Disclosure: I was sent two Quick Reads paperbacks and a bar of Galaxy as a thank you for posting about the Quick Reads scheme. This post reflects my unbiased opinion.
When I was offered some books and chocolate to enjoy, I wasn’t about to say no. I am a book addict… I’m one of those people whose Kindle accompanies them everywhere, and I never go a day without reading. I love to read while I eat my lunch, as a quick break between tasks, and I nearly always read in bed at night.
Quick Reads is a scheme supported by Galaxy Chocolate, which encourages adults to read more. 1 in 6 adults in the UK finds it difficult to read, for various reasons, and rarely picks up a book. Quick Reads are setting out to challenge assumptions that reading mainstream novels is boring or difficult, and want to show that reading is for everyone.
Each year, Quick Reads commissions big name authors to write novellas that are specifically easy to read. These are just the same as their full length books, just shorter, easier to tackle, and quicker to read. Quick Reads books are sold for £1 each through major retailers, made available at libraries all over the country, and can also be bought online both in paper and eBook form.
In the past I have bought a few eBooks from the Quick Reads scheme and have always enjoyed them. Some of my favourite authors have written books, and it is also a brilliant way to discover new authors as the cost to buy a book is so low that you can try a few and then look up your favourites to see what else they have written.
The 2015 books are:
I was sent two books to review; Out of the Dark by Adèle Geras, and Red for Revenge by Fanny Blake. I enjoyed both books a lot.
Out of the Dark was surprising quite gripping for me and I hated being interrupted by James when I was reading it! I wanted to know what was going to happen to Rob, the poor solider whom was left without his face after the Great War.
He comes home to London and spends his days trying to avoid contact with other people, due to the reaction he gets to his metal mask which makes children scream, and adults cross the road to avoid him. His mother sticks by him, but his girlfriend walks away – more fool her. You’ll have to read it to find out if Rob finds acceptance, and if his heartbreak can be healed. There is a spiritual/ghostly twist to enjoy as well.
This wasn’t a book I would normally choose to read myself as I tend to prefer “feel good” and fluffy escapism novels with some humour thrown in – this is a bit more “real” I guess. Saying that, however, I did really enjoy this and I will probably download another book from Adèle sometime soon – it was good to have a chance of pace and genre.
Red for Revenge was right up my alley. Two women, one scumbag of a man, and some humorous revenge plots that will have you giggling out loud.
When the self-important Phil gives both his wife of twenty five years and his mistress gift vouchers to the same beauty salon for Christmas, he never dreams that they’ll go at the same time, let alone sit down next to each other and start chatting about their other halves… in their case, the same man.
Maggie, the wife, and Carla, the previously widowed girlfriend, are both really likeable characters. You expect to automatically hate the mistress in novels but Carla wins both Maggie and the reader over with her honesty and horror at discovering the reality of the situation, and soon I was wishing I was sitting with them helping them hatch revenge plots.
I am going straight on Amazon to find more of Fanny’s books to read, I loved it!
If you are interested in Quick Reads you can find out here at their website. They are the perfect length to ease yourself back into reading, and if you read a fair bit already, they are perfect for discovering new authors and genres that you wouldn’t otherwise have tried. I will certainly be buying at least a few more from the 2015 collection for my Kindle.
The post Quick Reads with Galaxy Chocolate appeared first on Mama Geek.