Tag Archives: ebooks

Mini Book Reviews: Impossible | The Curfew | The Couple at the Table | Plain Bad Heroines

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Today I’m sharing some more mini reviews of books that I’ve read and enjoyed recently!

Impossible by Sarah Lotz

This book was brilliant, I loved it! It follows Nick and Bee who connect online when one day Nick sends an angry email to a client and it ends up in Bee’s inbox. The two strike up a friendship via email and I loved seeing their bond grow. I met my husband online and so books like this are irresistible to me! They share their lives and then one day decide to meet in real life but things don’t go quite as planned. I don’t want to say anymore and risk spoiling this book but I will say that it takes an unexpected direction and I was gripped! I read this book every spare second I had as I just wanted to know how it was all going to end. I definitely recommend this one!

The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah

I love Sophie Hannah’s novels so was very keen to get my hands on this one and I’m really pleased to say that it did not disappoint! The premise of this novel is there are several people staying at a luxury resort and one night one of them is murdered. The person found with the victim is definitely not the murderer and everyone else in the resort were all dining together at the time of the murder. No one else was on the property! There was a note warning to beware of the table nearest yours but all the tables are exactly the same distance apart. I loved this novel, it was near impossible to work out what had happened but I had so many theories. It was so much fun trying to work it out and to follow the police investigation as well as the holiday makers as they also tried to solve the murder. I recommend this one!

The Curfew by T.M. Logan

I’m a fan of T.M. Logan’s novels so was keen to read this one and I really enjoyed it. It follows the aftermath of a teenage party in the woods and what happens when one of them didn’t arrive home in time for curfew and another failed to return home at all. This novel has so many twists and turns and is often the case in this author’s books I think I have it all worked out but end up being wrong (which I love!). This is a fast-paced novel that has you reading just one more chapter until you find you’ve turned the last page and it feels like no time has gone by. I recommend it!

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

This is a doorstop of a book and one I found quite hard to get into but once I did I couldn’t put it down! It is a story told through multiple timelines and perspectives – all connected by the yellow jacket wasps! In 1902 two teenage girls were killed and now in the present day a film is about to be made about the deaths. There is so much more in between though – the creepy school that is now a private house, Spite Tower and all the scary wasp stories. There is something really hypnotic about the way this book is written, it really gets a grip on the reader which mirrors the effect the story has on the present day characters in the book. It made for an intense reading experience and I’m so glad I picked this book up. I really enjoyed this one and am keen to now go back and read the author’s previous novel.

Mini Book Reviews: The Maid | The Twyford Code | Other Parents | The Truth About Her

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Today on my blog I’m sharing some mini reviews of books that I’ve read and enjoyed recently. I’m struggling with blogging at the moment as my dictation software is no longer compatible with my macbook and I’m currently unable to use my right hand for much of anything. Typing one handed with my non-dominant hand isn’t the easiest so I apologise for the shortness of these reviews and hope I can be back to full speed before too long!

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

I loved this book! It follows Steven as he becomes quite obsessed with a mystery stemming back to his childhood when his teacher disappeared on a school trip and it’s all linked to a book she was reading to them. The novel is told in transcribed audio files that Steven has recorded as he sets out to find out where Miss Isles is and what happened to her. This book grabbed me from the very beginning and it didn’t let go of me – I even had a dream about it during the period of time I was reading it! I loved how the mystery is slowly uncovered – there are clues left for the reader but I only pieced it together right before all was revealed and I adored how it kept me on my toes. I very much enjoyed The Appeal by this author but I think The Twyford Code was even better and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Other Parents by Sarah Stovell

I love Sarah Stovell’s writing and this book was so good! It follows a group of parents and all the politics that go along with PTA meetings and different viewpoints. Jo is the headmistress and tries to keep the peace; her good friend Rachel has left her husband and is now in a relationship with Erin; and Laura is very against same sex relationships and doesn’t want her child being taught about homosexuality at school. Everyone in this book has secrets and slowly the pressure builds leading to increasing tensions and an inevitable fall out. I love reading about groups of people in small villages and tight-knit environments so this book was perfect for me and I really enjoyed it. I recommend it!

The Maid by Nita Prose

I have heard so much hype about this book that I knew I had to read it and see what all the fuss was about – I’m really happy to say that I loved it and it definitely lived up to my high expectations. Molly is a maid at a posh hotel and she really cares about doing her job properly and well. One day she finds one of the guests dead in bed and somehow the finger of suspicion starts to be pointed at her. Molly isn’t great at reading people so the reader definitely sees more of what is going on around Molly than she is aware of which led to me being anxious about how much trouble she might unwittingly end up in. She’s a great character though and I was rooting for her the whole way through the novel. I still think about her and wonder how she’s doing now! I recommend this one!

The Truth About Her by Jacqueline Maley

I picked this book up on a whim and I’m glad I did. It follows journalist Suzy in the aftermath of a nightmare – a wellness blogger that she did a big expose of has been found dead of apparent suicide and now Suzy has to deal with the fallout. Suzy is a single mum and her life seems to consist of her constantly trying to get her life on track but never quite managing it. She can’t commit to a relationship but wants to, and she’s striving for something more but doesn’t exactly know what that might look like. I found this book less of a thriller than I was expecting but it was a really absorbing read and I’m so pleased that I picked it up.

WWW Wednesdays (23 Feb ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I’ve just started reading Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton and am intrigued by it so far. I’m keen to see where this one is going.

Recent Reads

I finished reading Impossible by Sarah Lotz this week and I adored this book. It was something different and was so gripping.

I also devoured It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce and loved it, I think this might be my new favourite book by this author!

I read and really enjoyed Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough in just a couple of sittings this week.

Then I read Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins and this book was impossible to put down. I started reading it at bedtime and I literally turned the last page at around 4am! This is such a twisty book; it’s brilliant!

This week I hope to read Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister and One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke – both on my NetGalley shelf and both books I’ve been eagerly anticipating.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (16 Feb ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I’ve not been in much of a reading mood this week so I’m sticking to one book at a time. I’m in the middle of Impossible by Sarah Lotz and am really enjoying this one. It’s different to what I was expecting and it’s definitely got me hooked. I’m keen to see how it’s all going to end so hope I can read some more of this soon.

Recent Reads

I started listening to the audio book of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid yesterday and I finished it the same day. This book is the most perfect escapism and I completely and utterly adored it!

I also finished reading The Clydach Murders by John Morris this week and I found this to be such a compelling and eye-opening book.

I part-read and part-listened to Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson this week too and I really enjoyed it. I now have the third book on hold at the library and can’t wait to read it.

I’ve DNF’d Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment this week, I was just really struggling to get into it. I do love her writing though so I may go back to it at some point.

I don’t know what I might want to read next but the book that keeps catching my eye on my NetGalley shelf is It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce and on my Kindle it’s The Perfect Escape by Leah Konen so hopefully I can get to at least one of these books in the coming days.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (9 Feb ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

We watched the new documentary about the Clydach murders this week and I wanted to know more so I bought and started reading The Clydach Murders by John Morris.

I’m also reading The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley but I’m not sure if I’m going to continue with it, I think if it doesn’t grab me in a few more chapters I might have to admit defeat with this one.

Recent Reads

This week I listened to Empress and Aniya by Candice Carty-Williams which is a novella that is currently free to borrow for Audible members. I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

I also listened to Breathtaking by Rachel Clarke, which is a very moving account of the early days of the pandemic from a hospital doctor’s perspective. It’s harrowing at times but very well put together as a reflection of that time.

I then listened to The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter, which was a good read. I think I finished it in a couple of sittings as I was keen to see where it was going.

I finished reading When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole and very much enjoyed this one. It gave me a lot to think about as well as being a good thriller.

Then I read The Maid by Nita Prose and I loved this one. It was exactly the book I needed when I picked it up and I’m so glad I read it.

This week might be a tough one so I’m not sure how much reading I’m going to get done. Usually at these times I either escape into books and read a lot or I find it very hard to read so get through hardly any books. The books that are calling to me the most right now are Impossible by Sarah Lotz, Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay and Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (2 Feb ’22)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I picked When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole back up this week and I am engrossed in this one. It’s very current and very intriguing and I’m keen to see where it’s going.

Recent Reads

The first book I’ve finished since my last WWW post was Idol by Louise O’Neill and I really enjoyed this novel. It’s about the stories we tell on social media and the blurry lines between truth and lies, and how we perhaps don’t always see ourselves as we really are. I recommend it!

I also read Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller and found it okay. I didn’t enjoy it as much as other novels that I’ve read by her but it was a good read.

I absolutely loved A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon, who is now one of my favourite writers. This novel had me gripped all the way through. I saw some of what happened coming but that didn’t matter because I love the way Cannon writes and the way her characters are so real. I loved this book!

The last book I finished was The Curfew by T.M. Logan and I think this might just be my new favourite novel by him. I was engrossed all the way through this thriller and it kept me on my toes right the way through.

I don’t know what I’ll read next but the books on my NetGalley shelf that are really calling to me at the time of writing this are The Maid by Nita Prose, Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough and Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth!

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (26 Jan ’22)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I started Idol by Louise O’Neill yesterday afternoon and have been struggling to put it down ever since. It grabbed me from the first chapter and I really want to know where the story is going to go!

I also started reading When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole and am intrigued by this one. I’m enjoying all the dynamics between the neighbours and am keen to see what is happening.

Recent Reads

The first book I finished since my last WWW post was The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett and I absolutely loved it. I found it gripping and intriguing and even when I thought I had it figured out there was still more surprises in store!

I also finished listening to Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey. I found parts of this book fascinating and parts of it a bit self-indulgent at times. It was a 3 star read for me.

I started and finished the audiobook of My Mess is a Bit of a Life by Georgia Pritchett and I adored this one. It really shows what it is like to live with anxiety and I connected with quite a lot of it.

I read Tall Bones by Anna Bailey and also loved this one. It was very atmospheric and brutal at times but the writing is beautiful.

Yesterday I read Reputation by Sarah Vaughan all in one sitting – it had me hooked from start to finish and it feels like a book that will stay with me. I recommend it!

I’m reading my way through my NetGalley shelf at the moment so the next three from there that are calling to me are A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon, The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley and The Curfew by TM Logan.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (19 Jan ’22)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I only started reading The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett last night so am only a short way into it but I’m definitely intrigued and am keen to read more.

I’m really gripped by Tall Bones by Anna Bailey, a book I’ve been anticipating for a while so I’m glad it’s as good as I’d hoped.

I’m also part-reading and part-listening to Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey and I’m not sure what I make of this one so far but I’m going to continue reading it for a bit longer to see where it goes.

Recent Reads

The first book I finished this week was my audiobook of The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama and I found it an okay book. I didn’t enjoy it as much as his first book but it was engaging enough and I’m keen to move on to his new memoir soon.

