Book Review: A Spark Of Light – Jodi Picoult

Oct 25, 2018Leave a comment

A normal morning changes multiple lives forever. After calls come in that a shooting has taken place in a Women’s Reproductive Health clinic, negotiator Hugh heads to the scene, what he doesn’t realise is that his 15-year-old daughter is one of the hostages.

I’ve been a Picoult fan for almost 10 years and devour her books when they come out. So, of course, I was itching to get my hands on a copy of her latest novel and as soon as I heard the subject matter I really wanted to see how she would tackle this topic. She isn’t afraid of taking on complicated issues.

As always, we are introduced to a wide range of characters, all of whom have their own complex backgrounds, thoughts and emotions. You see a snapshot into their worlds at that time. A doctor that works because of his faith, a nurse who cares for others no matter what, a pro-life campaigner caught in the crossfire, a woman who has chosen to have an abortion.

This novel is different from Picoult’s others in the way that it plays out, and initially, this threw me. This works backwards from the point of conflict to how the situation started. From this perspective, the novel was a little difficult to follow at times I was unclear who was who and how they were related for the first few chapters. So be aware of this is you are a die-hard Picoult fan.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of the novel to read on my Kindle. I’m hoping that the final novel makes it more obvious when the narrative changes, but this is minor in relation to the novel itself. There is a richness within that shows so many perspectives and ultimately, this is a novel about choice.

I gave this novel 4 stars. I thought it was well written and showed an interesting perspective. As always I could have read another 300 pages about these characters, about their lives beyond the events of this novel. Of course, it broke my heart at times and I’m pretty sure it will for most people.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Jodi Picoult for this advanced copy. You can get your own copy on the 30th October!

Are you going to be picking up Jodi’s latest novel? Let me know in the comments below!

Books To Get You In The Mood For Halloween But Won’t Scare You Silly!

Oct 22, 20184 Comments

It’s almost that time of year again! With a few days to go, it’s time to get to those Halloween reads! That said, I’m not into scary books. As of right now, I’ve never read a horror and it’s not something I want to read.

That said, I do love some supernatural, a little different and maybe spooky. I know I’m not the only one! Here are some novels to get you in the mood without scaring you silly!

The Graces – Laure Eve

One word. Witches. I was lucky enough to meet Laure Eve at YALC this year and I may have freaked out because I loved this book so much. This caused chills, we’re talking a modern-day witchy thriller. Make sure to read it before the second novel is released in January!

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

I debated putting the Chamber of Secrets on here BUT you have to start at the beginning! Of course, Harry Potter was going to be on here. Pumpkin Pasties, a Halloween fest, magical creatures! This just screams Autumn and Halloween.

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

Yep, throwing a classic out there. There are some chilling moments in Jane Eyre and supernatural elements as well as the beautiful description. I wouldn’t say this is overly Halloween but it’s a nod to the vibe.

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

I read this while at uni and this is a twisty, quite dark thriller. It has similar vibes to Jane Eyre but I definitely think it has more of a mystery element and ghosts. Can’t forget the ghosts!

Toil and Trouble – Edited by Jessica Spotswood & Tess Sharpe

The newest on this list! An anthology about Woman and Witchcraft and I am loving it! There’s a mix of modern and older tales and a lot of diversity. I’m getting more into anthologies and this was an absolutely amazing addition to my shelves as something I can pick up read a few stories and come back to.

That’s a few of the reads I’d suggest! Is there anything I’m missing? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: Vox – Christina Dalcher

Oct 18, 2018Leave a comment

Set in the future United States, a new backwards world. As a college student, Jean wasn’t interested in politics. Fast forward to her life as a Dr and mother and she lives in a world that she doesn’t recognise. First, they came for their passports, then their jobs and finally their voices. They can only speak 100 words a day, or they pay the prices.

This novel is deliciously dark. As soon as I’d heard about it, I knew I wanted to read it and so when I heard there were advance copies at YALC I rushed to the stand to grab one. If you’re looking for a novel that will really make you think, this is the one for you. I don’t think it’s for the faint hearted either, things feel a little too real at times.

The novel centres around Dr Jean McClellan, one of the worlds best scientists in her field. Or at least she was. With a tracker on her wrist, books and writing utensils taken and no way of escape – until they need something for her. While Jean has no interest in helping the monsters that have trapped her and are warping the mind of her firstborn son there is something bigger than them – her daughter who has never known more than 100 words a day.

