When we first meet Abi, her life has just been turned upside down. Her father has re-married a woman named Polly, who comes with two sons – one grumpy, the other always inexplicably sticky. To make matters worse, she is forced to move into their house, a place where despite having her own room READ MORE
READATHON | DEWEY’S 24-HOUR READATHON OCTOBER 26-27, 2019
It’s that time again! Today is my favourite event – Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon. For the uninitiated, the readathon takes place from midnight on Saturday, October 26th until midnight Sunday, October 27th, EST. (You can find out what time it starts in your time zone here.) Where I am, that means it runs from 5AM READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOK TITLES I’D CHANGE
This week’s prompt is a tricky one. I don’t really keep track of titles I don’t like, though I know there have been lots over the years. Here are a few I might have given a different title if it had been up to me, but I know there are ones I liked less READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | NATIVES – AKALA
About once every five years I pick up a non-fiction book that leaves me speechless in wonder. I’ve been lucky this year, because I’ve had a few of these – some memoir, some topical. This book, however, is arguably the most deeply impactful book I have read or expect to read for a decade READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | EXTRAORDINARY BOOK TITLES
I think titles are so important. Not only do they tell you something about the book – its topic, tone and genre – but they also grab attention. I can’t count the number of times I’ve picked up a book just because I liked the sound of the title and ended up discovering something READ MORE
QUARTERLY WRAP-UP | JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019 (& BOOKER WINNER PREDICTIONS)
Somehow another three months have gone by! I didn’t have as much time to read as I did in the first and second quarter of the year, so I only managed 8 books. But there were a couple of really great ones in there, so let’s take a look! July Ask READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE BOOKSHOP OF THE BROKEN HEARTED – ROBERT HILLMAN
I went into this expecting a somewhat entertaining and charming story with a bit of depth, but not too much, with decent characters, but not too deeply affecting, and some minor emotional tweaks but nothing heart shattering. I got a little bit more than I bargained for. This book starts with Tom’s wife leaving READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | CHARACTER TRAITS I LOVE
I don’t think there will be anything that original in this list – I feel like most of us readers tend to gravitate towards similar character traits. But still, it is lovely to think back over some of my favourite characters and try to tease out just what, exactly, made me love them so READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL – ABBI WAXMAN
This book was a breath of fresh air when I really needed one. It’s a quiet book, full of small interactions and introspection. It’s the story of a young woman called Nina HIll. Nina works in a bookstore and, quite frankly, prefers life spent between the covers of a good book. She suffers from READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOKS WITH NUMBERS IN THE TITLE
This week’s prompt is books that have a number in the title. I tried to include numbers 1-10 in particular, but I’ve also included a few other numbers just for the heck of it! Here they are: READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | BRAIN ON FIRE – SUSANNAH CAHALAN
I have had this book on my TBR for so many years it’s ridiculous. The worst part is that it’s been one that I’ve really wanted to read the entire time it’s been there. I finally got around to it thanks to being on a bit of a medical memoir kick at the moment, READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOKS ON MY AUTUMN 2019 TBR
We’re finally heading into autumn, and I can’t tell you how relieved I am. I do not fare well in hot weather. I begin to wilt, and if it goes above 30°C I actually melt. It’s not pleasant. So autumn is always a hugely exciting season for me, even if it does bring a READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | ASK AGAIN, YES – MARY BETH KEANE
I don’t normally do family sagas. They’re just so detailed and finicky and full of petty drama and these complicated strands of storyline you have to keep a constant eye on. I find them wearing and exhausting and not generally worth the effort. But something about this one made me want to give it READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | FAVE READING NIBBLES
I am not a huge reading snacker. I tend to stop and take a break to eat. But there are a few things that, if I am going to have something edible nearby, I’m most likely to reach for. First, a few rules. It can’t be anything that drips. Nothing worse than sauce on READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER – BERNARDINE EVARISTO
I was intimidated going into this book. It’s long, and it’s written in an experimental style of verse that doesn’t include periods or capitals. I was nervous I’d be unable to find my feet and that it would prove too difficult for me to get into. Not so. It took about 50 pages, but READ MORE
TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOKS I’M PUTTING OFF READING
There are definitely a fair few books on my shelves I look at on the regular and walk on by. Some I’ve tried, some I’ve re-tried, others I’m too scared to even attempt. And yet, they have been on my shelves, some for years, because despite my fears I think they deserve to be READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | HOME IS BURNING – DAN MARSHALL
Continuing on my current kick of memoirs related to mental and physical illness, I finally got around to picking up Dan Marshall’s book that has been sitting on my shelves for years and years. This is the memoir of a man whose mother has cancer (has done most of his life) and whose father READ MORE
BOOKER PRIZE | 2019 SHORTLIST
The wait is over! The 2019 Booker Prize shortlist was announced on Tuesday. It contained some obvious choices, but also a few surprises. I’ve only completed one of the books on the long list – Girl, Woman, Other (review to come shortly) – but I had been watching reviews and predictions of some of READ MORE