I also finished reading And Away by Bob Mortimer and I completely and utterly adored this one! It was such a brilliant read and I can see me reading it again in the future.

I then read a thriller – The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson and found it so engrossing, I read it all in pretty much one sitting!

I’ve had The Finding of Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace on my TBR for nearly six years and I’m kicking myself for leaving it so long because I loved this novel. It’s beautiful and heartwarming and I already want to read it again!

I also finished reading Fingersmith by Sarah Waters and I loved this one too. I was hooked all the way through and all the unexpected twists and turns kept me on my toes.

The last book I read this week was a NetGalley Arc – The Truth About Her by Jacqueline Maley and I quite enjoyed it. It was different to what I was expecting it to be but still a good read.

I don’t know what I’ll be reading next but the books I’m most in the mood to read at the moment are When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole and The Other Black Girl by Zaklya Dalila Harris from my TBR. And also Reputation by Sarah Vaughan from my NetGalley shelf.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (12 Jan ’22)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I started reading And Away by Bob Mortimer yesterday and I am loving it every bit as much as I thought I was going to.

I also started reading Fingersmith by Sarah Waters a couple of days ago on my Kindle. I’ve had this book on my TBR for about six years but I was saving it for the right time. Anyway, I’m trying this year to read the books I know I’m going to love now instead of saving them so I’m happy to finally be reading this one.

My current audiobook The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama and I’m finding this one really interesting so far. This has also been on my TBR for a long time but I wanted to get to it as I got his new memoir for my birthday almost a year ago and I really want to get to that one soon.

Recent Reads

I finished reading The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse and really enjoyed this one. Some of it was predictable but I didn’t mind because I loved the atmospheric, creepy setting. I can’t wait to read the author’s forthcoming second book now!

I also read Skin Deep by Liz Nugent this week and enjoyed this one too. I part listened on audio and part read it and found it such an engaging read that kept me on my toes throughout!

I loved reading The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah, it was such a gripping novel and my brain was working away trying to work out whodunnit and how. The ending was satisfying and I’m so glad I read this one.

I also finished reading I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke and I very much enjoyed this one. I’m so happy that my husband got me this for Christmas and it was definitely a successful surprise gift!

I listened to I Know What You’ve Done by Dorothy Koomson on Audible and thought it was so good! I found it really hard to stop listening to this one and was always keen to get back to it.

I also listened to The Secret Midwife by Katy Weitz and Philippa George and found it such an interesting book. It made me angry and it made me sad but it was also a lovely read too.

I’m very much mood reading at the moment and so want to continue to do that so the books that are jumping out to me the most from my TBR stack are The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett and The Truth About Her by Jacqueline Maley from my NetGalley shelf, and Tall Bones by Anna Bailey, which I bought recently and am keen to get to.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (5 Jan ’22)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I started reading I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke, which I got for Christmas and I love it. It’s such a pleasure to read and I feel like I can hear Clarke’s voice as I’m reading it.

I also started reading The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse on my Kindle and am engrossed in it. I love how atmospheric it is, and creepy at times.

Recent Reads

I always seem to hit my reading groove at the start of a new year and 2022 has been no different. I’ve finished off some books that I was almost at the end of in my last post, and then I’ve been in a real reading mood the last few days so have been getting through my books.

My plan to read my backlog books in 2022 is going well – my most recently finished book was How You See Me by S. E. Craythorne which had been on my TBR for 6.5 years. I ended up reading it all in one sitting and it was such an engrossing and brilliant read.

I also read Other Parents by Sarah Stovell from my NetGalley shelf, which is from last year too. I enjoyed this one.

Another book from my TBR backlog was Animal by Sara Pascoe and I very much enjoyed it. It had more depth than I was expecting and made me think. I recommend it.

I only had a couple of chapters left of A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg and so finished that this week. It was a sentimental, old-fashioned novel but it was perfect for the time of year and I really liked it.

I also only had a few more pages of The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater to read so decided to finish it so that I can put it away with the Christmas decorations this week. I love re-reading this each festive period, it’s such a beautiful book.

Happy Fat by Sofie Hagen was also on my TBR backlog and I’m sorry to say I didn’t really enjoy this one. It’s strange because I bought it when I was a lot heavier and I wonder if I’d have felt differently if I’d read it then, I suspect that I would have done. But now I see how much better life can be when you stop medicating emotional pain with food and so this book just annoyed me for the most part.

My first read of 2022 was The Storyteller by Dave Grohl and I adored it! I love Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters so this was a perfect read and I loved every second that I spent reading it.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont and The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah are both on my NetGalley shelf and as they’re due to be published this month I’d like to read and review them soon so hope to read them this week. I’d also like to get to Significance by Jo Mazelis as this keeps catching my eye and has been on my Kindle for years now.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (29 Dec ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you got some new books to read. I was very spoilt with books and book-related gifts so will be doing a book haul post soon. At the moment I’m ill so haven’t had the energy to do much of anything the last couple of days. My Covid test is negative (at the moment) but I have all the symptoms so I’m keeping away from people until I’m feeling better. Unfortunately my concentration has left me so all the books I’ve read this week were read before Christmas day and I’ve not read anything since then.

Current Reads

I started reading A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg on Christmas Eve and am really enjoying it so I hope to be able to finish it before New Year.

My Christmas audio book is Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris, which is a re-read but I would still like to finish it this week if I can.

I’m also still reading The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater on the relevant days but I usually read through the last entries before New Year so that I can put the book away with my Christmas decorations so I hope to finish this one this week too.

Recent Reads

I love Carol Ann Duffy’s individually published Christmas poem books so it was a lovely surprise to receive the collected The Christmas Poems by Carol Ann Duffy as a gift. I read this one in one go and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a beautiful book.

I re-read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens on Christmas Eve, which is a long-standing tradition of mine.

I finished reading The Miracle on Ebenezer Street by Catherine Doyle, which was a sweet Christmas read.

I treated myself to Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan and read it all in one day, I loved this one and it feels like a book that will really stay with me.

I also read Hide by Nell Pattison and enjoyed it so hope to read more by her in 2022.

I finished In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware and very much enjoyed it, it was great escapism and kept me gripped all the way through.

I don’t know what I’ll read next as it depends on my mood and if I’m feeling better but the two books that are appealing to me the most at the moment are Other Parents by Sarah Stovell from my NetGalley shelf. And Storyteller by Dave Grohl, which I got for Christmas and am so keen to read!

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (22 Dec ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I spotted In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware on my Kindle and was just in the mood for a read like this and I’m really enjoying it.

I’m also really enjoying The Miracle on Ebenezer Street by Catherine Doyle as my next festive read. It’s a lovely middle grade book and making me feel very Christmassy.

I’m still loving my re-read of The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater.

Recent Reads

I very much enjoyed reading Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson over the last few days. It’s Christmassy and chaotic and has lots of great representation throughout.

I also loved Where Snow Angels Go by Maggie O’Farrell last week. This is a beautiful book and one I will re-read in the future.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz was such a gripping read, I found this near impossible to put down and would recommend it.

It’s now so close to Christmas that I think I might have time for only one more Christmas novel and I think it’s going to be In A Holidaze by Christina Laurens!

I have a copy of The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont and it feels like a book to be read over the Christmas period so I hope to get to this one this week.

I’m really enjoying thrillers at the moment and Hide by Nell Pattison looks very wintery and gripping so seems apt for this week.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂 And I hope you all have a lovely Christmas time filled with books! x

WWW Wednesdays (15 Dec ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I’ve only just started reading The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz but I think I’m going to really enjoy it. I seem to be needing easy reads that are also engrossing at the moment and this seems to fit the bill.

I’ve only read the opening chapters of Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson as well but I’m enjoying reading a modern Christmas novel.

I’m still enjoying my re-read of The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. I can’t remember when his diary ends but I’m reading each section on the corresponding day so I’ll be reading this one until it finishes (although I might read ahead once Christmas is over).

Recent Reads

I have an ebook of Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan but I spotted the audio on my library app so I borrowed it and have part listened and part read this one. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be but I did enjoy it.

Fat Cow, Fat Chance by Jenni Murray was a book of two halves for me. The first part I was engrossed in and could identify with a lot of the author’s struggles with weight but then it felt like it descends into excuses and finding a way for it to not be her fault at all. I was disappointed with her attitude (and I write as someone who has lost over six stone because I dealt with my issues around food and learnt about portion control) to weight loss and found this quite a negative book by the end.

I finally read Carol by Patricia Highsmith this week! It’s been on my TBR for ages so I’m kicking myself for not picking it up sooner as I found it such an intense and engrossing read.

I also read Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and it’s Private Consequences by Catherine Polenero and am still processing this one. I had heard of this case before but to read such a detailed account of the witnesses is chilling. This was well-researched and I’m glad I read it.

I finished reading The Murder of Mr Moonlight by Catherine Fegan this week as well. This is such a sad case but also unnerving seeing how the killer kept his tracks hidden for as long as he did.

I love reading children’s books as it gets close to Christmas so I’m really looking forward to reading The Night I Met Father Christmas by Ben Miller this week. This is a new one for me so I can’t wait!

I pre-ordered Hide by Nell Pattison and then forgot all about it so it was a lovely surprise when it appeared on my Kindle the other day. I’m keen to get to this one in the coming days.

I really enjoyed The Appeal so was delighted when I was approved to read The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett this week via NetGalley. I have high hopes for this one.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (8 Dec ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I can’t remember when I bought The Murder of Mr Moonlight by Catherine Fegan but it was on my Kindle and I decided to read it this week.

I’m also still reading the relevant sections of The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater on the relevant days and am very much enjoying it.

Recent Reads

I seem to have read a lot of Christmas books this week and I’ve enjoyed them all but to varying degrees. Christmas at Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar was good and I adored the setting but it wasn’t as festive as I was hoping. Mistletoe on 34th Street by Lisa Dickenson on the other hand was everything I wanted in a Christmas read this week and I very much enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed reading The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict, which is a take on a locked room Christmas mystery and I found myself completely engrossed in it. My other Christmas read was I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Milly Johnson, which I listened to on audio and it was another one that I found really festive and lovely.

The only non-Christmas book that I read this week was Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson and I enjoyed this one. I’ve already reviewed it here if you’ve like to know more.

