♡

Greetings, and welcome back! I'm just now noticing that there have been 3 book blog posts in a row - I hope you don't mind - shortly there will be a handful of travel posts in a row as I appear to have a backlog of those (New York, Antibes, London at Christmas that I never posted last year), so keep your eyes peeled if that's your kind of content.

1. Beloved - Toni Morrison

TW: racism, abuse, rape, infant death

This book has been on my TBR list for quite a while, and I managed to find this vintage edition in Chapters so I had to pick it up.

This story begins in 1873 and centres around Sethe, a woman - literally - haunted by her past. Sethe was born a slave but managed to escape "Sweet Home" where she was held and put through unthinkable things, and 18 years on she still doesn't feel truly free. Widowed Sethe's house in Ohio where she lives with her daughter Denver and mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, has been haunted for a long time by the ghost of her eldest daughter, who died as a baby without a name and whose gravestone is engraved with one word (all Sethe could afford), "Beloved."

When a man who was enslaved with Sethe at Sweet Home arrives to her home in Ohio, he drives the spirit of Beloved out, causing nothing but trouble when they arrive home that night to a sickly young woman sitting out front, calling herself Beloved. Paul is suspiscious, but Sethe and Denver immediately take her in and care for her, believing she is the lost baby returned. Paul soon finds out the dark secret about Sethe's past after Sweet Home, and flees. Beloved then turns on Sethe and Denver, and trouble ensues.

This is a dark but brilliant read, would highly recommend. 

2. The Great Believers - Rebecca Makkai

TW: homophobia

I picked up this book after seeing a TikTok of books you will like if you liked "The Hearts Invisible Furies" (review here) - which I absolutely loved and is definitely one of my favourite books of all time - so I was sure I would love this one too and I wasn't wrong!

The story is set between 1980s Chicago in the height of the AIDS epidemic, and modern day Paris, and follows the lives of Yale Tishman, his friend Nico, Nico's little sister Fiona and their wider circle of friends.

One by one, Yale's friends are dying around him, all the while the AIDS virus seemingly coming closer and closer to Yale himself. Soon, the only person he has left is Fiona, Nico's little sister, after Nico passes away, along with many members of their friendship circle. 

Jump to 30 years later and Fiona is in Paris, trying to track down her daughter who she is estranged from and whom she hasn't seen in years. In Paris, she stays with an old friend of hers who played a pivotal role as a photographer documenting the AIDS crisis in Chicago in the 80's, which brings it all back up for her, including Nico's death and how it affected her life and the relationship she had with her daughter.

The book takes us through the intertwining lives of the characters, jumping between 1980s Chicago and Paris in the modern day, from the heartbreak of the AIDS epidemic to the chaos of the world today, as they struggle to find light at the end of the devastation they have experienced.

This book is fantastic, very sad and heartbreaking, but beautifully captures the essence of friendship in the midst of deep despair. A must read.

3. Intimacies - Katie Kitamura

I won't lie, this was a bit of a random one. It has been on my TBR list for ages, probably since back when I got ALL of my book recommendations from Dolly and Pandora's The High Low podcast, and - get this BARACK OBAMA also loved it - so I'm wondering did I miss something as I was a little disappointed with this one. I do see how the metaphors and meanings of certain events in the book come through, so in that way it is well-written and clever, so maybe that in itself is the draw of the book. Other than that, I found all the events a little random and very loosely connected, but again, perhaps I missed something and it needs another read.

The novel follows an interpreter who has come to The Hague from New York, wondering if it will be the place where she feels at home, and has a new job in the International Court there. A host of kind of random, dramatic events occur in her personal life - she finds out her lover Adriaan, while separated from his wife is still very much entangled in his marriage, her friend Jana witnesses an act of violence just outside her apartment block on a seemingly unsuspecting victim whom the interpreter oddly becomes friends with the sister of, Jana also acts strangely when she is introduced to Adriaan (we never really figure out why, which is slightly irritating).

At work, the drama continues, as she is required to interpret for a former president accused of brutal war crimes, putting to the test her abilities to separate her personal views on what he has done from her professional relationship with him as his interpreter.

Again, it was well-written, but not my favourite book, and quite boring overall. But as I said, maybe I just didn't get it and missed something, as it comes so highly recommended from others. Do let me know if you read it and loved it, and tell me what you think I might have missed!

4. It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover

TW: domestic violence, abuse, abusive relationships

Firstly, I feel this book needs an entire paragraph on these trigger warnings because I didn't know about them and I probably wouldn't have read it if I had as I found it quite triggering. I will say if you have been in an abusive/manipulative relationship of any kind - emotional, physical, mental, verbal - then just watch out for this one, it's quite a brutal read. 

