Books with an edge to spice up the festive season

If you, despite the season of Hallmark-style festivities being in full swing, still prefer a bit – or more! – of an edge in your reads, check out these books. These stories will make you shed a tear – or more! – but not because that “scene with a cute puppy” is so delightful.

“Tears of a Cowgirl” by Jupiter Rose

If you are looking for a perfect book to spend a cosy weekend with, look no further.

Katie’s story has all the ingredients to melt the reader’s heart. We meet her at the turning point of her life. Trapped in a marriage with an abuser, Katie has reached the stage when she is ready to risk her life and the life of her little son but try to escape. She knows that she has only one chance. Her husband has made it absolutely clear that he will kill her if she tries to leave him. Still, she makes the decision to flee the house where she was held like a prisoner with a monitor attached to her ankle.

“Tears of a Cowgirl” is a sweet love story – the kind that will ignite your faith in true love again – with a touch of suspense and danger.

“Sultry, Is the Night” by Barbara Avon

Mario’s story is raw and absolutely heartbreaking. After all his dreams have been shattered, Mario finds himself alone in a world that doesn’t care a bit about him. He has no hope for a better future. Will Mario make it to a safer, brighter shore? Will the next punch from fate destroy him?

It is not an easy book for reading. It’s not a shiny little story wrapped up in a flashy paper that says “there is a lesson inside, kids, but you won’t get hurt while learning it”. Reading this book, you will get hurt. You will feel sadness, compassion, revulsion – the whole spectre of emotions. I certainly did feel all of them, and I’m deeply grateful to the author for making me take this rollercoaster ride with her deep, controversial characters and beautiful writing.

“Road to Malevolence” by Samyra Alexander

Janet is nine. Her parents’ negligence of the fact that she is a child makes her life unbearable. This book explores a possible scenario of what can happen if the fact that the workings of a child’s mind differ substantially from the way adults think is ignored.

Janet’s father and mother expect their daughter to behave like an adult.  Janet likes to dance, but her parents consider “worldly” dance styles sinful. Janet likes to discuss girly things with her best friend, but her parents expect her to sit still and quiet in church. Janet wants to explore the world, but her parents “build walls” of religious limitations and rules around her.

Isn’t it natural that when Janet sees that her pious father isn’t as God-fearing as he wanted to be seen, she rebels against the conservative life her parents impose on her? And isn’t it natural that being a nine-year-old girl, she gets the things that happen to her family wrong?

When Janet’s world, as unsatisfactory and vexatious as it was, crumbles, she acts not like an adult but as a child, unable to realise the consequences of her actions.

“Cicatrice: New Eyes and Brave” by Jo Boyle

This book is not for the faint-hearted. This book is about love and hatred, two opposite orbs of human essence. What love makes strong, hate tries to destroy. Sometimes it works. What outcome does destiny have in store for Mel who’s gotten tangled in the net of family, religious, and criminal intrigues?

We meet Mel when she is on the run. She is a hunter and prey. She is resilient and weak. It seems there is armour around both her body and her heart. Still, that armour has soft spots Mel is trying hard to seal.

Jamie is Mel’s weakness. But she is also the source of her strength. Mel’s love for Jamie has helped her to endure unimaginable hardships. And that’s the part of the book I found challenging to read. Mel gets caught in the middle of an ugly revenge mission. Her physical and emotional reserves get tested to the limits far beyond even the toughest men’s endurance. There are scenes of shocking violence and abuse that are integral to the plot, but it doesn’t make it easier to read them.

“Cicatrice: New Eyes and Brave” by Jo Boyle is a read like no other you can find on the endless bookshelves, both digital and physical. Prepare for a wild emotional ride you will not regret!