I don’t know what I’ll be reading next but I just treated myself to Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford and am really keen to read it so I think I may pick it up. I also bought The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox on Kindle and would like to get to it before Christmas so hopefully I get to it this week. Aside from Christmas reads the book that caught my eye as I was writing this post was The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz so maybe I’ll read this one next.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

Mini Book Reviews: Wish You Were Here | Real Men Knit | Woke Up This Morning | How to Be a Rock Star

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Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

I’ve read most of Jodi Picoult’s novels and enjoyed them but have found her latest books a bit hit and miss. Even so I was excited to read Wish You Were Here and I’m so pleased to say that I loved it, it’s her best book in a while! Wish You Were Here follows Diana who is busy at work in an art gallery and is about to embark on a holiday of a lifetime to the Galapagos Islands with her boyfriend. But then Covid hits and he has to stay behind as he’s a doctor. She goes on her own and as she gets there the island is locking down so she is trapped there. I loved the descriptions of the island and the relationships Diana forms while there. I don’t want to say much more because I’m anxious to avoid any spoilers but this novel takes the reader on an unexpected journey through isolation and longing and I loved it. There is so much I want to say but I can’t… just trust me and read this one, it’s so good!

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

I was keen to read Real Men Knit after reading some recommendations by bloggers that I trust so I was delighted to get a copy from NetGalley. I finally picked it up recently and really enjoyed it. It’s set in a wool shop in the aftermath of the owner’s death. Her four adopted sons are deciding what to do and one of them wants a chance to run the shop and make it a success along with the help of Kerry, who worked there alongside his Mama. I enjoyed the family dynamics in this novel, and I really liked Kerry. I wasn’t so keen on all the will they won’t they romance plot, it felt very over the top at times, but on the whole this was a really cosy, lovely read and I’m glad I picked it up.

Woke Up This Morning by Michael Imperioli & Steve Schirripa

I have to admit that I somehow only watched The Sopranos for the first time earlier this year (I don’t know how it took me so long but it did!) but when I finally got to it I adored it, it jumped right to the top of my favourite TV shows ever list! So when I spotted this book all about the making of The Sopranos with interviews with the cast and behind the scenes info I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed this book. I believe it’s based on a podcast which I haven’t listened to so I’m not sure how much of the story in the book is new. I loved finding out more about the making of certain episodes and how the show was cast. It’s a definite must read for fans of the show!

How to Be A Rock Star by Shaun Ryder

I’m a big Shaun Ryder fan so when I spotted this audio book on NetGalley I immediately requested it. Shaun narrates it himself which made the book for me, I could listen to him tell his stories all day long! I enjoyed this one but given it’s a how to book I did find it a bit repetitive, with some elements from earlier sections being referred to again later on. I also already knew most of his stories from having read his autobiography a few years ago. I did still enjoy this one though so I would recommend it if you’re a Happy Mondays fan and want to know more about how to get into the world of rock and roll!

WWW Wednesdays (1 Dec ’21)! What are you reading?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

My latest festive read is The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict and I’m really enjoying this one. It’s set in an old house and a family who don’t get on are competing with each other to inherit the house.

I’ve also started my annual re-read of The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. I very much enjoy reading each day of this book every year, Nigel Slater really captures the build up to the festive season so beautifully.

I’m also reading Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson, which is the oldest book on my NetGalley shelf. It’s set around a wool shop as the adult children of the late owner have to decide what to do with it. I’m enjoying this one and keen to see where it goes.

Recent Reads

I bought What My Husband Did by Kerry Wilkinson in a recent Kindle sale and I enjoyed it. I found the first half gripping and hard to put down but the reveals were a little disappointing as the book went on.

I really enjoyed Somebody to Love by Matt Richards, a biography of Freddie Mercury which also follows how HIV spread around the world.

I also listened to How to be a Rock Star by Shaun Ryder this week and I really enjoyed listening to him tell his stories. The book itself wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped though as a lot of the stories I’d already read in his memoir and it does get repetitive as various sections overlap with previous chapters. I’d still recommend it if you’re a fan of his though.

I read Little Bandaged Days by Kyra Wilder too this week. This was a disturbing read about a woman with undiagnosed post-natal psychosis. It was a book I wanted to keep reading but at times had to put down just so I could breathe. It was very well written and I recommend it.

My Christmas book last week was The Post Box at the North Pole by Jaimie Admans and I adored it. It’s my favourite festive read of the season so far! My review is here.

I’m not sure what I’ll read in the coming week as I’m back to mood reading rather than planning ahead. At the moment the books that have caught my eye are Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson, which is a new Christmas book that sounds great; The Winter Garden by Heidi Swain, which I have on audio and think will be a festive, heartwarming listen; and a thriller When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole that I bought right at the beginning of the year and am still really keen to read it.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

Mini Christmas Book Reviews!

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Today I’m sharing some mini reviews of Christmas books that I’ve read recently!

Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin

This is a lovely Christmas read that follows Flora in the aftermath of losing her job and deciding to buy a van and start a travelling Christmas shop. She loves Christmas and is determined to surround herself with the joys of the season. I loved Flora and really enjoyed seeing her move to Lapland and how she got on at her first Christmas market. The way she meets Connor, who runs the site, was amusing and I loved seeing how they got to know each other better. Flora meets some great characters throughout the novel and I felt like I was right there along with her. This is such a sweet Christmas novel and I recommend it.

Eight Days of Christmas by Starla DeKruyf

Eight Days of Christmas follows Isabella as she’s making her way to her family home for the first time in years as her sister is getting married at Christmas. Her sister is marrying the brother of Isabella’s ex so she has a lot on her mind. Their family love Christmas and make a huge deal out of it every year so are thrilled that Isabella is coming home. Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. The relationship will they won’t they situation just didn’t feel believable to me, it felt very forced. I also found the big reveal of why Isabella hadn’t been home for so long was just so ridiculous and silly that the book lost me at this point. I did read to the end but sadly I didn’t love this one.

The Best Christmas Ever by Karen King

I’ve become quite the fan of Karen King’s Christmas novels so I was excited to read her latest one recently and I’m so happy to say that I really enjoyed it. The Best Christmas Ever follows Lexi who adores Christmas but this year she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her so she dumps him and heads home to her family. I adored Lexi’s family, especially her Grandma Mabe! Lexi is upset to find the local council want to chop down the village Christmas tree and throws herself into saving the tree. In the process she meets some of the locals and I loved the bond she makes with people. This is a really cute, heartwarming Christmas novel that is full of festive joy. I definitely recommend this one!

The Post Box at the North Pole by Jaimie Admans

A year or two ago I read my first Jaimie Admans’ novel and I adored it so I’ve been eagerly anticipating this new Christmas novel by her and I’m so happy to say that I completely and utterly adored it! This book follows Sasha who has flown to help out her dad at a Lapland resort that is not doing so well. When she gets there she meets Taavi and some reindeers called Rudolph. Sasha wants to help her dad and so when she finds a sack of letters to Santa she decides to reply and spread some festive cheer (and maybe some magic!). I loved this book so much – it’s full of all things heartwarmingly festive from start to finish, which is exactly what I’ve been looking for in my Christmas reads this year. I highly recommend this one, it’s a perfect Christmas read!

WWW Wednesdays (24 Nov ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

The only book I’m currently reading is The Best Christmas Ever by Karen King! I’m only a few chapters in but so far it feels festive and like it could be a really lovely read.

Recent Reads

I had an ebook of S**ged, Married, Annoyed by Rosie and Chris Ramsey but then I spotted the audio was available on my local library app so I decided to listen to it. It was an easy listen and fun escapism.

I also read Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult and loved it! I think this is her best book in a while and I very much enjoyed it. I will be writing a review as soon as I get my thoughts together but I definitely recommend it in the meantime.

I picked up Eight Days of Christmas by Stayla DeKruyf from my NetGalley shelf this week but sadly I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I hoped I would.

I also read We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates, which was one of the books that had been on my TBR the longest and I’m kicking myself for not picking it up sooner as I really enjoyed this one.

The other Christmas book I read last week was Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin, a really sweet Christmas read.

I also finished reading Woke Up This Morning by Michael Imperioli last week and I’m sad to have got to the end of this one. I now want to listen to the podcast that led to this book (and also to watch The Sopranos all over again!).

This week I really want to listen to the audio book of How to be a Rockstar by Shaun Ryder.

My next Christmas read will be The Postbox at the North Pole by Jaimie Admans and I can’t wait to get to this one.

I also recently bought The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and I’d really like to read it soon.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

Mini Book Reviews: Survive the Night | The Impossible Truths of Love | We Are Not Like Them | My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me

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Today I’m sharing some more mini reviews of recent NetGalley books that I’ve read and enjoyed.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

I can never resist a new Riley Sager book and have been eagerly anticipating this one. I picked it up and read it all in one day as it was written in such a way that I just didn’t want to put it down. We’re following Charlie who is really struggling after her best friend was murdered and now she’s leaving Uni. She finds Josh on the ride share board at school and says goodbye to her boyfriend. We find out that Charlie has had a tough life and when things are really bad she sees movies in her head overlaying what is really happening. The first half of this novel was gripping, I was unnerved with suspicions (and to be honest hopes) of where the novel might go as Charlie becomes increasingly unnerved by Josh. Unfortunately, the novel instead went in a much more predictable direction and ultimately left me feeling a bit disappointed. Having said that, I couldn’t put the book down so it was clearly gripping and it was enjoyable enough for the most part.

The Impossible Truths of Love by Hannah Beckerman

This novel is told in two timelines: the present day follows Nell as she’s left reeling following a deathbed confession by her father; and it follows Annie 35 years earlier as we see her starting her family and making decisions that will have consequences down the line. I love Hannah Beckerman’s writing and this book is beautiful. I really felt for Nell to have to deal with what her dad said and then not be able to talk to anyone about it as her mum has dementia and now her dad is gone, and to know she might never be able to find out what he meant. The fraught relationship that Nell has with her two older sisters felt really realistic and I ended up feeling for all of them. The two timelines move forwards and you’re left wondering how they’ll converge and what happened in the past. It wasn’t something I saw coming but it felt completely believable and was heartbreaking. I definitely recommend this book!

We Are Not Like Them by Christina Pride & Jo Piazza

Riley and Jen have been friends for many years and now they’re excited to be back living in the same city again. Jen is white and Riley is black but this has never been something they’ve thought about. But now Jen’s white police officer husband has been involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager and suddenly they have to confront what this means for their friendship. I found this book quite hard to get into but once it clicked I found it really hard to put down. There are so many issues covered within this story and it really felt believable and realistic. I was much more on Riley’s side and felt that Jen was at times wilfully being ignorant of why her friend felt the way she did, but then we’d be back with Jen and I could see why she was torn. This is such a prescient novel that really makes you think and it’s one that I would recommend to everyone.

My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me by Helen Naylor

This book is heartbreaking. Helen has grown up with a mother who is often cold and cruel, who is always ill and needs rest every afternoon so Helen as a child had to learn to play in complete silence. She doesn’t know any different than how her own home life is and accepts this as being how it is for everyone but it does start to affect her own mental health. Helen really shows how complex her relationship to her mother is, that she loved her mother but also feared being trapped into looking after her for ever. There is a real exploration of how complicated the aspect of looking back on her mother’s life was for Helen and it’s these parts towards the end of the book that really struck a chord with me. This is the point when it felt the reader was really let in to how everything has affected Helen. Helen’s mother behaved monstrously, not just to Helen but to others as well, and it’s uncomfortable to think about whether this woman was a monster or whether she was mentally unwell. I think this contradiction is something Helen must waiver on too as the title says Munchausen’s but in the book her mother is referred to as a narcissist. It is always so difficult to confront who a parent really was, and I definitely felt for Helen as she grappled with this throughout the book. This book isn’t always easy to read but it’s a book that I would recommend.