When I was looking for a book to read in the airport on the way home from New York (didn't pack enough books for the 2 long haul flights), I saw this and had seen and heard SO much about it all over social media that I figured I would give it a try. Granted I did read the back but I feel like the blurb on the back makes it sound more romantic than problematic, which is problematic in itself. I digress.

This story follows Lily, from adolescence to young adulthood and the trials and tribulations that appear to follow her wherever she goes. Beginning with a difficult childhood and an alcoholic father who was abusive to her mother, Lily swore she would never forgive someone for treating her that way, criticising her mother for staying with her father. As this is going on at home, she meets Atlas Corrigan, and they quickly become enamoured with one another. Atlas goes off to the military, Lily moves to Boston and starts her own business and they lose contact.

In Boston, she meets Ryle, a neurosurgeon with whom she instantly becomes infatuated with all his fantastic qualities, and the feeling appears to be mutual, apart from the issue that Ryle is a notorious committment-phobe. They begin a whirlwind romance and Lily thinks things can't possible get any better for her. But when Ryle finds out about Lily's past with Atlas and how that links to her current life, a side of Ryle she never thought existed rears its ugly head.

It's a book you will devour in probably the shortest time you've ever read a book, it's definitely a page turner and you're dying to see what happens next, but please please be warned about the themes and content of the book - it is a tough read so put it down if you need to.

And those are my reads for the last two months! I'm currently reading Pew which is another very odd book. I appear to be at a gloomy section of my TBR.

I would love to know your thoughts if you have read any of these or want to. Feel free to leave a comment or DM me on Instagram. I'm also on TikTok if you want to follow over there!

Thank you for reading as always,

Sending lots of love for these darker months, I know they can be tough.

S ✗

July and August brought lots of great reading time due to the fab weather (catch me outside on my front path in the sun reading with my vino) on EVERY sunny day, also had a week's holiday in France (blog post coming on that soon) which involved PLENTY of reading time.

1. None of this is serious - Catherine Prasifka

TW: sexual assault

I read this directly after Beautiful World Where Are You and found the two very similar in a lot of ways (I've since realised upon reading this back that Sally Rooney is Catherine Prasifka's sister-in-law) - not only because they both have Irish authors and are set in Ireland - but also the characters are a similar age and are trying to find their way through the post-school/college years of their lives while encountering all the challenges that come with that.

This story starts with Sophie and her friends who are coming to the end of their student life in Dublin. As is often the case, Sophie feels as though her friends and her twin have got everything figured out and she will be left behind, particularly in the case of her best friend Grace. 

We follow Sophie and her friend group through the mundane to the dramatic, to the traumatic and uncertain aspects of young adulthood today. We see them attempt the difficult balance between living in the real world versus online, as Sophie drowns in her own self-scrutiny, social anxiety and isolation, not at all helped by her being immersed in social media constantly.

While I understand the aspect of highlighting the mundanity of everyday life, I did at times find it just a bit too banal and borderline boring. 

2. Conversations on Love - Natasha Lunn

I really loved this book.

While most books with similar captions focus only on romantic love, I really enjoyed how this book covered all types of relationships, from the romantic, to the platonic, to the parental.

The author offers intimate details of her personal life, while interviewing a wide range of people, from Alain de Botton to Dolly Alderton (I will read anything she writes, is interviewed in or reviews), on the topic of love from a range of types and perspectives. It covers what it is to be human, happy, alone, lonely, vulnerable, heartbroken, and the importance of friendships, love, loss, grief, parenting and change - in all forms.

The book is split into 3 parts - how do we find love, how do we sustain love and how do we survive losing love. Hard to say much more about this as it's so unique and relatable, other than it's an absolute must read.

3. Tender is the Night - F Scott Fitzgerald

TW: inappropriate patient/doctor relationship & underage relationship

I plucked this one off my bookshelves before we left for the South of France as it is set on the French Riviera - precisely where we were headed - and I always find it fun to read a book that is set in a place when you are there/have been there, as it helps me imagine it even clearer. 

This story - problematic in ways it may not have been noticed when it was first published back in the 1920s - follows the romance of a young actress, Rosemary, and an older, married psychiatrist, Dick Diver, who happens to be both husband and doctor (psychiatrist) to his wealthy wife, Nicole, who he met as her doctor during her mental breakdown (again, WTF).