Now, I’ll be honest as of writing this review I haven’t read The Handmaids Tale (nor have I watched the TV show and won’t until I’ve read the book!) but I know the premise. This is another novel with a dystopian future with the treatment of women at the centre. These novels are picking up speed, and this was an excellent debut.

I think what Dalcher has done here is tap into what we are already seeing in terms of restrictions on reproductive rights in the US as the beginning of a bigger problem. While there may be points that seem far-fetched, there are episodes in history where these kinds of limitations have happened to people. This could be real.

There are times when I thought the novel was going a little slow and there were some plot points that could have been a little tighter but overall I thought it was brilliant. I read this so quickly and stayed up until the early hours of the morning and then couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about it constantly.

This novel got a rating of 4 stars and I really enjoyed it and for a debut, it was very impressive. I have been recommending it to everyone because it needs to be read an appreciated. The only reason it’s not a 5 star is that it felt a little slow in the beginning and, actually, I would have loved the first quarter be longer – that was my favourite part! I really recommend this, an excellent read that you won’t forget in a hurry.

What I Read In September

Oct 16, 2018Leave a comment

It’s finally time to let you all know what I read in September, maybe a little later than normal. It’s better late than never! So, there’s a bit of a mix in the month of September. I read a few shorter things just to try and get my reading mojo going.

So, let’s get cracking shall we!

A Spark of Light – Jodi Picoult

I was lucky enough to get an early release copy of this novel, especially as I have read almost all of Jodi’s books. This is another novel with multiple perspectives and a tough subject matter. Set in a women’s health clinic, a gunman holds hostages. A range of beliefs, backgrounds and more. I’ll recommend this novel – perhaps not my favourite of Jodi’s but still a worthwhile read.

She Wants It – Jill Soloway

Jill is one of the writers of the Amazon hit show Transparent, who came up with the idea after her own parent came out as Transgender. I didn’t know this before reading. I don’t know what his book was trying to be at all, it started as a memoir but certainly didn’t finish that way. I wasn’t keen on this one at all.

[Dis] connected – various

Wow, wow, wow. This is absolutely beautiful, one of my favourite collections of the year. Want to know my full thoughts? My review is here.

Lovely Seeds – R.H. Swaney

I received this from Netgalley too and it is a truly beautiful collection that really spoke to me. If everything is a little overwhelming and you need to feel okay this is a great one to pick up.

Ask Me His Name – Elle Wright

This was a heavy book but also beautiful. Elle’s son Teddy died when he was merely a few days old, every parent’s worst nightmare. This details how she and her husband got through the initial shock and how they continue each day while keeping Teddy alive in their thoughts and hearts.

Sun – Wilbert Van der Steen

This was a really great read. I flew through this with an intriguing art style and a story that I was really invested in, I absolutely loved Lucien and his relationship with his Grandfather. I will not spoil anything in this review BUT I thought the ending was fantastic and I can’t wait to read the next instalment! Another great read thanks to Netgalley.

What My Star Ratings Mean!

Oct 15, 2018Leave a comment

We’ve all seen the normal way of rating books. 1 Star to 5 Star, but what those ratings mean to people can really vary. So, I thought I’d make it clear what my ratings mean and give you some examples of books I’ve loved and loathed!

1 Star

Why was this written? What was the point of it at all? Normally it will be a one star if I find that it’s offensive, ridiculous or just nasty. It takes a lot for a book to be 1 star.

2 Star

When I don’t like a book. There’s always a reason behind it, usually, if I find it boring or don’t like the way in which it’s written. Also, it can be the topic and how it is portrayed.

3 Star

This doesn’t mean the book is good or bad, but just meh. There’s probably some things I don’t rate about it. It could be the pace, the plot or the writing. I simply means that I probably won’t pick it up again and it’ll eventually make its way to the donate/give away/selling pile.

4 Star

This book was really, really great. I loved certain aspects of it and I’m going to recommend it to people. For X reason it was quite a 5 star for me but damn it was good.

5 Star

OH MY GOD WOW, EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS. IM GETTING ALL MY FRIENDS A COPY AND TWEETING THE AUTHOR AND AHHHHH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

It’s true that over time I have been known to change ratings depending on how I feel. A book I might have thought was a masterpiece at 15, I might not feel the same way about now. Similarly, I used to hate classics with a passion but now I’m a little older I can appreciate some of them and understand why they were so important! We change so much in life, which means our ratings will too!