WWW Wednesdays (17 Nov ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I’ve been sorting out my Kindle and audiobooks recently and The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney caught my eye as I was doing that so it’s my current listen. It’s more intriguing than I thought it was going to be and I’m enjoying it so far.

My current festive read is the lovely Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin.

I’m also still reading Woke Up This Morning by Michael Imperioli but I’m not far off finishing it now. I’m going to miss this one once I’m done as I’ve really enjoyed dipping in and out of this book in recent weeks.

Recent Reads

I just finished reading My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me by Helen Naylor last night. I found this book hard to read at times because of the subject matter but it was a fascinating exploration of living with a narcissistic mother and dealing with all the repercussions of her behaviour.

I’m trying to get to some of the older books on my TBR at the moment as well as new releases so this week I listened to the audiobook of Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott, which I’ve owned since 2014. I really enjoyed this one. I’m struggling with a bad back at the moment and this was perfect escapism.

I also read Survive the Night by Riley Sager from my NetGalley shelf and I enjoyed it. I thought the first half was better than the second but it did keep me hooked all the way through.

I finished reading The Twelve Wishes of Christmas by Ruby Basu and loved it. You can read my review here.

I also finished listening to Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama and enjoyed it. I also have The Audacity of Hope on my Audible and a hardback copy of his memoir so hope to read more by him soon.

I really enjoyed reading The Little Christmas Tree House by Tracy Rees last week too, it was a lovely festive read. My review is here.

As I’ve been sorting through my Kindle books I’ve been taking note of the books I’ve owned the longest and it seems We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates has been on my Goodreads since I first set up my account (in early 2010!) but I know I’ve owned it longer than that. So I’d really like to finally start reading it this week!

I also hope to read The Best Christmas Ever by Karen King which is the next Christmas book on my NetGalley shelf.

I’d also like to get back to the Frieda Klein series so I have Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French on this week’s TBR!

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

Christmas Mini Reviews: Baby It’s Cold Outside | A BookShop Christmas | The Little Christmas House | The Perfect Christmas Gift | The Twelve Wishes of Christmas

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I’ve been reading lots of Christmas-themed books recently so today I’m sharing a collection of festive mini reviews!

Baby It’s Cold Outside by Emily Bell

Norah Jones is single and it’s nearly Christmas, she’s fed up and wondering what to do with her life. Then she remembers the boy she met on holiday a decade earlier and their promise to meet in Dublin in ten years time on Christmas Eve if they were both single. She decides she has nothing to lose and persuades her good friend Joe to go with her. This novel isn’t as Christmassy as I thought it was going to be but it is a gorgeous read and I got completely swept up in Norah’s story. I was rooting for her the whole way through and hoping she would find the happiness she so deserved. It was also nostalgic learning about her holiday romance with Andrew, it made me remember those times in my life and while I’m very happy to leave them in the past it was fun to see what would happen with Norah and her holiday boyfriend. This is a novel set in the run up to Christmas so you do get snow and nods to the festive season; it’s a great book to curl up with on a cold afternoon. I recommend it!

A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton

Megan has returned home to York to help run her family’s ailing book shop. It’s almost Christmas and she’s feeling the pressure of organising a high profile book launch for a demanding author and publisher. I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t quite as Christmassy as I’d hoped. It is set near Christmas but there wasn’t enough of the season in it for me. Having said that I loved the characters and getting to know them. I loved the will they, won’t they? element of the budding romance. And I especially loved the setting – York is a city I know well and it was wonderful to find that it is the setting of this novel. I could picture exactly where the bookshop would be so clearly and it gave me a sense of home for a while. There is also a very cute dog in this novel, which is always a bonus! All in all this is a fast, cosy read and I enjoyed it.

The Little Christmas House by Tracy Rees

This is a gorgeous festive novel that follows three characters – Holly the school teacher who is recovering from having her heart broken earlier in the year; Edward who has just bought Christmas house and is trying to find his feet; and Edward’s fabulous 8-year-old daughter Eliza who is in Holly’s class at school. I loved this novel, it’s a gorgeous read about recovering when the rug is pulled out from under you, about discovering that there are still kind people in the world and learning that you can begin again. I love Eliza and her perceptiveness, and I loved reading all about the goings on at school – especially with the school play. This is such a lovely read and I highly recommend it!

The Perfect Christmas Gift by Katie Ginger

Bella returns home from work early one day to find her boyfriend moving out and she is devastated. Next door is Nick who is a newly single dad to Freddie and is trying to make Christmas the best it can be. Bella is heartbroken but knows she needs to find her Christmas spirit and she comes up with an idea that will give her a distraction from the pain whilst also helping out her community and bringing people together. This book was an okay read but for me the Christmas feels didn’t really come through, it felt like it was missing a spark. I did enjoy it, and I loved the ideas in the novel but it didn’t give me the festive feel I was hoping for.

The Twelve Wishes of Christmas by Ruby Basu

I have to admit that when it gets to mid-November I get obsessed with watching sappy Christmas TV movies, I just can’t help it so when I heard about this book and that the main character Sharmila is similarly obsessed I knew this would be a book for me! Sharmila’s friend Thomas has died and left her a wonderful holiday booked where she can experience her first American Christmas, just like the ones in the movies. When she gets there she finds out he’s left her a list of fun tasks to complete, all the things you see in the movies! What she doesn’t know is that Thomas has left her his house and shares in his company if she does everything on the list and his family are determined to stop Sharmila in her tracks! I loved this novel, it has all the elements of Christmas films, and it’s done in a knowing way that stops it being too sickly sweet. There is the hate to love romance (which I loved!) and all the festive activities. This is such a lovely Christmas read and one I definitely recommend!

WWW Wednesdays (3 Nov ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I’ve been slowly reading my way through some of my older Christmas books and while Christmas at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry hasn’t been on my kindle all that long I couldn’t resist picking it up this week. I’m really enjoying this one and am so glad I made this my next read.

I’m not taking part in Non-Fiction November properly this year as I’m still in a place where I need to mood read and that often leads me to pick up lighter fiction. I was drawn to the audio book of The Romanovs: 1613 – 1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore yesterday though so I’ve started listening to this one. I don’t know very much about the Romanovs and so have been engrossed in this boook.

I’m also still dipping in and out of Woke Up This Morning by Michael Imperioli and enjoying it. It’s making me want to re-watch The Sopranos (and I only watched it for the first time earlier this year!).

Recent Reads

I seem to have read a lot of books this week and I’m not sure how that happened but I’m happy that it did.

The most recent book I finished was The Visitor by Zoe Miller. I picked this one as it seemed to be a thriller set near Christmas and it was an okay read – I enjoyed the first part more than the rest.

Before that I finally read Therese Raquin by Emile Zola, which had been on my TBR for quite some time. I very much enjoyed this one and am so glad that I’ve finally read it (although I’m kicking myself now for not picking it up sooner).

I also read and loved The Impossible Truths of Love by Hannah Beckerman. I adored the author’s previous two novels so had very high hopes for this one and it absolutely lived up to them.

I had a hardback and audiobook copy of Look What You Made Me Do by Helene Walmsley-Johnson so I part read and part listened to this one. It was a tough read because of the subject matter (it’s a memoir about coercive control) but I’m glad I read it.

Another festive read this week was Baby It’s Cold Outside by Emily Bell and I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t as much about Christmas as I’d thought it would be but it was a gorgeous and cosy winter read. I recommend it!

I’ve had a paperback of Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman on my TBR for years but the text is so small I can’t read it so when I spotted the audio was available as part of the new Audible lending library I grabbed it. This book was published in 1985 but so much of it is just as relevant to us today and I highly recommend it. It’s made me want to re-read Brave New World so that might be a book I pick up in the new year!

I also finished reading A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton. I enjoyed this one but was a little disappointed that whilst it’s set at Christmas there isn’t much Christmas in it. I did enjoy the story though and I loved that it was set in York.

What I Might Read Next

I’m very much a mood reader at the moment but the two books that are catching my attention from my TBR at the moment are The Perfect Christmas Gift by Katie Ginger and My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me by Helen Naylor so I hope to read both of these in the coming days.

What are you reading at the moment? I’d love to know 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (27 Oct ’21)! What are you reading at the moment?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

I started reading A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton from my NetGalley shelf this week and I’m really enjoying it. I didn’t realise it was set in York so I’m loving references to places that I know well from my younger years.

I’m also still reading Woke Up This Morning by Michael Imperioli. I’m finding this book is great to dip in and out of so I’m going to carry on reading it like this in between other books. I’m very much enjoying it though and I definitely recommend it to fans of The Sopranos.

Recent Reads

It’s been a great week of reading for me this week with my finish six books! I’ve been busy so have listened to a few audio books and then have enjoyed sitting down for a rest to read a print or kindle book later in the day.

I read Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton in just two sittings this week and I really enjoyed it. I always say I’m not a fan of historical fiction but then occasionally I stumble across a book like this and am reminded that there are historical fiction books for me and this is definitely one of them.

I also finished We Are Not Like Them by Christina Pride & Jo Piazza, which I’ve been reading for the past week and a half. I struggled to connect with the characters in the beginning but once I got into the novel it was hard to put down. It’s a thought-provoking book and I’m glad I read it.

I’ve had Not That Kind of Love by Clare & Greg Wise for a really long time so when I spotted it as I was sorting my books out this week I decided to read it next. This is an incredibly moving memoir of Clare’s illness and Greg’s story of his love for his sister and how he became her carer. This is a beautiful book and one that will really stay with me.

Another book that I’ve had on my bookcase for quite a while is Wally Funk’s Race for Space by Sue Nelson so when I picked it up this week and read it all in one sitting I was kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. Wally Funk is an incredible woman who has lived such a fascinating life. I know she finally made it to space very recently, which is amazing. I highly recommend this book.

I listened to It’s a Love Story by Shirlie & Martin Kemp on audio book and loved it. This is such a lovely book about their relationship and I just adored it!

I also finished reading Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris and am so glad I finally picked up this author’s debut novel as I’ve enjoyed her later books. This one was really good and kept my turning the pages!

What I Might Read Next

I’ve realised that my NetGalley shelf is growing again so need to focus on reading some of those books this week so these are the three that I’ve picked: Baby It’s Cold Outside by Emily Bell, which will be my next Christmas read. I also hope to read The Impossible Truths of Love by Hannah Beckerman as I’ve loved her previous two novels and have been eagerly anticipating this one. I also want to pick up Survive the Night by Riley Sager as I didn’t manage to get to it this week so I really hope to get a chance to read it in the coming days.

