It’s My Favourite Reads time again, where I blather on about the books I adored reading the previous month.

Woah, were there some great books in my March reading pile. I could have declared any one of the below my favourite for the month and it took a bit of hard thought to choose the book I loved most. In the end, the title of my favourite read had to go to…

.

Aurora Burning by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

I really enjoyed Aurora Rising, the first book in the Aurora Cycle series (I talk about that here) but Aurora Burning took the biscuit.

Wow, is all I can say. Kristoff and Kaufman really know how to keep the bad (which for readers means good) times coming for their characters. There’s action, emotion, twists and revealed secrets, all of which raise the stakes ever higher. Which is amazing because the stakes in this sci-fi series are already stratospheric.

The only downer? It ended on a cliffhanger so now I’m desperately awaiting book three, but Aurora’s End isn’t out until November and I’m bereft. Gah!

.

The Haunting of Gillespie House by Darcy Coates

This book was seriously creeeeepy.

I love it when a book makes my skin pucker and has me snuggling deeper down my bed and pulling the doona tight. The Haunting of Gillespie House had me doing that often. Lots of chills and a brave heroine – perhaps too brave at times – determined to solve the mystery of this disturbing house.

Included at the back of the ebook is a short story that Coates uses to show the evolution of The Haunting of Gillespie House into a novel. Well worth a read.

.

Crackenback by Lee Christine

Lee’s first book Charlotte Pass was a hit last year and a wonderful read (I discuss it here), and I’ve been looking forward to Crackenback’s release ever since. It did not disappoint. In fact, I think Crackenback might be even better than Charlotte Pass.

The tension in this story is so well done. I was constantly on edge with the characters, especially Eva and Jack, but it was also nice to experience the pressures placed on Ryder and his team. As with Charlotte Pass there’s a touch of romance in the story too. Lovely.

Highly recommended.

.

Desperation Point by Malcolm Richards

Desperation Point is book two in The Devil’s Cove trilogy. The dramatic events of book one, The Cove (my thoughts here), were disturbing enough, but things get really freaky in this second book. As much as I’d love to rave about all the juicy bits, I can’t without spoiling book one for you, and would not want to do that. No way.

What I will say is that I powered through Desperation Point in a few days and can’t wait to read the conclusion in The Devil’s Gate. I bet it’ll be a doozy.

.

The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor

Hooly-dooly, I love CJ Tudor’s work. Her books are amazing. Mystery-thrillers with elements of horror and lots of twisty (and twisted) bits, and soooo atmospheric.

The Burning Girls had a few red herrings which was very satisfying. Also enjoyable was the book’s reverend protagonist. That was unexpected and interesting, and added extra complications. Like all CJ Tudor’s characters, Jack was excellently drawn, proactive, complicated, smart and with maybe as much to hide as Chapel Croft’s villagers.

Once again, I’ll be auto-buying the next one.

.

The Inventor by Emily Organ

I love this Victorian era Penny Green series. In fact, I’m so enamoured I recently bought books four through to ten and plan to work my way through them over the course of the year.

The Inventor proved particular fun because it dealt with advances and experimentation in electricity, and the egos involved. As well as murder. It wouldn’t be a Penny Green story without a good mystery to solve.

The impossible romance is delicious too. Next stop, Curse of the Poppy. Sounds like there might be some opium den skullduggery. Yay!

.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Oh, I adore the Grishaverse! Hmm. I have the feeling I’ve said that a few times before, but it’s true.

It took me a while to orient myself with this one. King of Scars follows on from the end of Ruin and Rising, and it’s been quite a while since I read that, and the story is complex. Eventually I got back in the groove and couldn’t put the book down.

Loved it and can’t wait to get my hands on book two, Rule of Wolves. And don’t get me started about the Shadow and Bone Netflix series, Ay yi yi!

.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

Prepare to have your mind bent because as the blurb suggests, this is a book of lies.

The Last House on Needless Street has been getting a bit of attention lately. Film rights have been taken up and reviews are in the rave territory. I can understand why. It’s an astonishing book, full of the unexpected, completely intriguing and a little bit strange.

What is it about? Um… a serial killer. Maybe. Or maybe it’s a Gothic murder mystery? Whatever you begin to think it is, it probably isn’t.

Fab. I think I might have to indulge in Ward’s previous title The Girl From Rawblood. It sounds smack in my zone.

.

What have you read lately that you want to wax lyrical about?

,