ITCH By Simon Mayo

This has been on my reading list ever since it came out just under three years ago. It wasn't something I found myself dying to read, it was more of a book which I figured looked like something interesting have a go at if I found myself with nothing else to read, however I am very glad that I picked it up at work and gave it a read.

Itchingham Lofte is a young boy in high school who has a hobby just like most other kids in school do; he collects things. However, unlike the other kids, Itch doesn't collect trading cards, footballs or bottle tops.... he collects elements. It isn't until he manages to get hold of some of the higher elements on the table that he begins to see just how dangerous some of them can be. Undeterred, this fourteen year old boy continues to travel round fairs and contact dealers, faking his age to by out of date medical equipment. He just never imagined he might find something that no one else had.

I really did enjoy this book. I expected to enjoy it and I did and I think the best thing about this book is that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages no matter how old you are, even though it's supposed to be a kids book. I should imagine that this idea has been used before, but not in this sort of way.

I found the book easy to read and the story line easy enough to follow. It was refreshing to read a book that simply satisfied your need for a good book that excited you and you enjoyed, without having to put a marathon amount of effort into reading it.

This is a definite read for all readers, young and old, boys and girls, and I look forward to reading more of Mayo's novels.

I AM PILGRIM By Terry Hayes

Okie doke folks! Here is the book that I have read for the category of A book with more than 500 pages. In fact this book has closer to 900 pages and that is also the reason that it has taken me so long to read it and upload a review about it.

This book follows the story of a retired intelligence agent who is pulled out of retirement to try and solve the biggest terrorist attack that America has ever seen, a new, hot, unstoppable strain of small pox.

Obviously this book contains a lot more than just this one story and I'm not going to lie, I did get a little bit worried when I realized that smallpox was going to be the terror agent in this book and I as quick to become sceptical that it was going to become samey and unoriginal, however, I loved it. I really really did enjoy this book an awful lot.

The thing I found most interesting about this book it the way that the beginning, middle, and end of the book, are all completely different and could; in themselves, be separate volumes, but they still flowed seamlessly from on to another, and it honestly didn't feel like 850+ pages.

It was also really nice to read a modern book which is aimed at adults without being sexually explicit. It really goes to show that although sex sells, it isn't the only thing that makes a book worth reading, or a film worth seeing. I think throughout the whole book, there is only one mild innuendo that i can remember and to be honest, I've read this more graphic than that in YA books.

This is a fantastic book which I would recommend to everyone. It is ridiculously well written and if I hadn't know beforehand, I would never have guessed that this was a debut novel. Hayes may have little novel writing experience, but he has the talent and voice of a master.

TAMPA By Alissa Nutting

Before I begin... let me warn you that the content of this book is extremely graphic and inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18 (and probably some people over it!) This is an adult novel and should be read by an adult and mature audience, and not for the squeamish and faint hearted... ...

Now that I've got the warning bit out of the way, let me introduce my sixth book for the POPSUGAR 2015 Reading Challenge. I have chosen this one to be read for the category of 'A book set in high school'.

Celeste is a 26 year old high school teacher who feels a desire to be a little more intimate with her 8th grade students than should probably be permitted. This is the story of how she seduces Jack Patrick, a 14 year old boy, into becoming the embodiment of her fantasy. Obviously, as soon as his voice breaks and he begins to grow body hair, the whole illusion will be broken and he will be no good to Celeste's needs. However after about a year of this horrid affair, things stop going to plan and disaster strikes for Celeste, Jack and everyone else they know.

I've got to admit, I'm not entirely sure what made me pick this book up. I saw a review that one of my good friend did on this book, and still, despite knowing the basic content of the book, I still took it to the counter and borrowed it from the library. The whole point of this reading challenge is to read things that you haven't read before, or to pick up something you normally wouldn't read. I certainly hadn't read anything of this nature before, and I don't think I will be doing so in the future. I think I have to put this book in the same league as E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey, however I must say that technically, Tampa is much better written.

On the positive side, I thought it was an interesting look into false and failing relationships, and how they outside look of a couple can be incredibly deceptive. I felt sorry for Ford (Celeste's husband) and the awful way she treated him. I also found it interesting the way that Nutting presents this almost as an issue of mental health, rather than just a fantasy taken too far.

All in all, I don't know if I can honestly call this a good book, maybe I'll stick with 'alternative'. Tampa is an 'alternative' book, and I'll leave it to you to decide if you want to give this one a try.