Category: Book Review

Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Allbertalli

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‘Dear Blue’

Sixteen-year-old Simon is gay, but the only person who knows is his online boyfriend, Blue. Neither of them uses their real names or know each other’s real identity but that’s about to end. After Simon is outed after being blackmailed the world is going to know.

Of course, this novel is everywhere at the moment the release of the film Love, Simon. It had been on my TBR pile for a while so I really wanted to read it before seeing the film. I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed. I don’t know if it’s because of all the hype but it just dragged for the first half. Don’t get me wrong the emails were adorable. The relationship with Blue was adorable but I felt like I needed more from Simon.

There were some important points such as the fact that people need to come out at all, how odd the concept is. I also loved the way that Simon had people who loved him and a supportive family after he was outed and that it showed the reality of what school could be like for someone who has come out. On that note, I think that it was important to show homophobia, because, in a small town that would happen, it wouldn’t just be ok, unfortunately. I also have to point out that I thought the relationship between Simon and Blue was absolutely adorable and I wish we’d seen more of it.

I thought long and hard about writing this review because I know it’s so loved, but it just fell a little flat for me. It’s because of this I gave it 3 stars, it was a good read but not standout and that’s just my opinion. I think in a lot of ways we could have had more development and a better idea of his friends, particularly Leah. So, overall I understand why people like it but it just didn’t live up to the hype for me.

 

Book Review: How To Stop Time – Matt Haig

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How to Stop Time - Matt Haig

When you look at Tom all you would see is a 40 something History teacher but he’s a little odd, that’s because Tom is actually 400 years old. Living for centuries can take it’s toll and lately Tom is finding it more and more difficult each day. With pressure from the secret society, created to protect people like him and increasingly falling into the past can Tom hold it together or will this push him to the edge?

This is the first novel I’ve read from Matt Haig and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long! I picked it up on offer and thought it looked interesting, a good choice. The character of Tom was fantastic and incredibly well thought out. Like the rest of us he is flawed, he’s made mistakes. We learn about times of Witch trials, adventures with Shakespeare, Fitzgerald and more. Each is woven into the novel seamlessly, I didn’t feel like I was jumping from century to century.

The idea of a secret society, of people being around us and not knowing was addictive. I couldn’t stop, I needed to reach the end and find out what was going to happen to Tom. There needed to be the element of danger I feel to really make the story stand out so the combination of the society and a certain beautiful French teacher was added perfectly.

I gave this 4.5 stars, a fantastic read that really drew me in. It’s hard to combine different time periods but Haig did it so well. The only reason I didn’t give this the full five stars is that I felt the ending as a little rushed for me. I can’t really say more than that as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone! That said, there would be a fantastic opportunity to have a sequel which I would love!

You can get your own copy of How to Stop Time here with my Amazon link!

London Book Fair Haul!

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Hello beautiful people!

This week I finally went to the London Book Fair. I’d heard a lot of great things but never had the reason/money to go. So when I was invited to attend as part of the Book Blog awards I snapped it up. On the note of should you go, it was a weird experience for me. I did notice that there wasn’t a lot of awareness in regards to Book Bloggers (a lot of the people on stands seemed either confused or disinterested which was a shame) so I did feel a little awkward.

Will I go again next year? I’m not sure. I did really enjoy seeing more of the book industry but at the same time, it kind of opened my eyes. I do feel there’s a lack of diversity in the industry. When I looked into going into publishing as a student there was little to no way of getting in without doing unpaid experience, which wasn’t an option for me. I really think it’s something that needs to be looked at and it kind of proved itself at the fair.

BUT I did speak to some lovely companies who wanted to talk and took my card. To further that a few of them also gave me some copies of various books so I wanted to share them with you!

 

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls 2

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2 – published by Timbuktu Labs 

I spoke to the wonderful team at Timbuktu basically just gushing about how much I love these books, how wonderful they are etc.  Amazingly, I was given a copy of the second book as well as an awesome tote bag. I was also reminded of the new podcast which has gone up recently which I need to check out and can’t wait to. The guys here were awesome and if you want my thoughts on the first book you can find them here.

