Everyone and their dog, I’m pretty sure literally, has been raving about this book. On the face of it, it didn’t seem that different from any other book marketed to women set in the 20th century. This one is set in the 1970s and centres around a fictional band that split mysteriously after playing READ MORE
Year: 2019
TOP TEN TUESDAY | MOST MEMORABLE CHARACTERS
I adore it when I find a character (or person, if it’s non-fiction) in the pages of a book that I feel like I really get. One that could step off the page, fully formed, and sit down to have a cuppa with me. When this happens, the book will inevitably be counted amongst READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | PATIENT – BEN WATT
I came to this book after reading two of Tracey Thorn’s books – Bedsit Disco Queen and Naked At the Albert Hall. She and Ben met in college, and not only went on to create one of the hit bands of the ’90s, Everything But the Girl, but build a life and family together. READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | CHILDHOOD FAVES
There’s something magical about childhood memories of reading. The books I read as a child, particularly the ones I struggled to read to myself, have had a much greater impact on me than any of the books I’ve read as an adult. Here are some that stand out, and a few words about why. READ MORE
QUARTERLY WRAP-UP | APRIL-JUNE 2019
The last three months have just flown by, but there was some really good reading mixed in with all the whirlwind! Here’s a little bit about the books I read between April and June. April I didn’t expect that much from Daisy Jones and the Six beyond an entertaining and easy read. It READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | SMALL ANIMALS – KIM BROOKS
I feel like I’m taking my very life in my hands writing a review of this book, fraught as the topic is with judgement, opinions and our certainty that our own viewpoint is the correct one (if you want to see what I’m talking about, check out the comments on reviews of this book READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOKS ON MY SUMMER TBR
As you all know, I am absolutely rubbish at sticking to any sort of TBR. But there are always some books on my TBR stack that shine brighter than the others, and these are them, in no particular order: Your turn! Which books are you most drawn to for summer reading? READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | BIRDS, BEASTS AND RELATIVES – GERALD DURRELL
Birds, Beasts and Relatives is the second book in Gerald Durrell’s Corfu Trilogy, a series of stories about the time his family upped sticks and moved from drizzy, depressing England to the Mediterranean island of Corfu. I read the first in the series, My Family and Other Animals, last summer (though I believe it READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | ANTICIPATED RELEASES JUNE-DECEMBER 2019
I’ve got a fair amount on my TBR list this year, but surprisingly there aren’t many really exciting releases (to me personally) coming up that I’m aware of. So below are a mix of the most buzzed about releases that I’m curious to hear other people’s thoughts on or want to read, and a READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | KID GLOVES – LUCY KNISLEY
As a new(ish) mom, I’m always on the lookout for books that share the intimate and less rosy parts of becoming and being a mother. This book is focused on the pregnancy itself, and promised to do just that. I’ve never read anything by Lucy Knisley before, though I have a couple of her READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | UNPOPULAR BOOKISH OPINIONS
I’m not sure if I have very many unpopular bookish opinions. I feel like I mostly agree with the majority. But maybe I just think that because I feel this way. So let me state my opinions on some divisive discussions in the book realm and you tell me. Are they unpopular? Books vs READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | ON THE COME UP – ANGIE THOMAS
Unless you reside under a particularly large and heavy rock, you will have heard of Angie Thomas’ first book, The Hate U Give, which came out in 2017. If you haven’t heard of it, please do yourself a solid, stop reading, go buy it or borrow it or steal it (okay, maybe not that READ MORE
WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION | 2019 WINNER ANNOUNCED!
After months of waiting, countless hours spent reading the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019 longlist and shortlist, and very nearly making it through the six books in contention for this year’s prize, I’m thrilled that today the winner has been announced! (If you missed it and are still curious, you can check out my roundup READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | FAVOURITE MEMOIRS
Technically the topic this week is “Books From My Favourite Genre” but since that would probably be literary fiction, it felt a bit broad and somewhat of a cop-out. So instead I’ve chosen memoirs, as it’s a genre I have been reading more of lately, and have definitely found some of my favourite books READ MORE
WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION | 2019 WINNER PREDICTIONS
We are now just a few days away from the announcement of this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction winner. It’ll be announced on June 5th. This is the first year I’ve even come close to finishing the entire shortlist – and I’ve come very close. I’ve read five of the six books, and am halfway READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS – PAT BARKER
I didn’t want to read this book. Not because I didn’t think it would be good – I’ve heard mainly positive things – but because I don’t love mythology, I’m not big on re-tellings, and I just finished reading Circe, which is both. But I’m so close to finishing the entire shortlist for this READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | FAVE BOOKS OF THE LAST DECADE
This week’s topic is favourite books of the past decade. I’m going through and choosing at least a couple for each year – not ones I necessarily read in that year, but my favourite of the books I’ve read that were released in that year. 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | DEAR FAHRENHEIT 451 – ANNIE SPENCE
I adore the concept of this book. Before I even opened it I was half in love, and ready to fall all the way. It’s a book of letters from an avid reader and librarian to the various books she has loved or hated most, books that are being removed from circulation, and books READ MORE