WWW Wednesdays (13 Oct ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

This week I started reading the Frieda Klein series and loved Blue Monday so much that I immediately picked up the next book: Tuesday’s Gone by Nicci French! I don’t think I’ve read a series back to back since I was a child but it’s really nice to get absorbed in a series, especially one where all the books are already published so no having to wait for the next one!

My husband and I were very late getting to The Sopranos and only watched it for the first time this year! Better late than never though as we both absolutely loved it. So when I spotted Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive History of the Sopranos by Michael Imperioli on NetGalley I immediately requested and it as soon as I was approved I started reading it. It’s based on a podcast and I’m definitely going to check that out once I’ve read the book.

Recent Reads

As I said above I picked up Blue Monday by Nicci French this week and loved it. Freida Klein is such an interesting character and I can’t wait to find out more about her.

I also listened to Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam on audio book this week and found it gripping! I’d heard good things about this one and it lived up to the hype. I’ve now heard that Netflix are adapting this book so I’m really keen to see what they do with it as I think it would make a great film.

I bought and read People Like Them by Samira Sedira this week and found it such a chilling but also brilliant novel. It’s based on a real life murder, which I don’t remember hearing about, but knowing how close to true it is made it really hard to read at times. The writing is great though and I would read more by this author if any of her other work gets translated.

I bought Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner with an Audible credit and listened to it straight away. I connected so much with this book – a memoir about the author’s mother’s diagnosis and death from cancer. She really captures what the loss is like and the ways it affects a person. This is a book that will stay with me and I think is going to be one of my favourite non-fiction reads of the year.

What I Might Read Next

If I enjoyed Tuesday as much I enjoyed Monday then I plan on reading Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French over the next week.

Both Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson and My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me by Helen Naylor are from my NetGalley shelf and are really appealing to me at the moment so I hope to read them in the coming days.

Mini Reviews: The Fell | The Man Who Died Twice | Orphans of the Storm | Freckles

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Today I’m sharing another selection of mini reviews of books that I’ve read and enjoyed during my blogging break. I got all four of these books from NetGalley and I loved all of them.

The Fell by Sarah Moss

I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few of Sarah Moss’s previous novels but I think this one is my new favourite. The Fell follows Kate who is having to self-isolate with her teenage son due to having had contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid. She is really struggling with being trapped indoors and convinces herself that a walk on the moor won’t hurt anyone and no one will ever know she’s done it. We also follow her neighbour Alice, who has cancer and has had to shield throughout the pandemic. Alice sees Kate leave but doesn’t stop her so when Kate’s son tells Alice Kate is missing she immediately fears the worst and they call the police. This novel explores so many points of view regarding the pandemic, the restrictions and human nature in the face of all that has happened in the last year and a half. Moss makes you understand all the different views and to have some understanding of why people have struggled in different ways with different aspects of the pandemic. This is a short novel but it’s one that took me a few days to read as I wanted to really digest what I was reading. I really loved this novel and I highly recommend it.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

This is the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series and while I didn’t love it quite as much as the first I did still very much enjoy it and I definitely enjoyed catching up with all the characters again. This book begins with Elizabeth receiving a letter from an old colleague who wants to see her because he needs her help. He’s got himself into a situation involving a diamond robbery! Needless to say people start being murdered and the murder club start investigating again. I do love the characters in this novel and finding out more about them was my favourite aspect to the story. This is such a fun series and I will definitely be looking out for a third book!

Orphans of the Storm by Celia Imrie

I requested this novel from NetGalley as soon as I heard about it as I can’t resist stories about the Titanic. This novel follows a young Marcella in France in 1911. She meets a man and marries him after a whirlwind romance against the advice of her family. They go on to have two children but the marriage is not a happy one and Marcella seeks advice about filing for divorce. We also meet Margaret, a New York socialite who has managed to get tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic. This is a wonderful novel that had me turning the pages late into the night and I very much enjoyed it. It was tense knowing that it’s building to some of the characters ending up on the Titanic but not knowing what their fate will be. I loved Marcella, I was rooting for her all the way through the book. I loved this novel and was really shocked to learn how much of it is based on real people and a true story – not just the Titanic part! It was fascinating to read what is known and how Imrie created a fictional story based on the little that was known of these people. I definitely recommend this one!

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

I’m a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern so I’m always excited to learn of a new novel from her. Freckles felt different from her previous novels but I still really enjoyed it. Allegra Bird, known as Freckles, is quite a sad and lonely young woman. She wanted to join the police but was rejected so now she’s a traffic warden. One day someone tells her that everyone is the product of the five people closest to them and this sends her on a journey to surround herself with five strong people. I felt quite an affinity with Freckles, she is lost and searching for a connection and meaning in her life. Her mother abandoned her and her father is an eccentric man who did his best but Freckles has always felt absence in her life. I was rooting for her to find what she needed to feel complete and happy. I did find this novel a little hard to get into but once I got there I just didn’t want to put it down. I adored Freckles and I still keep thinking of her and wondering what she’s up to now. I recommend this one!

Mini Book Reviews: Safe at Home | All For You | Next of Kin | The Heights | A Slow Fire Burning

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I’ve not read a huge amount of books whilst on my blogging break but I have read a few and they’ve been so good. Today I’m sharing some mini reviews of recent NetGalley reads and I highly recommend all five of these books!

Safe at Home by Lauren North

I loved Lauren North’s first novel so am always keen to read anything new by her and I’m so pleased to say that I enjoyed this one. Safe at Home follows Anna who is a very anxious mother. One evening she leaves her eleven year old daughter home alone for a short period but she gets held up. When she gets back her daughter has unexplained bruising but won’t talk about it. The next day a businessman is reported missing. I found this novel to be very gripping. I was immediately curious about why Anna was so anxious and over-protective and wanted to know what could have happened to her daughter. Throughout the novel we see snippets of the local mums’ whatsapp group, which I loved as we see the way they appear nice and supportive and then the way they talk behind other mums’ backs. The gradual reveals of what has happened were really good and this novel definitely kept me on my toes. I didn’t see the ending coming and I love that it shocked me. I recommend this one!

All For You by Louise Jensen

I’ve read and enjoyed all of Louise Jensen’s previous novels and this one was just as good. It follows three members of a family: Lucy the mum, Aidan the dad and Connor their teenage son. In this novel all three of them have their secrets so when threatening messages begin appearing each of them believes these messages are aimed at them. Then one day two of Connor’s best friends go missing and the worry is that Connor might be next. I loved how this novel kept me on my toes. I had my suspicions throughout the novel and some of them proved correct but most were completely wrong as I just didn’t see the bigger picture of what was going on. I sped through this novel and didn’t want to put it down so I definitely recommend it!

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

Next of Kin is a brilliant novel but it’s not always easy to read. It follows Leila who one day is asked to take her very young nephew to nursery on her way to work. She agrees but later in the day when the baby’s father rings her to ask why his son isn’t at nursery Leila realises her mistake and races to her car. There are distressing scenes in this book but the story is really well written and the issues are sensitively handled. The novel follows the aftermath of Leila’s discovery and the guilt of various members of the family. I love how it explored the ramifications for Leila and her sister’s relationship. This is the third book I’ve read by Kia Abdullah and her writing just keeps getting better and better – I already can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

The Heights by Louise Candlish

The Heights follows Ellen a couple of years previously as she tries to deal with her teenage son making a new friend at school who seems to be a really bad influence. She tries her hardest to split them up but never manages it. The novel also follows her in the present as one day whilst at work she sees Kieron, he son’s friend, but it can’t really be him because she knows he’s dead! The novel then goes back and forth in time as we learn what happened with her son and Kieron and what revenge Ellen exacted to get him out of her son’s life. I was completely engrossed in this novel and read it in one sitting – it’s absolutely my favourite of all of Louise Candlish’s novels to date and I highly recommend it!

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

I listened to the audio book of this, which is narrated brilliantly by Rosamund Pike. The novel follows three women: Laura who is hot-headed and often judged for it; Miriam who sees Laura fleeing the scene of a murder but who knows you can’t always believe everything you see; and Carla who is reeling the shock from finding out that her nephew has been murdered. These three women are all fascinating and I loved getting to know more about all of them and seeing the layers of what makes them who they are slowly getting peeled back. They all have damage and they all have issues but they’re all so interesting to get to know. I wanted to know who the murderer was and why but it was almost secondary to getting to know the women. I very much enjoyed this novel and I recommend it!

WWW Wednesdays (18 Aug ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

Orphans of the Storm by Celia Imrie

I just got approved to read this book from NetGalley yesterday and I couldn’t resist picking it up straight away. It’s a novel about the Titanic and it sounds really engrossing and interesting.

Recent Reads

I’ve not been reading much recently, hence why I haven’t posted a WWW for a couple of weeks but these are the five books I’ve finished since my last post.

All For You by Louise Jensen

This was another really good, fast-paced and gripping thriller by Louise Jensen. It captured my attention at a time when I’ve been struggling to read.

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

I did struggle to get into this novel but once I did I found it hard to put down. It follows Freckles as she tries to navigate her way through life and to work out which people are the most important and influential to her.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

I really enjoyed this sequel to The Thursday Murder Club, it was gripping and fun as well as being an intriguing mystery.

The Long Long Afternoon by Inga Vesper

I bought this ebook a while ago and picked it up recently and I was engrossed from start to finish. It follows the mystery of a suburban housewife who suddenly disappears one day.

The Sleeping Beauties by Suzanne O’Sullivan

This is a fascinating non-fiction book looking at mysterious illnesses around the world that all seem to have something in common. It explores the different terminology around what is now called Functional Neurological Disorder and it’s very interesting and thought-provoking.

What I Might Read Next

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride

I’m still not reading very much at the moment but these two books are the next ones on my NetGalley shelf so I’m hoping to get to them over the coming week.

That Was The Month That Was… July 2021

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I can’t believe I’m writing my July wrap-up already, I really don’t know where this year is going! July has been a good month for me. I’m double vaccinated now so have been making attempts to get back to some kind of normality.

My husband and I have been shopping a few times and have finally bought some much-needed new clothes. We hadn’t bought anything since our weight loss so all of our clothes were hanging off us. It still feels so bizarre to me to be buying and wearing clothes in a UK14 when eleven months ago I was five and a half stone heavier and five dress sizes bigger! It also felt very strange to go in shops for the first time in a year and half but once I got over the initial anxiety it was just so nice to be doing something normal again.

My reading time has been somewhat hampered by the Euros and now the Olympics but I don’t mind because I’ve been really enjoying all the sport. Also we finished watching The Sopranos early in the month and I still feel lost now that we’ve seen it all. It was brilliant though – it might even be my new favourite TV series of all time!