Paper Girls

Paper Girls – published by Image 

This was another instance of me gushing about how many graphic novels I loved that Diamond distributed. So Diamond are the distributors for so many of the graphic novels I love. After talking I was offered to take home something from the stand, so I picked up this beautiful copy of Paper Girls vol 1. So, so pretty.

The Man on the Middle Floor

The Man on the Middle Floor published by Red Door Books

I saw this advertised everywhere in London and the person on the stand was so lovely and pushed it into my hands. This is apparently a murder with a mystery element and I’m not sure I would have picked it up myself but I’m glad to give it a read.

Tubing

Tubing published by Red Door Books

Also handed to be by Red Door, this is one I’ve been looking forward to. This is a thriller set in London and deals with living an unfulfilled life, jealousy and violence…I think? I’ll keep you posted                                            The Old You

The Old You by Louise Voss 

I was handed this while I was sitting down by a random person and funnily enough, I wanted to be on a blog tour for this a while ago but unfortunately there weren’t enough copies. This is another thriller, there were a lot of those, about a woman whose husband has dementia and things start getting sinister and it looks at who to believe. I really hope it’s a good representation.

Her Name Was Rose

Her Name Was Rose – Claire Allen

So, I know nothing about this book. Someone had just left this ARC on the floor and I decided to give it a loving home. After looking it up it centres around a woman who kills a young mother in a car accident and how she cannot move on. Other than that I’m not sure so I’m going into this knowing not much and I’ll keep you posted.

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And that is all of them! Are any of these on your TBR piles? Any you can recommend? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Thanks for reading 🙂

 

Book Review: Stacey Dooley on the frontline with the women who fight back – Stacey Dooley

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Stacey Dooley Book Review

This year it has been 10 years since Stacey Dooley first appeared on our screens with her trademark Luton accent, fiery hair and entirely different way of reporting. In her first book, Stacey looks back on some of her most challenging documentaries and the ones that made her.

I’ve been a fan of Stacey for years now because of how human she is when she’s interviewing. You can tell she cares about the people and the topics, there’s not stiff upper lip that we’re used to seeing on TV and thank goodness! So, when I heard she was releasing a book I added it to my wish list. I actually ended up listening to the audiobook which I fully recommend.

You don’t have to have watched all of Stacey’s documentaries to enjoy the book, there were some I hadn’t watched (I’ve since gone back and found them) and I still found Stacey’s input fascinating. This adds a whole other level to what we have watched. Of course, Stacey has to be professional but she still has heart and reading the internal struggles she faced made it hit home even harder. She see’s these women as human, which they deserve to be.

From women who escaped ISIS to the horrific violence faced by women in Honduras, Stacey captures the stories of women worldwide. We’re also let into Stacey’s reservations about travelling to various parts of the world, the threats she faces and her reasons for going to such dangerous places. What made it so real to me was Stacey not telling her Mum some of the real places she’d travelled to until she got back.

I gave this 4.5 stars and can highly recommend listening to Stacey read the book herself if you can. If you loved Stacey’s documentaries and want to know more about the conditions that women around the world live in then this is an excellent place to start. I warn you though, you’ll want to go and watch her documentaries again after reading!

Book Review: My Lovely Wife – Mark Lukach

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Mark and Giulia have a wonderful life, a strong relationship and a future to look forward to. What they didn’t know was that their lives and relationships were going to be tested by Giulia developing a severe mental illness. This lead to her being hospitalised, suicidal and unable to trust anyone around her. Later, after the birth of their son, Giulia is again hospitalised but how does Mark care for his child and support his wife.

For anyone who has been in the grips of mental illness or knows someone who has been affected this is a challenging read because it is so real. Mark talks about the lack of movement from medical professionals, the lack of beds and the lack of information. I know that for me, personally, this was a tough read because it’s one of the things that scares me most about mental ill health.

That said, what I celebrated most about this book is that Mark does not shy away from how hard it is to cope with a partner with a mental health condition because it’s true. He shares his pain, bewilderment and anger at the situation and his feeling of wanting to run and escape, not because he doesn’t love his wife, but because it’s hard.