How do you rate your books? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: This Is Where It Ends – Marieke Nijkamp

Oct 11, 2018Leave a comment

10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03 a.m. The auditorium doors won’t open.

10:05 a.m. Someone starts shooting.

The novel centres around a school shooting, each perspective is that of someone who has been in contact with the shooter in some way or another – and they all have something to lose. A novel full of suspense, who will get out alive?

I’ve been waiting to read this novel since it was released and I finally picked it up at YALC in the summer. I’m fascinated by how an author gets into writing such a tough novel because, ultimately, there is a lot of risk of not getting it right. I believe that Nijkamp was very sensitive and has fleshed out the characters really well.

I was really pleased to see the LGBT representation in the novel, two of the characters are lesbians and dealing with their breakup as the shooting emerges. There is also a character with a disability, as well as multiple characters who are ethnic minorities – but this doesn’t feel forced at all.

I thought it was really interesting how the novel used social media within the situation. These are teenagers and what we have seen, particularly in response to Parkland, is how young people use social media. Of course, there would be tweets, people would be trying to reach people. This was a good addition on Nijkamp’s part.

The ending was terribly, terribly sad and just leaves the novel on a poignant note. The shooting is, unfortunately, just the start of many people’s nightmares. Some will have to face life without their family members, others will have to live with injuries similar to those in war zones.

I gave this novel 4 stars, this was incredibly well written and tackled an incredibly hard topic. In the current climate, more novels like this should be available to bring awareness to what can happen. If you liked Only Child, one of my top reads of the year, you will also find this to be an excellent novel.

Book Review: [Dis]connected Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise – Amanda Lovelace; Nikita Gill; Iain S. Thomas; Cyrus Parker; Sara Bond; Yena Sharma Purmasir; Trista Mateer; Canisia Lubrin; R. H. Swaney; Pierre Alex Jeanty

Oct 4, 20181 Comment

Wow, wow, wow this is an incredible connection. Going in I expected more poetry than short stories but in the end, I thought these were some of the best short stories I have ever read. There was a real sense of variety despite the connection they all share and the collection itself.

This is a collection that tackles so many different issues from grief to family. Real life issues to fantastic fantasy. I truly believe there is something in this collection for everyone and being able to get a sneak peek of this was brilliant, I haven’t stopped recommending people pre-order this and make sure that they get their own copy. I truly, truly fell in love with this.

Some of my favourites were Nikita Gill’s Parietal Eye, Cyrus Parker’s Where The Sea Meets the Sky, Sara Bond’s Terra Firma, Yena Sharma Purmasir’s Ultra and Amanda Lovelace’s Small Yellow Cottage on the Shore. Each of these are so different and yet were perfectly chosen to fit next to each other.

It might sound like a broken record but it is hard to convey just how beautiful these stories are. Unlike many other collections I have read, I could not put this down. Each story and author wrote such compelling tales I had to read the next one, and the next and the next. Some were incredibly creepy, inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, while others used Mythology and Mermaids. Each could individually capture something within me.

I gave this collection 5 stars. I literally picked it up because I recognised two incredibly brilliant poets and ended up finding even more, that I would like to read further. I really have to sing the praises because this completely knocked me for six and I didn’t know much going in.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy for review.

September Book Haul

Sep 29, 2018Leave a comment

A birthday and no self-control means a September Book Haul! Yay! So these are the few physcial books I’ve picked up in September, I’m now on a ban…who am I kidding there’s too many amazing

Let’s get started with some of the amazing deals I got on Amazon. First up Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I keep hearing about this author and when they were £2 each I thought it was worth a go. I will report back.

Next up My Purple Scented Novel by Ian McEwan. This is absolutely tiny but I really loved Nutshell and wanted to read something else by McEwan without a huge time commitment. I also picked up Survivors: True Stories of the Children of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo, this was on offer and I want to hear the stories that these people have so it is never forgotten.

Kick-Ass poetry by amazing women? I’m sold which is why I bought She Is Fierce by Ana Sampson. It had Sylvia Plath in so it has to be good. Next up another poetry collection, I Hope My Voice Doesn’t Skip by Alicia Cook who is known to use music within her poetry – I’m really looking forward to this one.

I’d heard a lot about this. What Would Boudicca Do? by E.Foley & B.Coates takes women from history and modern problems, how would they deal with it? This looks really fun. Next up I pre-ordered The Guilty Feminist by Deborah Frances-White, I’ve heard a lot about the podcast and ones I’ve listened to have been great.