Here are the books I read in July…

The Miracle Pill by Peter Walker

The Lucky Eight by Sheila Bugler

Stronger by Poorna Bell

The Other Wife by Claire McGowan

Safe at Home by Lauren North

Hope Close by Tina Seskis

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Fragile by Sarah Hilary

Death on Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother

The Island Home by Libby Page

Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson

The Heights by Louise Candlish

All My Mothers by Joanna Glen

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

Nothing But Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon

Justice for Helen by Marie McCourt

How to Save a Life by Liz Fenton

Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig

How was July for you? I hope it was a good month and that you’re keeping well. What was your favourite book read in July? I’d love to know! 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (28 Jul ’21)! What are you reading at the moment?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

I’ve only read the first couple of chapters of this one so far but I’m enjoying it. I loved the first book in the series so I have high hopes for this!

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

I love Cecelia Ahern’s writing so have been really keen to get to this one and I’m really enjoying it. It feels different to some of her other novels but it’s very good and I can’t wait to read more.

Intimations by Zadie Smith

This is an essay collection written during the early days of the pandemic. I love Zadie Smith’s writing so I’m enjoying that aspect but the actual content isn’t engaging me as much as I hoped it would. I’m still keen to read more though.

Recent Reads

Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig

This is a brilliant book all about Rebekah’s life as a disabled person and I found it so relatable. The things that she has experienced and the ignorance some people show towards her is both eye-opening and so similar to my own experiences of being a wheelchair user. I would recommend this book to everyone, it’s such a good read.

How to Save a Life by Liz Fenton

I got the ebook of this one on Kindle Unlimited and it came with the audio version so I listened to it. It was an okay read but it’s not one that’ll stay with me. It follows a man who bumps into his ex girlfriend and they agree to go on a date but on that date she dies. The novel is then him stuck in groundhog day as he keeps waking up on the same day and trying to save her life.

Justice for Helen by Marie Mccourt

This is a non-fiction book that Marie wrote about her daughter Helen. Helen was murdered in 1986 and her killer was convicted but to this day has refused to say where her body is. Marie has successfully campaigned for Helen’s Law whereby at parole hearings it must be taken into account how much the killer has complied with authorities. Sadly the bill was passed after Helen’s killer was released. Marie has written such a moving account of her daughter’s life, and of the years she has had without her. It’s a book that will really stay with me and I absolutely recommend it.

Nothing But Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon

I listened to this on audio and loved it. I will admit that the first chapter didn’t grab me and I wasn’t sure it was going to be for me but then a moment came where I just fell in love with it and I couldn’t stop listening. This follows a man in the aftermath of his wife’s death – it’s a novel about grief and loss but also about love and about how you learn to live after the worst has happened.

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

I’ve already reviewed this book so you can find my thoughts here.

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

This was another really good read! This is a novel that is hard to read at times due to the subject matter but it’s a great read and so I would recommend it. It follows two sisters in the aftermath of a tragedy where a young child dies due to one sister forgetting he was in her car. The court case that follows threatens to tear the sisters apart. The exploration of all the different emotions and actions in this case is handled really well and I did enjoy this one (if enjoy is the right word).

What I Might Read Next

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride

I got both of these books from NetGalley a few days ago and I’m really keen to start them so I’ll hopefully be picking them up once I’ve finished my current reads.

Mini Book Reviews: The Island Home | Yours Cheerfully | All My Mothers | Unwell Women

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The Island Home by Libby Page

I love Libby Page’s writing and this book was every bit as lovely as her previous novels! The Island Home follows two characters in alternating chapters – Lorna who left the island of Kip under a cloud when she was a teenager and has never been back; and Alice who is Lorna’s sister-in-law but the two women have never met. The two women have daughters the same age who have been chatting online and now Lorna is going back to Kip. This is a gorgeous novels that really explores family dynamics, female friendship and found family in an honest and believable way. Kip has a wonderful community and all the characters in this novel felt like real people and I now want to go there and meet them! This book has it’s darker moments but on the whole it’s a feel-good novel that really pulls at your heartstrings. I loved it and definitely recommend it!

Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce

This is the sequel to Dear Mrs Bird so we’re back with Emmie at Women’s Friend magazine in the months following the end of the previous novel. I loved this book, it was just as lovely as the first one and I got completely swept up in it. This time Emmie gets involved with a campaign to encourage more women into war work and I loved it. We see the strength of the women but also their vulnerabilities and how much harder life is made for them by bosses who think they should be the same as men and yet also keep their home and raise their children but with no support from anyone. I was glad Bunty was back in this novel as I adore her friendship with Emmie. This is such a lovely read and I recommend it!

All My Mothers by Joanna Glen

This novel is simply stunning! I loved Joanna Glen’s previous novel and this one is every bit as good, if not even better! All My Mothers follows Eva (sounds like ever not evil!) from being a young child and realising that there are gaps in her childhood photos and memories and she wants to know why. We see the lovely friend she makes on her first day of school and the way that girl’s family take Eva under their wing. I adored the book with the rainbow mothers and how this comes up time and again throughout the novel as Eva tries to work out who she is and where she comes from. It’s a novel about found family and how you can find real love and a real bond with people who aren’t blood relations, and that this is just as good. I was moved to tears more than once as I read this novel but I was completely swept away in Eva’s story and I just couldn’t put it down – I read it all in one sitting. I already want to go back and read it again! I highly recommend this one!

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

This is an incredibly powerful non-fiction book looking at the history of how women have been treated in western medicine over the centuries – it covers ancient Greece and medieval times right up to the present day. It’s such a fascinating book but also anger-inducing at the way women have suffered – and still suffer – due to the lack of research and understanding into female diseases and illnesses. I’m someone who has dealt with more than my fair share of doctors who have been very dismissive of me only for it to later turn out that they made a huge mistake that has cost me dearly in terms of health. This book really highlights how entrenched medicine has always been in maintaining something of a status quo but it also gives hope seeing the rise of female doctors, and male doctors who want to understand and further others’ understanding of female diseases. It’s a shocking read and one that will make you angry but it’s very comprehensive and well written and I definitely recommend it.

WWW Wednesdays (21 July ’21)! What are you reading at the moment?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

I’ve read the first five chapters of this one so far and I can’t wait to read more. It’s a fascinating look at the history of how women have been treated by medical professionals over the years.

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

I started this book yesterday and I am gripped. It follows the awful story of a young child dying in a hot car having been forgotten about. The novel then follows the child’s parents and his mother’s sister, who left the child as we find out what happened. I feel like there are going to be twists and turns in this novel and I’m intrigued to see where it’s going.

Recent Reads

All My Mothers by Joanna Glen

This book is beautiful, I adored it! It follows Eva who lives with her parents who are quite cold and she never feels like she fits with them. Over the years she enjoys other people’s families and sees what she has missed out on. Ultimately this is a novel about found family and how that can bring you so much, and be just as important as the family you start out with. I loved this novel and I highly recommend it.

The Heights by Louise Candlish

Wow, this book is so good. I was gripped from start to finish and definitely think this is Candlish’s best book to date! This book follows a mother who becomes fixated on the boy who she knows is a bad influence on her son but things get out of control. I couldn’t put this book down, and now I’ve finished it I keep thinking about it!

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and I’m really happy to say that it didn’t disappoint! It follows three women in the aftermath of a murder and it’s so gripping!

Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce

I very much enjoyed this audiobook. It is the sequel to Dear Mrs Bird and it was lovely to be back with Emmie and seeing how her life is going. This is a book looking at women’s issues during the war and it manages to both highlight how difficult it was while at the same time being a feel-good read. I loved this and I recommend it.

The Island Home by Libby Page

This is a lovely read and I very much enjoyed it. I loved reading about the characters and the island of Kip, it’s such a feel-good read. I recommend this one.

What I Might Read Next

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

These are the next two books to be read from my NetGalley shelf and while they’re not published until September I’m so keen to get to them so will hopefully get to read them this week.

What are you at the moment? Have you read any good books recently? I’d love to know 🙂

Mini Book Reviews: Fragile | Rock Paper Scissors | The Couple at No. 9 | 56 Days

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Fragile by Sarah Hilary

I listened to this book on audio from NetGalley and I found it really engrossing. It follows Nell who has had a difficult childhood. She ended up in foster care but her foster mum was quite neglectful and left her and Joe to pretty much look after a younger child, Rosie, on their own. One day something terrible happens and Nell and Joe end up running away to London. Time has moved on a little when we first meet Nell and she is trying to find Joe but also to find somewhere to live and she ends up becoming a house keeper for Dr Wilder. This novel has an insidious sense of foreboding running through it – both in the present and as we slowly learn about the past – and I really enjoyed that element. This felt quite an intense book, I felt really invested in Nell’s story and finding out about her but at the same time it felt quite claustrophobic. I listened to this book in just two sittings though because I just wanted to know what was going to happen and how it was all going to end!

This book is out now!

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

I loved this book! Rock Paper Scissors follows Adam and Amelia in alternating chapters as they go on a mini break for their tenth wedding anniversary. Also interspersed throughout the novel are also letters to Adam from his wife. The couple are clearly not the happiest of couples and when they arrive at their destination it’s clear this is not the cosy escape and chance to reignite their love that each might have hoped. They’re staying in a converted church in the middle of nowhere, it’s snowing and isolated and a bit creepy. It’s clear from the start that something isn’t right but I couldn’t put my finger on what was going on. I had so many things running through my head about what might be happening and I was wrong every single time, which I loved! This book had me hooked from start to finish and I read it all in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down! This is Alice Feeney at her best and I very much enjoyed this one. If you loved Sometimes I Lie then you’ll adore this!

This book is due to be published on 19th August.

The Couple at No. 9 by Claire Douglas

The premise of this novel gave me chills – Tom and Saffron, who is pregnant with their first baby, have moved into their dream home which she has inherited from her Grandmother. They’re in the middle of a renovation project when their builders find two skeletons buried in the back garden! Police begin investigating and it seems there might be a connection to Saffy’s grandma Rose. We also get chapters set in the past when Rose first moved to the cottage and slowly the two timelines build up a picture of all the people who have lived in this house and how any of them might be connected to the present day discovery. I found this novel really gripping, I loved both timelines and I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen. This novel kept me on my toes and I really enjoyed it!

This book is due to be published on 19th August.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

This book is brilliant! It follows Ciara and Oliver who randomly meet one day and seem to click straight away. But then lockdown is announced and they decide to move in together for this period of time so that they can keep seeing each other. This is 56 days ago. In the present day we follow the police as a body has been found in an apartment and it’s the place this new couple were living! I was gripped from the very first pages of this novel and I devoured it as I just didn’t want to put it down. This is a novel that seems like it’s going one way and then the rug is pulled out from under you and I loved that. I was stunned by some of the reveals that come along and it had me unnerved that I hadn’t seen certain things coming. This is my favourite thriller of the year so far and I highly recommend it!

