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My Favourite Reads of 2022, HNY!

This book was bought for me as a birthday present in June and it jumped way up my tbr list as the other books sat solemnly on my wooden shelves watching as a grabbed this new book to read.  Luckily I was not disappointed with my choice to read it early. It wouldn’t be one I’d normally pick in a book shop however the book is beautiful and the turquoise pages drew me in. All I knew was what the…

I’ll start by saying hi, I am back. And I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted but I am glad to be back and sending out a post and hopefully connecting with people again 2022 for me has been a year of real progress and working on myself. So I have been reading but I haven’t felt in a position to really post anything and I’ve had to not let the guilt get to me. I started the year…

I only started reading for enjoyment again last year, after years of not really picking up a book. For me this past year of getting into reading again has made me a lot happier, more focused and a lot more reflective. I’ve enjoyed finding a hobby that is relaxing but also uses imagination. I feel inspired and find myself recalling the stories in my head and the enjoyment I got from them. This is…

A brief Synopsis … doesn’t do the story justice Lilian attends an elite boarding school as a scholarship student where she befriends the beautiful and wealthy Madison. Despite their differences they form a close friendship and become inseparable. Later during their time at boarding school a scandal forces Lilian out of the school. Madison and Lilian continue to keep in touch writing letters to…

What can I say about The last house on needless street by Catriona Ward

I read the last house on needless street throughout April for my book club and wow was I impressed. This book has so many twists and turns and really grips you as a reader. I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller. Now I can’t say too much about the story without giving anything away so you will have to read it for yourself but I 100% know you…

My thoughts on: Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

3 stars ⭐️ The concept of this book really intrigued me about the time travel and the stories of the characters, I had heard mixed reviews about this book however I went into it with an open mind not knowing what the there would be in store for me. Before the coffee gets cold is a relatively short book with only 192 pages so it’s not a big read. The book is set in a small cafe in Tokyo which…

What I thought about: The Split by Laura Kay

The split by Laura Kay was released on 18th March 2021, I hadn’t seen much about this book but I was intrigued. The front cover says ‘Ally’s relationship is over, and she’s taking the cat…’ and as a cat lover this inevitably drew me in. The story is not a romance in a traditional sense but it is very funny. Ally’s girlfriend Emily has just split up with her so ally moves back in with her dad in…

April Book club pick – The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

For April we have decided to read the last house on needless street. Released on 18th March 2021, This book has been called a horror thriller and I would normally not read anything described as a horror as I would be sleeping with the light on for weeks so I’m hoping it will be more of a thriller but I am grateful that I am being pushed out of my comfort zone and I’m looking forward to giving it…

My thoughts on: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

The flatshare has been on my tbr list for a while and so many people have been gushing about it and recommending it so I was overly excited when I got my copy in the post 🥳 & I loved every second of reading it. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about the book, it is a delight!! Such a feel good book with fab characters that you can’t help but love. The story does explore emotional abuse in…

What I thought about: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

I feel a bit like for a while I’ve been carrying ten balls of wool. And one ball fell, so I dropped another to catch it, but still didn’t catch it. Then two more started to unravel, and in trying to save those I lost another one. Do you know what I mean? Sorry.’ This book is another one of those books that I was seeing everywhere. I read so many positive reviews and so much hype that I really…

The starless sea by Erin morgenstern

4.5 / 5 ⭐️ “Do you have a particular favourite?” Simon asks Eleanor considers this. It is not a question she has ever been asked, but a book comes to mind.“I do. I… I do. It’s…” Eleanor pauses “would you like to read it?” she asks instead of trying to explain it. Books are always better when read rather than explained.“I would very much so” Simon answers.“I can get it and you can read it and…

My thoughts on: The vanishing half by Brit Bennett

⭐️ 4.5/5 This book has been long listed for the women’s prize 2021 and is a goodreads choice 2020 winner. I’d heard so many good things about the vanishing half that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and read it for myself. It is a story about twin girls from a small town in New Orleans called Mallard, spanning from the 1950s to the 1990s. Mallard is a southern black community that Stella…

⭐️ 5/5 stunning! The push is heart wrenching, when I was only half way through I could already feel the pain in my chest, the tears welling in my eyes and an intense feeling of dread. This story is so raw and so honest. It explores motherhood and the relationships between mother and child and also how this can affect other relationships. To have your deepest fears actualised in the form of…

My thoughts on Klara and The Sun – Kazuo Ishiguro

The Sun always has a way to reach us. Klara and the Sun ⭐️ 5/5 At the beginning of 2021 I read Ian McEwan’s machines like me that explored artificial intelligence and the ripple affects on humanity and ultimately questioned if AI would surpass humanity and become hostile, whereas I feel Kazuo Ishiguro focused on the positive, optimistic side of AI and their loyalty. Whether it would be possible…

Published feb 2021 ⭐️ 3/5 I had lots of conflicting thoughts while reading this book. Where is this going? I love it! am I actually enjoying it? At least it’s well written, not…exactly what I was expecting. But all in all it was a thought provoking book but it’s not a book that i feel I’d pick up again. I didn’t feel the same need to read this book as I have with other books but it was…