Dick and Nicole Diver exude the atmosphere of being in the presence of greatness. Charming, gorgeous and filthy rich, there isn't a fancy part, restaurant or beach they don't attend. However, all is not as it seems with Nicole's seemingly good health, and as she begins to realise what is taking place between Rosemary and Dick, she begins to unravel.

An easy read, a nice setting and timeline, but as mentioned - obviously problematic for a number of reasons.

4. The Panic Years - Nell Frizzell

TW: miscarriage

Most people reading this are most likely in, or hurtling towards, the panic years - some time between 25 and 40 where a personal crisis and then a transformation occurs. There is no name for this time - unlike "adolescence", "menopause", so Nell has decided to aptly brand them, The Panic Years, During this time, we as women, are largely conscious that every decision we make about our lives, is ultimately impacted by the urgency of the body clock deadline decision we have to make: whether or not to have a baby (and the million micro-decisions that decision entails). And if your decision is to have one, then the clock just seems to tick ever faster.

This book could not have landed on my lap at a better time. I just turned 29 last week and safe to say I was most definitely SPIRALING in the lead up to it. This book helps you calm down essentially, how to stay sane during this stressful, decision-heavy time, to understand what you want and how to know if you're making the right decisions (spoiler alert: there's no right or wrong answer).

Hilarious, real,  relatable, comforting and brutally honest - if you are in crisis mode I guarantee this will help. If you are a woman or there is a woman in your life who you think may be panicking - send her this,

5. The Queen of Dirt Island - Donal Ryan

TW: sexual assault

As you may remember, I read Donal Ryan's other book, Strange Flowers (last year sometime, review in this blog post), and what I didn't realise when I picked this one up is that it's sort of a sequel, in that it involves some of the same characters as well as some new ones, and is essentially focused partially on a different family in the town than the one Strange Flowers was based on (but the original family do -play a big part in this book too).

I find Donal Ryan's books so easy to read and comforting in a way. The Aylward women have seen tragedy, loss, sadness, as well as love and peace. Four generations of the Aylward women live under the same small roof - Eileen, her dead husband's mother, her daughter Saoirse, and Saoirse's daughter Pearl - and have a deep love for one another, holding each of them together despite the tragedy they have endured in their lives. I loved how relatable this book was in how the family dynamic is in many households - tonnes of love disguised as its opposite. I also love how Kit Gladney and her family were incorporated in the story, who we meet and get to know in Strange Flowers (I will say though, that you don't have to have read one to read the other, they do make sense on their own). 

Loved it. An easy, comforting read. Would recommend.

6. At Night All Blood is Black - David Diop

TW: war scenes

My final book for this batch is one that has been on my list for what feels like years - one I could somehow never locate in any of my favourite charity bookshops, but when I picked it up for full price in a regular bookshop, of course I have seen it in no less than THREE charity bookshops since. Mercury, retrograde, etc. Don't wanna talk about it.

Anyway. This is a short, but quite dark and sad book, but the writing is beautiful and I enjoyed it nevertheless.

We meet Alfa, a Senegalese in the French army during WW1. His friend, Mademba, a fellow soldier, is seriously injured in battle, and begs Alfa to kill him to end his suffering. Alfa refuses, unable to kill his friend, and when Mademba does pass away, the guilt of not ending his suffering sooner eats Alfa up, causing him to go mad, eager to avenge the death of his friend, by whatever means necessary.

This is an important read as it is an aspect of war/historical fiction that we often don't see written about - the mental affects such horrific war experiences have on the soldiers left behind. A short but important read.

Those are my reads for July and August, let me know if you have also read any of these books - I would love to know your thoughts on them! Also tell me about your TBR list - mine is almost up to my hip.

Thank you for reading as always,

S ✗

I am aware this blog post is a little late - it is the END of July - but this month has been manic with work and life and I have not had a minute to sit down and pour out my thoughts on my recent reads. So, here we go.

1. The Most Fun We Ever Had - Claire Lombardo

This is one of those books that really makes you feel like you're IN the story and you know the characters, so naturally I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded be a bit of a few of Marian Keyes' novels in the dysfunctional family aspect, so if she's your jam then you'll love this.

This story follows the Sorensons - parents Marilyn and David are the picture perfect couple, still madly in love after 40 years together, while their 4 very different daughters are each in a different state of crisis. Wendy was widowed at a young age and self-soothes with alcohol and younger men; Violet used to be a litigator and is now a stay-at-home-mom battling anxiety when the darkest part of her life rears its ugly head; Liza is a professor, in a relationship with a man with serious clinical depression, when she finds herself pregnant and unsure she wants to be with him; while Grace - the youngest - is living a lie that nobody in her family knows about. The one thing the daughters have in common is the fear that they won't find a love like their parents'.