This book is due to be published on 19th August.

I received all four of these books from the publishers via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

WWW Wednesdays (14 Jul ’21)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

The Island Home by Libby Page

Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce

Recent Reads

Death on Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother

Fragile by Sarah Hilary

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

What I Might Read Next

All My Mothers by Joanna Glen

The Heights by Louise Candlish

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

What are you reading this week? What have you recently finished reading? I’d love to know! 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (7 Jul ’21)! What are you reading at the moment?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

Death on Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother

This is a true crime book about the death of Rebecca who was found dead in an apparent suicide but the way her body was found makes it seem very implausible that she did this to herself. The crime scene was compromised early on due to it initially being called in as a suicide. I don’t remember this case at the time so I know nothing about what happens but it’s devastating to read about what happened.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

I’m about a quarter of the way into this one and so far this is Alice Feeney at her best! The novel so far follows a married couple who are having a weekend away in the middle of nowhere to try and get their marriage back on track. We follow each of their points of view in alternating chapters interspersed with a letter from the wife to her husband that she has written on each of their anniversaries. There is a real sense of unease from the start with this novel and I feel quite on edge reading it – I can’t wait to read more though and to see where this novel is going!

Recent Reads

Safe at Home by Lauren North

This is such a gripping read following an anxious woman who feels the need to keep her children close. One night she trusts one of her eleven year old daughters to stay home alone for twenty minutes but she gets delayed and when she gets home it’s clear something has happened but her daughter won’t talk about it. I really enjoyed this novel, it kept me guessing all the way through.

Hope Close by Tina Seskis

I got this one on audio from Kindle Unlimited and I enjoyed listening to it. It follows a handful of residents on Hope Close, all with their secrets to hide and it follows them as things begin to resurface and cause issues in the present.

The Other Wife by Claire McGowan

I also listened to this one on Kindle Unlimited and it was an okay book. It follows three women who all seem separate from one another but it seems certain that their paths will cross at some point. There are twists in store and some of them caught me off guard but it was just an okay read for me.

The Lucky Eight by Sheila Bugler

This was a fun read following a group of people who all survived the same plane crash and are now bound together as being part of the media-dubbed ‘lucky eight’. There are secrets and lies amongst this group and so when one of them is found dead – presumed murdered – the pressure mounts. I enjoyed this one, it kept me gripped all the way through.

Stronger by Poorna Bell

I love Poorna Bell’s writing so was keen to get to this one. I borrowed the audiobook from the library and I listened to it over two days. This is the author’s story of how she found sport after her husband’s sudden death. She got into weight lifting and the book is all about how sport can help in all aspects of life – physical and mental – and I found it fascinating. I can’t exercise in any meaningful way because of my disability but I am working on losing weight to improve my health and I know the difference it makes when your body starts to feel stronger and healthier.

The Miracle Pill by Peter Walker

This is another fascinating audiobook about how our sedentary lives are damaging our health in so many ways. It’s full of science and anecdotal evidence along with the author’s own experiences and I found it to be so interesting. I would recommend this to everyone and I’m planning on buying a kindle copy so I can read it and highlight relevant sections.

What I Might Read Next

Fragile by Sarah Hilary

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

The Pact by Sharon Bolton

As usual I don’t know what I’ll read this week but the above three are the ones that are calling to me the most right now!

My Favourite NonFiction of 2021 So Far!

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Yesterday I shared my favourite novels that I’ve read this year so far and today it’s the turn of nonfiction books. I’ve not read as much nonfiction this year as I normally do but the books I have read have been excellent, and these eight books are the best of the best.

Best nonfiction read in 2021 so far!

How to be Broken by Dr Emma Kavanagh

This Party’s Dead by Erica Buist

Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri

Super Sick by Allison Alexander

Invisible Women by Caroline Cried Perez

Really Saying Something by Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward

Hungry by Grace Dent

All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks

What’s your favourite nonfiction read of this year so far? I’d love to know! 🙂

My Favourite Novels of 2021 so far!

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I can’t believe we’re halfway through 2021 already! This means that it’s time to pick my favourite books that I’ve read this year so far though, and while making this list is hard I do love putting this post together and showcasing my favourite books.

Today I’m sharing my favourite novels that I’ve read this year and tomorrow I will share my favourite nonfiction books.

The books I’ve chosen are all books that have made a difference to my life in some way this year and I’m so grateful to have found so many wonderful books. My list is in no particular order as it was impossible to pick a favourite, all 21 of these books are well worth a read. 🙂

Here are my favourite novels of 2021 so far…

The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer by Joel Dicker

One Last Time by Helga Flatland

Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

Home Stretch by Graham Norton

Mountain Road, Late at Night by Alan Rossi

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech

The Twenty Seven Club by Lucy Nichol

The Girl in the Missing Poster by Barbara Copperthwaite

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

Truth by Told by Kia Abdullah

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Outsiders by James Corbett

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox

What are your favourite novels of the year so far? I’d love to know! 🙂

Mini Book Reviews: Both of You | The First Day of Spring | The Murder of Graham Catton | Passenger List

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Today I’m sharing some more of my mini reviews of books that I’ve enjoyed recently. All four of these books are from NetGalley but are out now!

Both of You by Adele Parks

Both of You is the story of Leigh who is happily married with two step-children but one day she disappears. Her husband is slow to report her missing as she works away during the week so he wasn’t sure when exactly she disappeared. We follow him, and the detective who is working on the case. Then soon after another woman is reported missing by her husband and it’s in similar circumstances and this is when the tension begins to ramp up. I found this book really fast-paced and while I spotted whodunnit early on my enjoyment was not marred by this as I was so invested in the why and the how. There are quite a few suspects and suspicious happenings throughout the book which does put you off the scent somewhat, which I liked. I read this book in just a day as I didn’t want to put it down, I needed to know if my suspicions were correct and to see how it would end. I would say that the ending is very abrupt and you are left reeling a little bit by that but the more the book sits with you the more it makes sense for it to end the way it does. I recommend this one for your summer reading plans!

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

I really enjoyed The First Day of Spring – I listened to the audiobook and I read it every single chance I had as I just wanted to know how this novel was going to go. The story follows Chrissie who seems quite neglected and has a difficult home life – her mother is very cold and her father is often absent. One day she kills a younger child and does all she can to avoid being caught. This novel is so delicately written that you can’t help but have sympathy and compassion for Chrissie, even when you know what she’s done. It’s actually heartbreaking when you hear her thoughts of what death means and it’s awful when you realise how little she understands. The novel also follows Chrissie as an adult when she has a young child of her own and is struggling to know how to nurture a child when she was never nurtured. I found this such a moving novel, which is rare in crime fiction. It really got to me and I keep finding myself thinking about it. It’s definitely a novel that makes you pause and think, whilst also being such a gripping and engaging thriller. I recommend this one!

The Murder of Graham Catton by Katie Lowe

I can’t help but be drawn to novels featuring a crime podcast so this one seemed like it was for me. The novel follows Hannah whose husband was murdered in the family home a decade before. Hannah can’t remember all the details of what happened but a man named Mike was convicted of the crime. Now a true crime podcast is going over the case and looking at potential new evidence. Hannah works at a psychiatric clinic and has had her own mental health battles so this is a very stressful time for her. She felt like quite an unreliable narrator to me and I was never sure whether I could believe what she was portraying. This novel does requite some suspension of disbelief but it didn’t stop my enjoyment nor did it stop me reading at every opportunity as I wanted to know whodunnit and why. There wasn’t as much of the actual podcast in this novel as I’d hoped there would be – we hear about it second hand as Hannah and her family talk about it whereas I’d been expecting some transcripts. I enjoyed this novel all the same though and will definitely read more by this author in the future.

Passenger List by John Dryden

I seem to be reading a lot of books recently about bad things that happen involving planes but I’m finding them all quite addictive. Passenger List follows Kaitlin as she tries to find out what happened to the flight that went missing with her twin brother on board. She doesn’t believe the official explanation and is determined to get to the truth. This novel does require a lot of suspension of disbelief but if you can do that then it is a very fast paced page turner and one that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. There are lots dark alleys and red herrings in the novel alongside quite a few shady characters but all this serves to keep you on your toes, and I quite liked not knowing who to trust and not knowing if Kaitlin was making good decisions or not. This would make a great holiday read!

That Was The Month That Was… June 2021!

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June has really flown by! My husband is back at work and we’re back in a normal routine again now. I’ve had my second vaccine (well, I will have had it when this post goes live) so it’s good to finally be fully vaccinated. I’m hoping to start getting out and about a bit more from now on.

We did go to the opticians in June as we were overdue for eye tests. My vision has been getting worse so I was expecting to need new varifocals but actually my vision hasn’t changed much, the problem is my eye. The optician thinks it’s linked to the damage in my spinal cord, which sadly means nothing much can be done. He has given me some eye exercises to do so I’m working on those in the hope it will help strengthen the muscles in my eye. I’ve also got reading glasses for when I’m spending longer periods reading. It all means that I’m struggling to read print books and this isn’t going to change so I have to accept more reading on Kindle (where I can make the font bigger) and listening to audio books from now on. I’m struggling with reading on a computer screen so I can only apologise for being so slow to read and reply to comments. I do always appreciate comments on my posts and feel awful that I can’t reply very quickly or to comment on your blogs as much as I would dearly like to.

I didn’t read as much in June as I’d planned to but we’ve been watching a lot of the Euros and also squeezing in episodes of The Sopranos where we can. We’re now only a few episodes from the end and part of me is keen to see how it ends and the other part of me doesn’t want it to end because it’s been so good.

Here are the books I read in June…

The Outsiders by James Corbett

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox

This is How We Are Human by Louise Beech

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

Super Sick by Allison Alexander

Everything Happens for a Reason by Katie Allen

Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

Suzy Lamplugh: Missing by Netta Newbound

Claudia Lawrence: Missing by Netta Newbound

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton

Passenger List by John Dryden

Both of You by Adele Parks

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks

How was June for you? I hope it was a good month and that you’re keeping well. What was your favourite book read in June? I’d love to know! 🙂

WWW Wednesdays (30 Jun ’21)! What are you reading?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

The Island Home by Libby Page

I wanted to save this book to read this week as when this post goes live I’ll have had my second vaccine (and hopefully I won’t be feeling as ill as with the first) and know that Libby Page writes such engaging, comforting books. I’ve only read the first couple of chapters so far but I know I’m going to love this one.

The Miracle Pill by Peter Walker

I bought this audio book on a whim in the recent Audible sale and I’m so glad I did. This is a really interesting book about how we got so sedentary and how we can change. There is so much information about how the smallest changes can have a huge impact on our bodies and I’m finding it so motivating as I continue on my weight loss journey.

