Another book which genuinely took me six months to read, on and off, and really wasn't worth the slog. I liked the ending but the rest of the book made me pull this face 😒

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, but I'm glad I read about the plot first or I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on.

Dream wedding dress. Shame I already got married!

Parts of this were brilliant, but the majority of it made me feel miserable and sleazy.

Some rainy day treats 😊 I absolutely loved Displacement by Lucy Knisley so I'm hoping this will be just as great (and it's such a chunker!)

'It could be an email re: your knighthood. Or a long, laughing, rambling phone message in which every person this person has ever known is talking on a speakerphone and they are all saying, You have passed the test, it was all just a test, we were only kidding, real life is so much better than that.'

And in stark contrast to the cutesy YA fiction I just reviewed, there's this harrowing little book. At just over 100 pages this is a quick read, but an incredibly powerful one that I think will stay with me for a long time. It's also the first book I've read from Salt Publishing, and won't be the last (not just because I bought another two books from them at the same time...) Thanks for recommending this on The Readers, @SavidgeReads.

(Couldn't resist breaking out my favourite Snapchat filter.) I don't believe in guilty pleasures but, even now I've almost entirely moved on from YA fiction, Morgan Matson books are still my summer guilt-free pleasures. It's the usual Matson formula: dead and/or absent parents, slightly 'fish out of water' scenario and a too-good-to-be-true (oh but he really is!) love interest. But there's just something about the way she writes. Loved it.

The first half was such a struggle and seemed to take me about six months (not hyperbole!) to get through. Having said that, once I'd reached about 60% I flew through it and really started to care about all the characters. Even Pesto (😒) the cat.

(This was a book club read.) If you love whimsy and long descriptions of how to make food, this is the book for you. I just found it a bit too sickly sweet.

(Simba did not share my vision for this photo.) This was a really quick, fun read that truly captured the absurdity of cats with hilariously realistic renderings of the little jerks. Loved it.

This combined two of my favourite things - weird body stuff and embarrassing anecdotes - into a truly heartwarming, hilarious and intelligent book. I would happily read 500+ pages about the adventures of teenage Sara and I really hope grown-up Sarah has more books in her future.

100 pages left and I am absolutely loving this. Simba is less impressed, especially as my laughter keeps disturbing his slumber.

Only 58 pages in but so great already. The 😂 emoji has never been a truer representation of my face.

I'm a total fool and left this book at work for the weekend, so I can't take the arty staged photo it deserves. I absolutely loved it though - my first 5 star read since March.

"My mother returned, in what seemed to be a hailstorm, though maybe that was her personal weather."

Really enjoyed this - despite never actually reading Pride and Prejudice (the shame)! Excellent audio narration too.

I hope the insides of this book are as beautiful as the outside.

Not quite as good as Revolutionary Road but very readable. I love his relatably messed-up characters.

It was always important to have a plan in situations where you weren't entirely sure of yourself; otherwise your every chance at happiness could drift away and dissolve and be lost.

Very excited to read my next Richard Yates (especially in this glorious 1986 edition from the library). Revolutionary Road has really stayed with me since I read the book and watched the equally great film it a couple of months ago.

Like 'The Twits' for grown ups.