This isn’t all doom and gloom, there is a lot of love in this book and most importantly hope. This chronicles finding a new way to love and a new way to move forward in a relationship when the unexpected is thrown at you, which happens more than people would like to admit. They have still found a way to laugh and love, which is important.

I’ve never read a book like this before and while I was nervous going in, I now recommend it to everyone. This is what long-term love is. This is fighting through together and doing what needs to be done for the other person, even if they may not thank you in the moment. I gave this five stars. Not only was it brilliantly written it meant a lot to me to see the other side. I’d love to read more from Mark about his life with Giulia and their future.

Book Review: My Lovely Wife – Mark Lukach

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Book Review My Lovely Wife Mark Lukach

Mark and Giulia have a wonderful life, a strong relationship and a future to look forward to. What they didn’t know was that their lives and relationships were going to be tested by Giulia developing a severe mental illness. This lead to her being hospitalised, suicidal and unable to trust anyone around her. Later, after the birth of their son, Giulia is again hospitalised but how does Mark care for his child and support his wife.

For anyone who has been in the grips of mental illness or knows someone who has been affected this is a challenging read because it is so real. Mark talks about the lack of movement from medical professionals, the lack of beds and the lack of information. I know that for me, personally, this was a tough read because it’s one of the things that scares me most about mental ill health.

That said, what I celebrated most about this book is that Mark does not shy away from how hard it is to cope with a partner with a mental health condition because it’s true. He shares his pain, bewilderment and anger at the situation and his feeling of wanting to run and escape, not because he doesn’t love his wife, but because it’s hard.

This isn’t all doom and gloom, there is a lot of love in this book and most importantly hope. This chronicles finding a new way to love and a new way to move forward in a relationship when the unexpected is thrown at you, which happens more than people would like to admit. They have still found a way to laugh and love, which is important.

I’ve never read a book like this before and while I was nervous going in, I now recommend it to everyone. This is what long-term love is. This is fighting through together and doing what needs to be done for the other person, even if they may not thank you in the moment. I gave this five stars. Not only was it brilliantly written it meant a lot to me to see the other side. I’d love to read more from Mark about his life with Giulia and their future.

I Bought a Lot of Books Last Month…

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Hello, hello, hello you lovely lot!

I have a confession, I bought a lot of books last month and I mean a lot. There was a combination of books I bought in store, online and a few from subscription boxes. I’ve been quite good at being restrained recently but this month that went completely out of the window, oops. So here’s a haul for you guys and evidence of my lack of self-control when it comes to books.

Far From the Tree – Robin Benway 

I’ve heard good things about this novel which centres around three adopted siblings and how they all deal with this in their individual lives. Grace has just given up her own baby leading to her to think about her own biological parents. Maya isn’t sure exactly where she fits anymore. While oldest sibling Joaquin isn’t interested in his biological mother after growing up in the foster system. Buy it here.

Witchborn – Nicholas Bowling 

While I was in my local bookshop I was wondering if I could find something including witches while I wait for the next book in The Graces series. Then I saw Witchborn, which has witches, questions of madness and more and I’m so excited. Buy it here.

Your Life in My Hands -Rachel Clarke 

There’s so much we don’t know about what happens in the NHS and what it’s like for our doctors. I found this for £3 so I had no excuse really… Buy it here.

Bygone Badass Broads – Mackenzie Lee 

A collection of women that probably weren’t in the history books, ok there weren’t that many kick-ass women in my history books. Mackenzie Lee wanted to show women we might not have heard of and I’m so there for that! Buy it here.

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2 – Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo 

I LOVED the first book about amazing ladies (review here) so of course I went and bought the second one straight away. Spoiler alert, it’s awesome. Buy it here.

Together We Rise – The Organisers of The Women’s March 

Released on the one year anniversary of the Women’s March, this has some impressive contributors and looks at the before, during and what next for the movement. I wrote a whole post on it in a collaboration with Harper360 which you can read here. Buy it here.