Recent Reads

All the Young Men by Ruth Coker-Burks

I bought a copy of this on Kindle in the end as I was struggling to read the print book and I’m so glad I did. This book is so moving but such an incredible read. Ruth is an amazing woman, the way she reached out to men who were dying from AIDS and ostracised from their families as a result is incredible. She acknowledged her fear but she pushed through because her compassion won through. This is a book everyone should read.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

I devoured this thriller in one sitting, I honestly just didn’t want to put it down for a minute! It’s a lockdown novel focusing on a couple who have been on a handful of dates at the beginning of Coronavirus restrictions and they decide to move in together so they can still see each other in lockdown. The novel opens with a body being found and then goes back and forth in time as we learn who is dead, what happened and how the couple are connected. It’s such a gripping book, I loved it!

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

I read most of this novel in one sitting too as it was just so gripping and I wanted to know what happened! It follows a young mum as she struggles in her relationship with her boyfriend, and is captivated by a new friend at college. We also follow her mum in the aftermath of her daughter’s disappearance. This book had me so enthralled, I was annoyed when real life pulled me away from the story. I recommend this one too!

Both of You by Adele Parks

This is another great read from this week. It’s a novel about a woman that goes missing, and her husband as he tries to work out what happened. We also get the perspective of the police. The case becomes even more intense when another woman goes missing and her husband seems a little off. I really enjoyed this book, it kept me on my toes all the way through. I had to suspend disbelief at times, and I did work out what was going on quite early but none of that stopped me enjoying the novel.

Passenger List by John Dryden

This novel follows Kaitlin as she desperately hunts for the truth when the plane her twin brother was travelling on goes missing. She doesn’t believe the official story and is determined to find out what happened to her brother and the other passengers. This novel was different to what I was expecting and it requires a lot of suspension of disbelief but it was a quick, fun read.

What I Might Read Next

The Lucky Eight by Sheila Bugler

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

These are the next three books on my NetGalley shelf so I hope to get to them this week. I don’t know how much reading I’ll get done, it depends how I feel post vaccine but hopefully I’ll be fine this time and can keep reading!

Everything Happens For A Reason by Katie Allen | @OrendaBooks @KtAllenWriting

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About the Book

Armed with one broken heart and a (borrowed) sausage dog, Rachel is on a mission to find out why her baby was born sleeping.

Because Everything Happens for a Reason…

Doesn’t it?

Mum-to-be Rachel did everything right, but it all went wrong. Her son, Luke, was stillborn and she finds herself on maternity leave without a baby, trying to make sense of her loss.

When a misguided well-wisher tells her that ‘everything happens for a reason’, she becomes obsessed with finding that reason, driven by grief and convinced that she is somehow to blame. She remembers that on the day she discovered her pregnancy, she’d stopped a man from jumping in front of a train, and she’s now certain that saving his life cost her the life of her son.

Desperate to find him, she enlists an unlikely ally in Lola, an Underground worker, and Lola’s seven-year-old daughter, and eventually tracks him down, with completely unexpected results…

Both a heart-wrenching portrait of grief and a gloriously uplifting and disarmingly funny story of a young woman’s determination, Everything Happens for a Reason is a bittersweet, life-affirming read and, quite simply, unforgettable.

My Thoughts

Everything Happens for a Reason follows Rachel as she tries to make sense of the loss of her baby. The novel takes the form of emails that she writes to an initially unnamed person. This was sparked by someone saying to her that everything happens for a reason and Rachel fixates on wanting to know what the reason was. She remembers that on the day she found out she was pregnant that she saved a man who was about to jump in front of a train and she decides to find him and see if he is the reason.

I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it but I will admit that I was apprehensive about the subject matter – baby loss is not an easy subject to read about but this book is so beautifully written. Katie Allen writes with such honesty and sensitivity, she deftly balances humour and heartbreak. I’m so glad I picked this book up.

Rachel’s baby was stillborn and she is now understandably lost. She is on maternity leave but she has no baby. Her decision to search for the man whose life she saved gives her some purpose and fills her time. In the process of finding him she meets some other people who become so important in her life and I loved seeing their relationship build, it really was so lovely to read. I also enjoyed reading about the time Rachel spends with Ben, the man from the train, as she goes on his regular dog walks with him.

Nothing fully fills Rachel’s days as all she wants is her baby. She and her husband aren’t able to connect and communicate how they’re feeling to each other. There are times when it’s so apparent how much they still love each other but they can’t seem to find a way to show it. I can’t even imagine the pain of losing a baby, I have suffered a miscarriage at 12 weeks and I know that is in no way the same thing although it was incredible painful as it turned out to be my only ever chance of being a mum. I know how it feels to lose loved ones and how it rips your life apart and you are never the same afterwards. Katie Allen captures the feeling of being lost, of being unable to communicate your pain and grief to others, and of feeling so alone in such a heartrending way. I felt heartbroken for Rachel as I read her story.

There are lighter moments throughout this novel which balance Rachel’s pain. I loved reading about the dogs she gets to know through Ben’s work – they all felt so real to me and now I want a pet dog! Also the bonds that form between some of the people Rachel meets are really lovely – Lola and her fabulous daughter. The friendships are gorgeous and life-affirming.

I was curious how this novel would end and was hoping Rachel would find some peace and happiness again that would be long-lasting. I loved the way she found reasons to live and ways to enjoy life, even when she wasn’t looking to find this. Healing can take many forms and often comes from the things we least expect it to.

Everything Happens for a Reason is such a beautiful and moving novel, one that really resonated with me. I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Cater for my copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.About the Author

About the Author

Everything Happens for a Reason is Katie’s first novel. She used to be a journalist and columnist at the Guardian and Observer, and started her career as a Reuters correspondent in Berlin and London. The events in Everything Happens for a Reason are fiction, but the premise is loosely autobiographical. Katie’s son, Finn, was stillborn in 2010, and her character’s experience of grief and being on maternity leave without a baby is based on her own. And yes, someone did say to her ‘Everything happens for a reason’.

Katie grew up in Warwickshire and now lives in South London with her husband, children, dog, cat and stick insects. When she’s not writing or walking children and dogs, Katie loves baking, playing the piano, reading news and wishing she had written other people’s brilliant novels.

You can find the rest of the tour at the following blogs:

WWW Wednesdays (23 Jun ’21!)! What are you reading this week?

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WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for anyone to join in and is a great way to share what you’ve been reading!

Current Reads

Passenger List by John Dryden

I started this book yesterday and it’s such a fast-paced, gripping read that I don’t think I’ll be long finishing it. It follows a young woman whose brother was one of the passengers on a plane that went missing. She is seeking the truth about what happened to him and the flight.

All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks

I haven’t managed to read anymore of this book this week due to my eye issues but I’ve now bought a kindle copy so I’m definitely going to be reading a lot more of it this week.

Recent Reads

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton

I listened to the audiobook of this one on Audible and I really enjoyed it. It’s the story of a woman who is writing a book about Opal and Nev, whilst also wanting to find out more about what happened the night her father was killed. It’s a very engaging read that really draws you in and I was listening every chance I had as I wanted to find out how it would all end.

Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

This is Tayari Jones’ debut novel and it’s so good. It’s a novel told from the perspectives of three black children in Atlanta in the 1970s during the time when young black people were disappearing and being murdered but the authorities were not doing as much as they should have been to investigate and find the killer. I knew about about the real life murders but this novel told from the point of view of children was heartbreaking and devastating. This is a book that I’ll be thinking about for a very long time to come.

Everything Happens for a Reason by Katie Allen

This is a moving novel about Rachel whose baby was born sleeping and now she’s on maternity leave and trying to find a way to understand what happened to her son. She decides to track down a man whose life she saved on the day she found out she was pregnant. I really enjoyed this novel – it explores grief in such a powerful way but the story is balanced with some lighter moments. I’ll be reviewing this one tomorrow but in the meantime I recommend it!

What I Might Read Next

Both of You by Adele Parks

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

The Island Home by Libby Page

All three of these books are the next books on my NetGalley shelf so I hope to read them this week. I’ve accidentally requested a few new books recently so I want to focus on these books again so I can catch up again and get my reviews posted in a reasonable time frame.

Super Sick: Making Peace with Chronic Illness by Allison Alexander | @allisonexander

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About the Book

Superheroes aren’t sick. 

They certainly don’t have chronic pain, sexual dysfunction, or diarrhea. After all, spandex suits and sudden bowel movements don’t mix. Do they? 

With raw sincerity and tongue-in-cheek humour, Alexander holds nothing back while discussing how to navigate doctors, dating, sex, friendships, faith, and embarrassing symptoms. Part memoir, part research, part pop culture analysis, Super Sick offers a friendly hand to anyone with chronic illness, a reminder that they aren’t alone and have much to offer the world.

With a new foreword, updated information, and bonus materials, this is a must-read for anyone who has—or knows someone who has—a chronic illness.

My Thoughts

Super Sick is a non-fiction book by chronic illness sufferer Allison Alexander. As soon as I heard about this book I knew I had to read it as I love the idea of a book about chronic illness being told through the lens of superheroes. I’m so glad I read this book because it really is excellent.

Each chapter starts with the story of a different hero and then that leads Allison to relate this to her own experiences of chronic illness. There is a real honesty in this book, Allison doesn’t hold back on what her life is like at times and how her illness affects her, but there is also a lot of humour and positivity. The balance is incredibly well done.

I suffer from chronic illness and pain, and I’m disabled so I was intrigued by this book and I found myself nodding my head in solidarity with Allison for some of her horrible experiences that I have also been through. I also found myself smiling wryly, also in solidarity, for the humour you have to find in the awkward experiences and also in the dealing with people who say the most inappropriate things. Like Allison, I have had to smile sweetly of often when someone suggests a new miracle cure (like they think I haven’t tried everything there is to try).

I love the way Allison explores the different issues that come up when a person is chronically ill. From the relief of diagnosis but then the comedown when you realise you can’t be easily fixed (if at all) and then have to find a way to live with what’s happened. In one chapter she looks at the three types of suffering as seen in buddhism and this was fascinating, it really spoke to how I am and made me think. She also explores the way women are so often dismissed when it comes to pain, and how we’re often expected to put up with more – this is also my experience. There is so much relief that comes when someone believes you but so much distress when you’re not taken seriously.

I highlighted quite a few passages as I was reading this book but my favourite is this one:

‘Suffering people can find meaning in life just the same. We lose again and again. And again. Forever. But we still choose to fight. If I consider myself this way, I am a superhero instead of a character relegated to the sidelines, even if I don’t feel very mighty.’

This is a brilliant book if you have a chronic illness yourself or if you have someone in your life who has. It’s also an excellent, informative book for everyone to read – it’s accessible and easy to read and it really gives a great insight into what it is like to live with a chronic illness. I highly recommend this book!