Loved this one - an easy read but with some unexpected twists and the relatability of chaotic family life.

2. My Year of Rest and Relaxation - Ottessa Moshleigh

TW: Addiction

This one was a JOURNEY and a half let me tell you. I'm still not sure what I really think but equally I feel like everyone should read it if that makes sense? Maybe not.

In ways relatable, this story follows the journey of an unnamed young woman and her efforts to essentially tap out of life and the troubles of the/her world via an extended period of essentially "hibernation" - which I think a lot of us have probably felt like doing at one time or another. However, in her corner she has one of the worst psychiatrists known to man who just keeps prescribing her drug upon drug to assist with said hibernation, one after another, until the woman is addicted.

The unnamed woman "should" be happy and seemingly has it all, but this book shows you that despite appearances and how things may seen, people can be extremely unhappy and affected. She is deeply troubled and has an unhealthy, toxic relationship with her "best friend" as a result - at times you will seriously dislike the main character.

Again, I'm unsure how I felt about this book but I do feel it's one you should read and see what you feel. It really leaps from one extreme to the next - at some moments tender and compassionate, and at others dark and ruthless, and at the end you're left thinking that maybe the hibernation was necessary. If you've read this please let me know what you thought!

3. The Paper Palace - Miranda Cowley Heller

TW: Sexual assault

I saw that this book was shortlisted for the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction, so I picked it up with high hopes - I have loved some of the previously shortlisted, longlisted and winning books of this prize so I figured I was in for a treat. Unfortunately, I found it a little lack-lustre - kind of a dragged out read.

The story introduces us to Elle - a seemingly happily married mother of 3, waking up at her family's holiday home ("The Paper Palace") where she has spent every summer of her life. Her oldest friend Jonas has also spent every summer around the corner with his family, when suddenly they find themselves tangled in a passionate affair one night, while their families are unknowingly feet away.

The story then takes us through the next 24 hours and simultaneously back to her childhood while Elle is torn between choosing her childhood love and her beloved husband, Peter, while we learn about the events that have led Elle to this day.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Now, nobody come for me, but the HYPE around this book was insane, and I was expecting to adore it as much as I adored Where the Crawdads Sing - another seriously hyped up book and quite rightly so.

Don't get me wrong, I did like the book, but I'm not sure if it's worth all this hype, or is there something I was missing? I found it quite repetitive until about half way through when we start to understand the secret life Evelyn Hugo was leading and the reason for the seven husbands - I did really enjoy that aspect of the story, and I loved the relationship between her and her best friend, Harry. 

The twist at the end involving the journalist writing the story, Monique, is definitely one I didn't see coming, so from that aspect that's always what you want in a twist! Another easy read - the perfect beach or holiday book, or one when you want a bit of escapism but not too much in the way of concentration.

5. Beautiful World Where Are You - Sally Rooney

I had high hopes for this one based on Normal People and Conversations with Friends, and while it didn't quite measure up to those books, it was an easy, enjoyable read - and very much along the same theme as her previous two. 

In the story we meet Alice, a writer, who meets Felix (online - it's very current). They meet and don't really hit it off at all... but within a matter of pages they are suddenly in Rome together. Alice's best friend Eileen, in Dublin, is recovering from a break up and finds herself going back to a former flame for comfort and maybe something else.

There are some lengthy letters over and back between Alice and Eileen in the book which are a bit tricky to get through at times (and to be honest, discussing the topic of religion in detail at points bored me to tears). Other than those chunky letters, overall an easy read, nothing ground-breaking, but I would say even more gazing-into-each-others-souls-and-analysing-the-state-of-the-world than Normal People. If you can imagine that.

If you have read any of these books I would love to know your thoughts! I am heading to Antibes, France for a week in a couple of days so hoping I will fly through my next stack of books and I promise I will be much more on time with my July/August books at the START of September.

If you want to purchase any of the books mentioned in this post, simple click on the title (affiliate links). Reel to go with this post over on my insta and TikTok!

Thank you for reading, 

S ✗

Apologies for the delay in getting this post up, ALAS, here is a roundup of my favourite books that I read last year. Reel on insta if you'd like to see that! The headings on each review are clickable links to where you can buy the book if it sounds like something you would love.

This is long one, so grab a cuppa or a vino and dive in!

Greetings, slightly late post this month (apologies, work and life have been CHAOS), but here we are. These are the books I managed to read in June and July. Some I loved, some I liked, some I didn't get. The usual really. 