The Smoke Thieves – Sally Green 

I got this in my most recent Illumicrate box and they’ve been really upping the fantasy recently. This has four main protagonists living very different lives and are all impacted by the coming war.

Blood and Sand – C.V Wyk 

The second book I received in Illumicrate. I’m not 100% sure because it’s something that I’d pick up myself. It’s about Ancient Rome and rebellion. I’ll give it a go.

The Red Clocks – Leni Zumas 

This has been on my list for a long time so I have high hopes for this a dystopian novel set in a time when IVF and abortions are banned looks at the lives of a group of women. I hope this is good. Buy it here.

A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

I fell in love with Chimamanda’s way of thinking when I watched her Ted Talk. So, when I found this I thought it would be great to pick it up because she’s a brilliant writer. This is only 65 pages, so absolutely tiny but I’m looking forward to what she’s going to say. Buy it here.

 

If you want to see how I get on with these books don’t forget I’m on Goodreads! You can become my Goodreads friend here.

 

Please note, I am an Amazon affiliate.

I Bought a Lot of Books Last Month…

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Hello, hello, hello you lovely lot!

I have a confession, I bought a lot of books last month and I mean a lot. There was a combination of books I bought in store, online and a few from subscription boxes. I’ve been quite good at being restrained recently but this month that went completely out of the window, oops. So here’s a little haul for you guys and evidence of my lack of self-control when it comes to books.

Far From the Tree – Robin Benway 

I’ve heard good things about this novel which centres around three adopted siblings and how they all deal with this in their individual lives. Grace has just given up her own baby leading to her to think about her own biological parents. Maya isn’t sure exactly where she fits anymore. While oldest sibling Joaquin isn’t interested in his biological mother after growing up in the foster system.

Witchborn – Nicholas Bowling 

While I was in my local bookshop I was wondering if I could find something including witches while I wait for the next book in The Graces series. Then I saw Witchborn, which has witches, questions of madness and more and I’m so excited.

Your Life in My Hands -Rachel Clarke 

There’s so much we don’t know about what happens in the NHS and what it’s like for our doctors. I found this for £3 so I had no excuse really…

Bygone Badass Broads – Mackenzie Lee 

A collection of women that probably weren’t in the history books, ok there weren’t that many kick-ass women in my history books. Mackenzie Lee wanted to show women we might not have heard of and I’m so there for that!

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2 – Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo 

I LOVED the first book about amazing ladies (review here) so of course I went and bought the second one straight away. Spoiler alert, it’s awesome.

Together We Rise – The Organisers of The Women’s March 

Released on the one year anniversary of the Women’s March, this has some impressive contributors and looks at the before, during and what next for the movement. I wrote a whole post on it in a collaboration with Harper360 which you can read here.

The Smoke Thieves – Sally Green 

I got this in my most recent Illumicrate box and they’ve been really upping the fantasy recently. This has four main protagonists living very different lives and are all impacted by the coming war.

Blood and Sand – C.V Wyk 

The second book I received in Illumicrate. I’m not 100% sure because it’s something that I’d pick up myself. It’s about Ancient Rome and rebellion. I’ll give it a go.

The Red Clocks – Leni Zumas 

I actually forgot that I ordered this. I have high hopes for this a dystopian novel set in a time when IVF and abortions are banned looks at the lives of a group of women. I hope this is good.

A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

I fell in love with Chimamanda’s way of thinking when I watched her Ted Talk. So when I found this I thought it would be great to pick it up because she’s a brilliant writer. This is only 65 pages, so absolutely tiny but I’m looking forward to what she’s going to say.

If you want to see how I get on with these books don’t forget I’m on Goodreads! You can become my Goodreads friend here.

March-Book-Wrap-Up

I Read 12 Books in March?!

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It has been a GOOD reading month, which I think is partly due to the fact I had some time off this month and could curl up with a few more books. It’s also due to the fact I’ve spent a lot of evenings on my own, no one to talk to means you’re not ignoring anyone! Anyway on to my 12 March reads!

