Tag: book-review

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Marian Keyes- Again, Rachel #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? I love all Marian Keyes’ books and really enjoyed Again, Rachel which brings us up to date with Rachel and Luke’s story. The sections about Yara are sad, moving but handled with real sensitivity. It’s a brilliant follow-up to Rachel’s Holiday. Loved it!

The Blurb:

Rachel Walsh is a survivor: she survived rehab and the loss of her greatest love.

These days everything in her life is good – good job, good dog, very good boyfriend. Then Luke – her ex of six years – shows up.

Suddenly she’s fragile and falling.

They ended badly and neither can speak of the secret hurt which drove them apart.

But is it fear of what happened? Or what might happen next?

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What I'm Reading

Gabrielle Zevin – Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin took me by surprise. It’s not the kind of book I would typically go for as I’m not really into gaming or tech. But this novel is so much more than that. At its core, it’s a deep dive into the relationships between a group of friends, each carrying their own burdens and traumas. The way these connections are portrayed is so moving that I was in tears. Zevin’s ability to weave together the world of gaming with such raw and heartfelt emotion makes this book a standout – as does the beautiful cover.

The Blurb:

This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It’s not a romance, but it is about love. When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games. Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible. What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

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What I'm Reading

Liz Nugent – Strange Sally Diamond #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? The protagonist, the Sally of the title, reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant with her unique perspective on the world and the gradual unfolding of her past trauma. The author interweaves two main narratives, set in Ireland and New Zealand. Switching back and forth between these stories kept me hooked and I found myself racing through the pages. If you’re looking for a novel that is both thought-provoking and a cracking read, Strange Sally Diamond is the one.

The Blurb:

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.

But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .

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What I'm Reading

Mike Gayle – A Song of Me and You #bookreviews #positiveonly #5*

MY VERDICT? If you’re looking for a can’t put down summer read A Song of You and I by Mike Gayle is perfect. The story follows Ben and Helen, two old friends who reconnect after years apart and the ups and downs as they navigate their complicated past and present. Gayle’s characters feel so real and relatable, and his writing is touching and heartbreaking. I loved it, even though it made me cry. 5*

The Blurb:

Helen and Ben parted as heartbroken 18-year-olds and went their very separate ways. Twenty years later, mother-of-two-teenagers Helen is still in Manchester, a part-time primary teacher, stunned by the behaviour of her love-rat husband. In an old T shirt and scruffy jeans, she feels at the lowest point in her life. And suddenly, impossibly, Ben is standing on her doorstep. Tired maybe, lonely even, but clearly still the world-famous, LA-based multi-millionaire rockstar he has become.Can you ever go back? For Helen and Ben, so much has happened in the years between. But just to sit in the kitchen for a while and talk – that would be nice. Before the world comes crashing in. Friendship, love, heartache and hope collide in this unforgettable emotional journey, from the author of Half A World Away.