1. Where I Was From - Joan Didion

I love Joan Didion's writing - her book The Year of Magical Thinking (review here) was so amazing - so I was excited to read this book (advertised as a memoir) but I just could not finish it. I got about half way through and gave up. 

It is essentially a book about the history of the Californian water system, not a memoir. If anyone has read it through and it gets better let me know, but I couldn't continue... SORRY

2. The Wife - Meg Wolitzer

I am a big fan of Meg Wolitzer, I have always liked anything I've read by her and this was no different.

This story is about Joan Castleman (the wife) and her husband Joseph, one of America's accomplished novelists. When Joan decides she wants to leave Joseph after 40 years of sacrificing her literary dreams for his, they are on a flight to Helsinki to attend an awards ceremony where is he about to receive a prestigious international award for his accomplishments as a novelist.

The book then flashes back 50 years to where their relationship began, and follows each step of the marriage that has brought them to this point, secrets and all, and the challenging position of being an ambitious woman in a man's world.

This is an easy read, enjoyable - a great summer holiday read.

3. The Kind Worth Killing - Peter Swanson

At the complete other end of the spectrum - although oddly enough along the same topic of a marriage destined for failure - we have this book, which is definitely a thriller, which I loved.

Good Reads describe this as "a devious tale of psychological suspense involving sex, deception and an accidental encounter that leads to murder," which pretty much sums it up!

This book tells the story of Ted Severson, who meets the mysterious Lily on a flight from London to Boston, seemingly by chance, and they hit it off, revealing intimate details about their lives to one another. Ted tells Lily about his marital problems, saying that he could kill his wife for what she has done. This sets Lily's plan in motion, who has a dark history of murder and mystery that nobody knows about.

So good, a page turner with twists right up to the end. Very Girl on the Train-esque.

4. Fleishman is in Trouble - Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Now this was the book I just did not get, or like. I had heard so much hype about it - and maybe I missed the point - but I didn't think it was great at all.

It tells the story of Toby Fleishman, who is recently separated from his wife (strange theme going on here in these last 3 books), and suddenly, at forty-one, surround by women who want him like never before. This is all going well for him, until his wife suddenly vanishes, dropping the children at his door and seemingly disappearing into thin air.

What sounded like it was going to be a thriller essentially just turned out to be pages upon pages of the protagonist speaking about all the women he's sleeping with from the apps and the photos they send him, while he makes a poor attempt at looking after his children in between, and also trying to figure out where his wife - the mother of his children - has gone, with seemingly very little urgency. Very strange, didn't get it.

Let me know if you read this and I totally missed something, I may have!

5. The Light Between Oceans - M.L. Stedman

I absolutely adored this book and am now dying to watch the movie, if anyone has watched it can you let me know which you preferred, the book or the movie? I don't want to watch it if it's going to ruin the story for me..

This book tells the heartbreaking tale of husband and wife Tom and Isabel Sherbourne, set in Australia in 1926 - Tom is the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, and Isabel marries and joins him to live out there. During their time there they struggle terribly to have a baby, enduring two miscarriages and one stillbirth, which completely destroys them and causes unimaginable grief. So, when one morning a boat washes up on the shore with a newborn baby inside - alive and well - along with the dead body of her father, it is almost as though the baby was sent to them to heal their pain.

Against his better judgement, Tom gives in to Isabel's pleas and they claim the baby as their own, naming her Lucy. When Lucy turns two and they return to the mainland, however, things begin to unravel.

It is an emotional read anyway, and I recently lost my grandfather (a lighthouse keeper for 40 years), who has the same name as one of the main characters in the book, so I found it particularly emotional! (Fair warning).

Et voila. Didn't get as much read as I would have liked but as I mentioned, the last two months have been slightly HECTIC to say the least, so I didn't have the time. BUT, I am going on holidays this Friday for two weeks, and have no less than 10 books packed, so hold on to your hats for that whopper post when I'm back. 

Stay safe, lots of love & thank you for reading!

S ✗

Greetings folks, back again to bring you the books I read in March. I actually quite enjoyed all of these books this month - I hoped to get another one in but that giant one you see in the picture is actually 530 pages long so that took a little while... also I'm still on that "falling asleep while reading" hype for some reason, so that also contributed, along with wine.

Anyway, enough rambling Siof, let's get into the books.

1. When Light is like Water - Molly McCloskey

This book was a random choice in my Oxfam haul - Ed actually chose it for me as I wanted to pick a fourth book and couldn't decide on one, so he chose this one for me.