Ok so technically This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay was read in February but not in time for my last wrap up. I loved this memoir and think it’s an incredibly important read in modern Britain. I also read Lydie and Limited Edition, both graphic novels. Lydie was sweet but strange about a girl who believes her baby is still alive and the town who humors her. Limited Edition is about a woman in her 30s looking for love, it wasn’t my favourite but it was ok. Also I got an early release of The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R Pan, which wasn’t for me you can see why here.

Next up I finished the incredible Mysogynation by Laura Bates, once again Laura wrote a book that I wanted to shout ‘hell yeah’ at, not an easy task. Following this I read The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven which, no big deal, is currently my favourite read of the year you can read my review here. I also picked up the long awaited Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2, even more kick ass ladies and beautiful illustrations. Then I finally got around to reading The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin after I loved the film but, honestly, I was really let down by the ending.

After seeing Tony Walsh’s reading of This is The Place after the Manchester attack I needed to read his poetry. I picked up Sex & Love & Rock&Roll, it was a breath of fresh air for contemporary poetry. Next up Bygone Badass Broads by Mckenzie Lee a collection of stories about real women you might not know. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my favourite. Following this I picked up A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggests by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a very short read but an important one I feel. I also finished Nobody Told Me which chronicles Hollie McNish’s life as a mother in poetry and diary entries from finding out she’s pregnant to her child at three.

Finally, I picked up Stacey Dooley’s On the Frontline with Women Who Fight Back which I fell in love with, review to come soon! Another poetry collection as well thanks to Netgalley of Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward which was an interesting collection. I also FINALLY got around to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Allbertalli which I didn’t love as much as everyone said I would…sorry! And finally, I finished and fell in love with How To Stop Time by Matt Haig, amazing just amazing.

What have you been reading? Let me know in the comments!

Don’t forget to keep up with what I’m reading you can connect with me on Goodreads!

 

March-Book-Wrap-Up

What I Read in March

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It has been a GOOD reading month, which I think is partly due to the fact I had some time off this month and could curl up with a few more books. It’s also due to the fact I’ve spent a lot of evenings on my own, no one to talk to means you’re not ignoring anyone! Anyway on to the 12 books that I managed to read this month.

Ok so technically This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay was read in February but not in time for my last wrap up. I loved this memoir and think it’s an incredibly important read in modern Britain. I also read Lydie and Limited Edition, both graphic novels. Lydie was sweet but strange about a girl who believes her baby is still alive and the town who humors her. Limited Edition is about a woman in her 30s looking for love, it wasn’t my favourite but it was ok. Also I got an early release of The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R Pan, which wasn’t for me you can see why here.

Next up I finished the incredible Mysogynation by Laura Bates, once again Laura wrote a book that I wanted to shout ‘hell yeah’ at, not an easy task. Following this I read The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven which, no big deal, is currently my favourite read of the year you can read my review here. I also picked up the long awaited Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 2, even more kick ass ladies and beautiful illustrations. Then I finally got around to reading The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin after I loved the film but, honestly, I was really let down by the ending.

After seeing Tony Walsh’s reading of This is The Place after the Manchester attack I needed to read his poetry so I picked up Sex & Love & Rock&Roll, it was a breath of fresh air for contemporary poetry. Next up Bygone Badass Broads by Mckenzie Lee a collection of stories about real women you might not know, I enjoyed it but it wasn’t my favourite. Following this I picked up A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggests by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a very short read but an important one I feel. I also finished Nobody Told Me which chronicles Hollie McNish’s life as a mother in poetry and diary entries from finding out she’s pregnant to her child at three.

Finally I picked up Stacey Dooley’s On the Frontline with Women Who Fight Back which I fell in love with, review to come soon! Another poetry collection as well thanks to Netgalley of Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward which was an interesting collection. I also FINALLY got around to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Allbertalli which I didn’t love as much as everyone said I would…sorry! And finally I finished and fell in love with How To Stop Time by Matt Haig, amazing just amazing.

What have you been reading? Let me know in the comments!

Don’t forget to keep up with what I’m reading you can connect with me on Goodreads!