The voice of Elders and I rate if 3 of out 4 stars.

[fabulous-christo]

The last book I read was The joy of motherhood by Buchi Emechita. I give it 4.5 of 5. This book really tells alot about the African tradition mostly about women and how they are been maltreated if they fail to born male children!

[Debjani Ghosh]

Pancake Money by Finn Bell - 5/5. It's an excellent murder mystery; I completed it in two days straight.

[bookworm112358]

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, 5/5 stars.

[Hope_Queen]

My trip to Adele --Rating 3/4

[NocturnalPenguin]

The Blood Mirror - Brent Weeks 4.5/5

I'm slightly biased as I like the author's books in general. However, I feel like this series (Lightbringer series) is more polished and toned down compared to his last series (Night Angel trilogy).

[Joe Hadithi]

Chrome Mountain by Ben Schneider. I gave it a 3 out of 5 rating. Not too bad for a debut novel.

[Rosemary Khathibe]

I have just finished reading Dragon Born by Ela Lourenco. I rated it 2 out of 4 stars. It's a very good read that only requires a professional editor for improvement.

[Kareka88]

Concealment: A Compelling Psychological Thriller by Rose Edmunds. I gave it a 3 out of 4 stars and
Becoming the Dragon by Alex Sapegin. I gave it a 2 out of 4 stars.