The story follows Alice - a young American woman on her travels in the west of Ireland - who falls in love with an Irishman in the local bar (quel surprise). She ends up marrying him and settling down with him in Ireland, in a place where she struggles to find where she belongs. One summer, she begins an affair that breaks her marriage and changes the course of her life.

A few years on, Alice has spent time working in war zones around the world, gone through the death of her mother, and finds herself back in Ireland, in an attempt to understand the route her life took and why.

This book was an easy read, not overly exciting but a nice story to follow Alice through the years and through her mistakes and losses.

2. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

Trigger Warning: Suicide

I have heard so much about this book and everyone seems to love it, and it is safe to say I absolutely LOVED it too, it was so magical.

The book follows Nora Seed, who has attempted to take her own life and finds herself in a library - somewhere between life and death. In this library, every book shows another life you could have lived, and you have the chance to experience that life, to see if you would undo your regrets if you could, and what alternative life - if any - would have made you feel differently about staying alive, if you had made different choices.

I really adored this book, it is such a smart concept for a story and really makes you think about your own life, and how, even when we may think our life would be different/better if we had made this decision or that, ultimately we are on the path we are meant to be on, and that path can always lead to new and better experiences that are worth staying alive for. A really gorgeous book that everyone should read.

3. Everything I never told you - Celeste Ng

Trigger Warning: Suicide, racism, Anti-Asian racism

This book opens with the death of 16 year old Lydia (that's not a spoiler, it's on the first page) who is the beloved and adored daughter of Marilyn and James Lee - a mixed-race Chinsese/Caucasian couple living in Ohio in the 1970s, where such relationships were rare and thus frowned upon as a result.

The entire book is basically the family (parents and siblings) trying to find out how Lydia ended up at the bottom of the lake and why. We explore many different potential scenarios with them during the novel, and discover the nature of Lydia's relationship with her parents and the pressure she was under from them to be what her mother felt she never was. We also experience various methods each family member used to try and cope with their extreme loss - some of which were questionable and potentially problematic.

I really enjoyed most of the book as we went through the family's grief and attempting to understand what happened to Lydia, but by the end I felt like it was a real anti-climax when you find out what really happened, and it almost didn't make sense to me based on all the potential scenarios the book brings you through. So I liked the writing and the book in general, but I felt the end did not make sense at all.

I read this as I read another of Celeste Ng's books Little Fires Everywhere last Summer and loved it, and while this one was still good, the end was a bit disappointing.

4. All the light we cannot see - Anthony Doerr

I saw this book recommended on Beth Sandland's Book Club Instagram (a great follow if that's your jam) as one to read if you enjoyed The Nightingale, which you may remember was one of my favourite books of 2020, so I couldn't not try this one, and I was not disappointed.

This story follows a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths unexpectedly collide as France is occupied by the Germans during the devastation of World War II. The blind French girl - Marie-Laure - lives in Paris with her father, when, at 12 years old she and her father flee to her reclusive Grand-uncle's house in Saint Malo by the sea, as Paris is being claimed by the Germans.

Werner is a young German orphan, growing up with his younger sister in a children's home in a mining town, after their father is killed in the mines. He and his sister are transfixed by radios and what they can hear on the airwaves. Werner ends up being enlisted into the army (with Hitler at the helm) to fix radios and track down any French people illegally using them.

This is such a gorgeous story - albeit heart-breaking - and I loved that it was such a long book because you really feel like you're in the lives of the characters of Marie-Laure and Werner and you're almost on edge wishing the best for them in the circumstances. A gorgeous read, would definitely recommend, especially if you read and liked The Nightingale.

Et voila! Some amazing books to add to your list if they sound like your kind of thing. Always open to new recommendations too so please do send any on to me. You can DM me on Instagram if that's easier - I also have a books highlight on there which I update with what I'm currently reading if you're ever curious.

I hope everyone is doing okay with the new announcements re: restrictions/vaccines/the shit-show that is Ireland - I know I'm finding it very tough and I am so done with everything, so if you're feeling that way too, please just look after yourself and reach out to loved ones (or me) for any support you need.

Lots of love and stay safe,

S ✗

*some affiliate links used

Greetings all, back at it again with the books. I didn't get quite as much reading done in February as I would have liked to (the first book was a slow one and my exhaustion levels were high, meaning I kept falling asleep mid-sentence).

ANYWHO, here we go with the mini-reviews.

Theft by Finding Diaries Volume One - David Sedaris

This was my first read of the month and LET ME TELL YOU it was a bit of a long one to kick off with.

