Coming towards the end of 2 weeks of rest and relaxation and finishing it off with this cracker of a book.

I had such high hopes for this book and was delighted when it was picked as part of my reading subscription. Have just found it such a disappointment, I‘m sure others will argue I‘m missing the point but for me it just one of those books that has no plot! It jumps about with no logical thought, I kept going in the hope that it would suddenly all come together. For me it never did!

Youth sports completed for a Saturday, the sun is shining and the summerhouse is the perfect spot to enjoy this cracker of a book. Loving it so far.

Not sure I‘d find a book I loved more than The Great Believers this year but this may just have pipped it. If you loved Yale Tishman in The Great Believers then be prepared to adore Sidney Ellwood. This book is a love story set mainly in the trenches of WW1. The battle scenes are graphic and the author makes no apologies for bringing the brutality of trench warfare to life but the moments between are tender and full of a forbidden love. Read it!

Oh Teddy… so enjoying getting to know you more. Your character is every bit as wonderful as Life After Life hinted it would be. ❤️

Did I need more books? No but when you finally get to visit Daunt Books with your best friend it would be rude not too. Look at that book gallery of dreams. Tagged was high on my wish list after reading Life After Life.

If dystopian novels are your thing then this is for you. Set in a future world after the last was almost brought to extinction by the Light People (that‘s us) the world is once again at war. Some live with the power of Songlight, a power once used for political gain is now an aberration. Elsa lives in fear of being discovered until a dreadful loss shows her others she can commune with. So begins what can only be described as an unputdownable read.

This book is truly beautiful, the first of my recommendations from my Book Spa and it was everything and more. Joe is a character than will live in your heart for a long time. The emotions in this book are raw, the content unsettling and a subtle view of life for Native Americans. This approach makes you think deeper without telling you what you should feel. A wonderful debut and I‘ll eagerly await her next .

I almost put this back on the shelf after the first chapter but I‘m so pleased I didn‘t. This book is wonderfully atmospheric and brings beauty to the most tragic of times. Claudia Hampton is not a heroine I should like but I loved her. Her harsh outer edges softened by the tragic loss of love. This historical novel tells the lesser known parts of WW2 and beyond through carefully recalled memories. It feels like so much more than it‘s 200 pages.

Book Spa today and look at this book stack of dreams chosen for me after the most wonderful hour long discussion all about my reading tastes. Katrina at MrBs in Bath is a book wizard for sure. ❤️😍❤️

Wine needed to help through this, it‘s a tough read, as a teacher I find the ignorance of obvious child neglect heartbreaking.

I had high hopes for this book and was convinced I was going to enjoy it after the first 50 pages or so but then it just fell flat for me. There were lots of nice moments in the book but it felt very disjointed and the switching of consciousness felt clunky to me. The main character Penny is nice enough but there is no substance to her and she just never quite gives the umph that you need from the leading lady.

Been waiting for this to come out in paperback. Hopefully a little more lighthearted after Brotherless Night which was tough going.

Last book of our wonderful holiday keeping me company for the 700miles drive back home.

This was a brilliant read, thought provoking, clever and genuinely tender in places. Slightly disappointed with some parts of the ending but a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

A great holiday read. If it hasn‘t already been decided I can definitely see this following in the path of The Hunger Games and becoming a movie franchise. I could probably have done with about 100 pages less but the cliff hanger at the end means I‘m in it for the series.

Finally getting to read this, a lovely summer‘s evening is the perfect accompaniment ❤️

A fair few unexpected turns in the enjoyable classic family saga. Bit of a brick at nearly 650 pages but I‘m here for it.

Looking for some light relief after what felt like months of books with so much sorrow and sadness. Dolly Maunder is the author‘s maternal grandmother. There was a gentleness to the narrative although Dolly is a far from gentle character. I‘m not sure I quite agree with its shortlisting for the woman‘s prize for fiction but it was a solid read. It released me from the sorrow of the last few books I had read. For that I thank Dolly, very much.

This is my current book club pick. Not my normal choice and the content is hard going. Someone‘s personal suffering is always painful to read but this lady is a born writer. So much so that at times I‘ve felt like I was reading fiction, the jolt back to reality often lands with a bump and a few tears.

Short stories are not really my thing, always leaves me wanting more when they just end! Maybe never more so than with this book, where some of the stories had me totally gripped! Excited to read Wild Houses now as I think Colin Barrett might just be a bit special.

This book is powerful, scary, devastating but also compassionate and tender. So deserving of its Booker Prize winning status. The reviews were right, I doubt I will ever not be able to recall the details of this book no matter how long has passed.
Comparisons to handmaids tale and 1984 cannot be denied but this book is a masterpiece in its own right and deserves its own status as a literary classic.

May‘s TBR stack! Excited to finally read Prophet Song. The tagged is a book club pick and definitely out of my comfort zone!