I’m trying to savor the Saga series so I went ahead and ordered Volume 6 and Volume 7. For my birthday I got Three-Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell in a mystery book package, New York, 1960s let’s give it a go. I also picked up Fierce Fairytales & Other Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill on the recommendation of my friend Sarah. Who am I to say no to feminist fairytales?

Another birthday gift was My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi. This is manga that I keep seeing again and again. I ordered Vengeful by V.E Schwab ages ago thinking I’d read Vicious before…that didn’t quite go to plan but HOW BEAUTIFUL! I was also sent a copy of The Witches of St. Petersberg by Imogen Edward-Jones as part of an upcoming book tour. I didn’t want to know too much about it before going in but keep your eyes peeled!

My final two books I also got at birthday gifts, I’ve really wanted to try some Leigh Bardugo and so I didn’t just get one, I got two for my birthday! Lucky, lucky gal!

Well, that’s all the books I got in September! Now I just need to get through them all…wish me luck! Are there any you’ve read and would recommend or any on your to-read list? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: Girl Made of Stars – Ashley Herring Blake

Sep 27, 2018Leave a comment

When your friend accuses your twin brother of rape where do you turn? Your friend wouldn’t lie, but could the brother you love do this? Add in the complication of an ex-girlfriend and it’s enough to tear anyone apart. This is Mara’s reality.

This novel will break your heart, I need to warn you going into this. I read this while stuck in the hospital and I truly escaped into the novel and felt my heart break but was also blown away. This has so many levels, Mara’s relationship with her brother, with her parents and with her friends.

Ashley Herring Blake really captures the grey area of consent. In many cases of sexual assault, particularly when the accused and accuser know each other things get muddy. That said she has perfectly captured the complexity of the situation and at no point blames the victim.

In the era of #MeToo more stories like this are being heard and even though this novel is fictional it reinforces the message: you deserve to be heard. While this is from Mara’s perspective, this does not take away from the emotions of someone to have gone through such an event. It is superbly written

On another note, I love, love, love that there was a bisexual main character. There are very few I’ve seen that show interest in both sexes within the novel, that was a huge thing for me. This isn’t a huge plot point or a twist it just is what it is and I applaud that.

If you haven’t guessed already, I gave this novel 5 stars. It really is a brilliantly written novel which has heart as well as complexity. This is the kind of novel that should be taught in school, that will give young people something to relate to.

I’d love to hear your thoughts you’ve read this novel. Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: Tyler Johnson Was Here – Jay Coles

Sep 20, 20181 Comment

A party, a raid, a body. Marvin Johnson wants to be closer to his twin brother, who’s been drifting recently. After going to a party with him, Marvin’s life will change forever. Shots are fired and in the middle of a police raid Marvin loses sight of Tyler, what he doesn’t know is that he’ll never see him alive again. After searching Marvin gets the news that Tyler is dead, murdered by a police officer. How can he make sense of the world now?

This book is a masterpiece. I absolutely loved this and it deserves to be read everywhere. I had to go to Foyles in London (which I’m not complaining about it’s one of the best shops in the world) to get this and I haven’t seen it in any local stores! But why did I love it so much?

At the beginning of the novel, we meet Marvin, a high school straight A student with a bright future ahead of him. Kind, quiet and caring Marvin is worried about his twin brother, which leads to the previously mentioned party, and Tyler’s death. The novel quickly delves into the world of racial hatred and shooting of young, unarmed black men that we see again and again in the US.

This is a novel, ultimately about family and identity. The fact that Tyler is murdered at the hands of a police officer isn’t the shocking part to the family. These boys are brought up to be wary of police and that was heartbreaking. Their father is already in prison, their mother working as hard as she can to raise them. Is it any wonder that without his brother by his side Marvin feels lost and confused.

A central part of this novel is how Marvin see’s himself. Should he be continuing to try his hardest, to be respectful and separate himself from the stereotype of where he’s from when that’s all people see? Or should he just embrace it? There are parts within the novel where you just want to reach out to him, especially when he mentions his brother has ‘become a hashtag’.

I gave this novel 5 stars. It’s an important read for modern times. Incredibly, this is Jay Coles’s debut novel I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Chloe Metzger

Lifestyle, Books and More

Category: Book Review

Book Review: A Spark Of Light – Jodi Picoult