This book is an edited version of the real-life diaries David Sedaris kept between 1977 and 2002. For 40 years he kept a diary in which he recorded everything that happened and that caught his attention throughout his life in those years.

As with David Sedaris' books in general, it is of course full with comedic value and hilarious happenings. There were definitely some problematic parts/language throughout the earlier years that wouldn't fly these days, but apart from that I felt it just dragged on slightly. While there were funny parts and interesting memories throughout his younger years as a drug addict and right through to him writing about the 9/11 attacks, the inbetween parts felt like they dragged a bit.

Overall it was an easy read, I enjoyed it for the most part but felt it was a little longer than it needed to be. Not his funniest work - Calypso is still up there with my favourite of David Sedaris' work that I've read!

My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell

TW: sexual abuse, rape

I would put a definite trigger warning on this for anyone who has experience sexual abuse and coercion of any kind, but especially at the hands of a person in power/person of authority who made you believe it was normal.

This book - while an uncomfortable read for the most part, is also an important one - really explores the dynamics of sexual abuse of a teenager at the hands of an older man - her teacher - and how his behaviour and treatment of her affected her for her life going forward. It explores the psychological dynamics of the relationship between the naive teenager, Vanessa, and her manipulative, older teacher, Mr Strane, who made her believe it was love.

As the years go by, other allegations come out against the teacher from former students, and Vanessa starts to question and recognise their affair and Mr Strane for what it really was, and wonders whether it is now time for her to speak up. The book alternates between Vanessa's past, as a 15 year old, and Vanessa as she is now, in her late twenties, reflecting on her experience and recognising it as trauma.

A Spark of Light - Jodi Picoult 

TW: abortion

I was warned before I read this book that it would make me angry (full to the brim of "pro-life" - anti-choicers) and it sure did, but it is meant to.

This story follows the experience of a group of people in a women's reproductive health services clinic - all of them there for different reasons, some working, some seeking birth control, some needing oncology scans, others for abortions, and some who believe abortion should not exist. One morning, a man who has discovered his daughter has visited the clinic - known for providing abortion services - arrives to get revenge for his grandchild that never was, and comes into the clinic shooting and takes everyone inside hostage.

As the police descend on the scene and hostage negotiation with the gunman starts as normal, experienced hostage negotiator Hugh McElroy realises his daughter and sister are among the hostages.

I enjoyed this book - despite the rage - Jodi Picoult is a great writer (my mom has read her books for years but I also remember them having quite depressing storylines and I wasn't at an emotionally stable enough time in my life to be reading depressing things tbh) and tells a story in such a beautiful way, building each of the characters out to the point you feel that you know them personally are are there in the clinic with them.

Strange Flowers - Donal Ryan

TW: racism, homophobia

My mom posted me up this book recently - I hadn't heard of it but read the blurb and was intrigued, and it is written by an Irish author so I figured I would give it a whirl. I absolutely loved it.

The story begins in 1973 when a young woman named Moll Gladney goes missing from her home in the hills of Tipperary, leaving no trace or clue, and her distraught parents in her wake. Five years on, as her parents are beginning to come to terms with the awful thought that she is gone forever, Moll walks back through the door as though nothing has happened... but a lot has changed.

This book explores so many important topics and addresses them in a great way - from the hindrances of the Catholic Church and its devout followers, the rampant racism and homophobia of that time in Ireland and all that stems from these issues. The Gladneys - who are the last people you would expect to accept such ideas as normal, welcome Moll and her new story back with open arms.

This is such a gorgeous book in every way, I really loved it and would highly recommend. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Let me know what you read this month/recently and if you have any recommendations - I'm always looking for more to add to my ever-growing pile!

Thank you for reading as always,

S ✗

As we began January 2021 in yet another Level 5 lockdown here in Ireland, I decided to embrace it as much as I could and spent pretty much ALL of my spare time (I mean, what time is not spare at the moment) reading. I enjoyed most of the books I read this month - a couple of not-so-sure-about ones but nonetheless, a good reading month overall. 

1.  Asymmetry - Lisa Halliday

This was the first book I read this year, which I received as a gift from my friend Gráinne (the one who always picks amazing books). I think I may have missed something in this book, as it confused me quite a bit, although I enjoyed the actual reading of it thoroughly.

This book begins with Alice, a book editor in her twenties with dreams of writing her own books, who finds herself in a relationship with a famous writer, Ezra Blazer, who is 45 years older than her. Ezra is controlling and very generous, but asks too much of Alice while flaunting the power he feels he has over her. 