When the inside cover art looks like this you know it‘s going to be good. I‘m a huge Kristin Hannah fan and am so excited to get stuck into this one.

Wow this is a bleak read but totally immersive! About half way through and can‘t put it down. I‘m always in awe of people who can write a first novel that is this good!

Little bit of a change of pace after my last few reads. Haven‘t read a thriller in a while, so far so good.

Towles debut novel is a sure fire hit in my eyes. His writing style is so atmospheric, catapulting you to 1930s New York so effectively, that I felt like I‘d lived that time period myself. Even his most distasteful characters are hard to dislike as they are so richly crafted. It was one of those rare books that you can‘t put down but equally try to slow down reading to make it last as long as possible. Cemented me as a Towles fan for sure.

LOVED this book. Gilbert is not the most comfortable lead, he has many faults but you still end up championing him throughout. He navigates his dysfunctional family the best he can, his love for his brother, Arnie is pure and whilst he struggles to find reasons to stay his loyalty ties him to his family. 5 stars for me

This book was fabulous. From the first page you are drawn in. Multiple narratives tell the tale of 3 generations of Memphis women. I love multiple narratives but these are exceptionally well done. Trigger warning some of the content is upsetting and violent.

This is a book of 2 halves. The first half sees a daughter estranged (to a degree) from her mother. She returns to London from Australia to take care of her after she has a fall. At first I found the daughter hard to like and I struggled to understand how she couldn‘t see the truth in front of her but as the book progressed I was charmed by their relationship, the books they shared and how they repaired their bond through this shared love.

Find me a better book! Perfect reading and sunshine after months of rain! A great Sunday.

Decision time!

Reading about the Congo whilst in -23 temps in Finland is peculiar!

Hard to resist this cover. 15 pages in and I‘m hooked!

A brilliant book with a wonderful central character, Washington ‘Wash‘ Black. His emotional story is skilfully narrated throughout the novel and the character development from boy to man is superbly written. I defy anyone not to feel deeply for him. The ending seemed to bring him some peace and I was relieved that he was determined to be recognised for the brilliant mind he was in the end, rather than become a footnote to his own achievements.

The days between Christmas and New Year are some of my favourite days of the year. I‘ve saved this one to keep the Christmas spirit alive. Nothing like a children‘s book to do that. ❤️

Excited to get started on this, perfect type of book for those cold, dark winter evenings.

I was drawn to this book by the Gilmore Girls references in other reviews. I thought I was going to get a light fluffy autumnal read set in a small town not too dissimilar to Stars Hollow. What I got was Mills and Boon crossed with 50 shades! Not quite the vibe I was going for. It was ok but not the best!

Set in a small Australian town, a young girl goes missing and Detective Sarah Michaels is on the case to find her. The plot is interesting enough to keep you entertained but the multiple narratives don‘t really work here. I felt all the characters were a little underdeveloped and I kept having to read back to see who was related to who. The main story comes to quite an abrupt end and the extra 30 pages that followed weren‘t really necessary. 3 ⭐️

Excited to start this, I love books set in bookshops (largely due to my dreams of running my own one day) so hoping this doesn‘t disappoint.

Kristin Hannah is a definite favourite of mine and so far this book does not disappoint.

This book was different to what I was expecting. A bit too graphic for me in places (I must be getting old) but lots of characters to like and dislike. I always enjoy a book from multiple voices so that ticked a lot of boxes. 4 stars

I love books set in small town America. This book has a feel of John Irving around it, and I‘m already obsessed with the main character. Quite by coincidence it‘s also the second winner of the Pulitzer Prize, I‘ve read this month.

It‘s taken me a while to build up the courage to read another novel by Colson Whitehead. The Underground Railway still haunts me a little but I‘m so glad I have. The content is still brutal but the writing is poetry.

This was not quite as good as the reviews had me believe. Whilst the writing is spot on and carefully portrays Belfast during the troubles I never quite felt the build up to the tragedy you knew was on its way, was effective. It just felt a bit flat for me. However from a historical point of view it was brilliant and I felt the feelings of the characters and their behaviours brought a real depth to the description. A solid read but not a rave!

Started this today, a totally different pace from my last read, so I thought I might struggle to get into it but I‘m hooked already.

Sitting with this book on my lap now, not ready to admit I‘ve finished. I‘m not sure I remember the last time I read a book that broke my heart like this one. A beautiful book, full of carefully crafted characters, flawed but beautiful. I loved them all. However Marx was one of my all time favourite literary characters. An outstanding book, worth all the hype. I adored it. I‘d give it 6 stars if it was an option.

Excited to start this, have only heard good things.

I have never been to a more glorious bookshop. Bookshop of dreams.

15th wedding anniversary book stack from the husband. He knows my love language that‘s for sure.
Bought today at the most beautiful book shop in Bath: Mr B‘s Emporium