However, the second part of the book begins and tells an entirely different story (which is meant to be connected somehow to Alice's story), of a man, Amar, who has travelled to London to meet a friend, then planning to fly on to Kurdistan to find his brother who has disappeared. Amar gets detained at Heathrow (2008, in the height of the terrorism battle) and is subjected to questioning and interrogation.

Again, I really enjoyed the language used and the style of writing in this book, but I think I missed a key, complex piece of what was going on and how these two stories of Alice and Amar are interconnected while I was reading it. Upon googling, it is a little clearer, but let me know your thoughts if you have read it!

2. Ghosts - Dolly Alderton

Dolly Alderton is a wonder - I literally love everything she does, writes and recommends. Starting off my adoration was her podcast, The High Low, with Pandora Sykes, then came her first book, Everything I Know About Love which I absolutely gobbled up, and now, Ghosts which, naturally, I also devoured.

This story follows Nina Dean - a food writer in her early thirties. After two years of singledom, she meets Max, who insists on the first date that he will marry her (one of those) and she feels as if everything is falling into place. Until, of course, he ghosts her. TWICE. Alongside this, she is struggling with friendships as her friends seem to sink further and further into "settled" territory, and she struggles with her Dad who is slowly disappearing before her eyes as his dementia worsens.

I loved this book. It was relatable, funny and spoke in a beautiful way about the experience of having a loved one with dementia, without it feeling too heavy. A great, easy and enjoyable read for sure.

3. The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

This is such a lovely book - hilarious and heart-warming (despite the cynical-sounding title). 

The story is set in a retirement village where four unlikely friends - pushing 80 years old - reside. The group meet weekly - every Thursday - to discuss old, unsolved crimes, and together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. However, the old cases get pushed to the side when a local man who had interest in buying the retirement village is found dead and they find themselves trying to solve their first live murder case. As another body turns up, the Thursday Murder Club are determined to catch the killer before it's too late.

While this book is largely a comedy, there are some touching moments of friendship and love and the lasting quality of both. A great read!

4. Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens

*Trigger warning - sexual assault*

I know I am waaay late to the party on this one, and I wish I had read it sooner because I absolutely loved it, and cannot wait to see the film (but hope they don't make a balls of it like they so often do when making amazing books into movies). This is a gorgeous story of survival, independence, love and friendship, with a running nature theme throughout which is so calming to read.

The book follows Kya Clark, known in the local village as the "Marsh Girl." She lives in a shack in the marsh and is gradually abandoned by everyone in her family, finding herself alone. We learn about her daily life and connection she has to the marsh around her, and how she nurtures a relationship with Tate, a local boy, without ever knowing how.

However, Chase Andrews - a popular guy in the village - turns up dead, and because they suspect her of all sorts (on the basis of not knowing her or attempting to know her), the village insist that Kya is the culprit. 

This book is really thought-provoking and shows the discrimination Kya experiences as a young woman, essentially alone in the world. This book was moving and beautifully written, would recommend to everyone.

5. The Colour Purple - Alice Walker

*Trigger warning - sexual assault, domestic abuse, racism* 

This is a brilliant, heart-breaking story, I really loved the style of writing in letter format, written to her sister/diary entries to God throughout the book.

This story follows the life of African American women in the earliest 20th century in Georgia. Celie and her sister, Nettie, were separated at a young age and try to stay in eachothers' lives as much as they can, despite being worlds away from one another and leading completely different lives. We follow their story through a series of letters over and back between the sisters over 20 years, as well as Celie's letters to God. We also follow the characters of Shug Avery and Sofia, along with the husbands of these women and the way of the world back then when it came to women.

It is a tough read, discussing many instances of domestic and sexual abuse and the pain the women experience throughout their lives as a result, their courage, and how their companionship with one another gets them through.

Again, looking forward to watching movie but hoping it doesn't do a terrible job of re-enacting the book.

6. Redhead by the Side of the Road - Anne Tyler

This book I did not get along with. If I had to sum it up in one (slightly harsh) sentence, I would say it was trying to be Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine but sadly not succeeding. 

The story follows Micah Mortimer - a creature of habit with a structured and strict routine in life that he does not like to stray from. The plotline basically centres around his girlfriend - with whom he has a strange, systematic sort of relationship - getting evicted, his reaction to that, and the subsequent effect on their relationship; and a strange situation where a teenager turns up on his doorstep claiming to be his son.

While I understood the point was for these events to show how his routine was thrown off, it didn't really develop at all, I was waiting for something substantial to happen and it just didn't. Not a fan unfortunately.

Let me know what you read that you loved, I am forever looking for more reading recommendations!

Thank you for reading as always,

S ✗

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