Beth

It's such a shame I didn't enjoy this book as much as I really wanted to. This book is beautifully written. Also it is definitely a strong standalone novel. While it is the third in a series, you didn't need to know anything about the plot or characters before reading it. However this book has a very floaty quality so much so that the plot seems non existent. The main protagonist Tambudzai flits between relatives homes and unsuccessful job roles trying to figure her life out. While this novel touches on some really interesting themes such as mental health, war trauma and Zimbabwean identity. I really struggled to stay immersed in the story. I absolutely loved the authors writing style. It was exquisite and lyrical and the authors wider social commentary was poignant. Unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this novel very much.

Thank you to the publisher Faber and Faber, the author Tsitsi Dangarembga and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Shirley Jackson is a very talented writer. I personally had a frustrating reading experience as Jackson's endings are typically very open and ambiguous. However she has a talent for making an ordinary story take on a creepier undertone. The last story Nightmare is by far the strongest story and the one I enjoyed the most. Nightmare has the most similarities to The Lottery in its structure and execution. I am left intrigued more than ever about Jackson's works after reading this book and I am hoping to turn to her novels next, very soon. A 3 star read for me.

I respected this book much more than I enjoyed it. I think the experimental form and style of this novel ( a semi novel/ semi essay) was very impressive and I was really interested in the exploration of a mother's deeper relationship to her child. I just felt this novel was very melancholic and it gave me a very anxious and claustrophobic reading experience. The fragmented nature of this novel and the occasional peppering of medical science cases and people of interest often left me distant from the more structured novel elements of the plot. Heavily philosophical musings in the book I found myself skimming over as unfortunately they didn't arrest my attention. I found the points raised in this novel fascinating but in a novel form I couldn't connect with the more abstract thought. Greengrass is a very talented writer and this novel deserves to be on the baileys short list. The issues I had with this book were down to my reader preferences and the fact I enjoy more character centric plots as oppose to form or plot driven novels. That is why taking my readers experience into account my personal choice of a star rating is 3.5 stars. However for those who are fascinated by the abstract this novel could certainly be your cup of tea!

This is a very informative non fiction novel on the adolescent brain. However it is academic in tone and it discusses and references an exhaustive list of clinical studies and trials which makes the reading experience a trifle tedious. Listening to this on audiobook also was difficult as at points I got distracted and lost the thread. Overall an interesting book that is up to date on research and had some fascinating truths to express around adolescent and adult brains and brain development.

Admittedly, in certain parts of the novel Frankenstein can ramble a little repetitively and sometimes the story is oppressed with an overly melodramatic tone but over all I really enjoyed this story. Unlike the Hollywood counterpart this story is very different. Frankenstein (the creator not the monster) is found and saved by adventurer Robert Walton and through this framed narrative we learn of Frankenstein's creation and the horrible fate that envelopes Frankenstein in the consequences of such a creation. I love the conflicted nature of the narrative and how at the end of the book you are conflicted about who the monster really was. I loved the depth given to the character of the monster and the strong themes within the novel of Religion, Philosophy and Science as well as Revenge and Ownership. This book was dark but utterly enthralling and intoxicating. This book certainly deserves a re read in the future to glean the most from Shelley's impressive storytelling! A pleasant surprise to read. A 4 and a half star read!

This collection of poetry deals with some relevant and important topics and themes including: grief, mental health, feminism, self-abandonment, honouring ones culture and roots and empowering oneself. The poet Rupi Kaur, whose poems are usually simplistic in tone is also responsible for encouraging a new generation of readers to try out poetry which is really encouraging and positive. However, I agree with the general consensus that Rupi Kaur's collections tend to stray on the side of over simplistic. Both of her collections are extremely similar in style, tone and structure and are both separated into four separate themes. I didn't enjoy that the collection wasn't particularly literary and that unfortunately for me the poetry wasn't very profound or original. The poetry towards the end became very repetitive and similar and I felt much of the content of the collection came from the urge to write about what is popular rather than a heartfelt collection. Unfortunately, for that reason the highest I can rate this collection is 3.5 stars.

3.5

4/4.5. A brilliantly funny and poignant read on the state of our NHS. A must read for everyone who supports our NHS. We need to acknowledge the positions we are putting our NHS staff into. We need to invest in better mental health for NHS staff. The NHS is for the staff who work there. Not just the patients. Invest in the future of the NHS. If we don't want more people to leave their careers in the NHS like Adam Kay, we need to put their needs first. Such a powerful memoir on Kay's experience working as a junior doctor.

I am giving this book between a 4.5 and a 5 stars as I was so immersed and sucked into this story. This novel is like a conglomeration of The Woman In Black, Rebecca, The Miniaturist and that creepy Doctor Who Episode called Blink in which the statues move when you blink. I loved the twisted and creepy ending and it's ambiguity. I loved the notion and the execution of the ‘Companions'. I think this book is so well executed and so creatively explored. This satisfies the part of me that loves a dark and unnerving thriller. It has a similar revealing ending to Shutter Island as well which I really loved. This is the first book that actively makes me think of other inspirations and adaptations that have influenced the story but I really enjoyed that it was a well fleshed out and fresh take on these other novels and films. It was a book I morbidly enjoyed and I would recommend giving it a read if you love a quick paced thriller or you want to get into them. These characters and companions will stay with me long after the last page. I can't wait to discuss this book with other booktubers!

4/4.5. A powerful biography of Sandra Pankhurst's life. What an incredible woman and what an incredible story. Thank you to Sarah for sharing this poignant and moving story with the world.

This was a throughly enjoyable read! Sometimes rather self indulgent in tone, nevertheless Robert Webb delivers a very raw and honest expose of his early years struggling with his masculinity and sexuality. His childhood was a difficult one to say the least and this leads to confusing adolescence which in turn makes his adult life far from simplistic. His observations around masculinity and gender were deeply intriguing to me and while some of his explanations seemed rather simplistic or idealistic or overtly cynical, I throughly invested in his sentiment. I love that he is looking to re address and acknowledge the way in which masculinity and gender expectation / patriarchy or as he refers to it ‘The Trick' is letting down not just women but men. The things he discusses in this book are things I've mulled over many times myself but he can articulate them much more beautifully than me. I loved his openness about his past memories and his past mistakes. Overall an autobiography yes. But indefinitely much more more than that. I highly recommend this to any kind of reader. This is a book that will enrich anybody's mindset around gender just a little bit more. And it will definitely make you laugh at times and cry at others. So go and enjoy it! Because I can assure you I definitely did !!!

4.5 stars

This book will haunt me deeply for a long time. This book in equal measures disgusted and fascinated me. The descriptions of scent in this novel were so intoxicating and visceral and I loved the originality of using the sense of smell as the frame through which to feed through the story. I loved how when reading this book it had elements of Lolita and Frankenstein, both books I really enjoyed! This book is dark and at times unnerving but I loved the skill of Suskind's writing that he could evoke uneasiness and morbid fascination from his readers. I hungrily devoured this book within two days and found it such an easy and gripping read. I can understand how people might have found the ending a slightly exaggerated ending and the beginning rather slow. However I felt the book was a really well fleshed out story that explained the character and motives of Grenouille properly. A perfectly filled in plot that defies a genre. A guilty yet indulgent read for me. I would highly recommend!

I have rated this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars and I will discuss it in more detail in my Instagram live discussion with Anthony Andrews however I did develop a soft spot for this novel which defines all categories and simple explanations. This book follows Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace on an epic adventure to find and save Meg and Charles Wallace's father from the darkness. Along the way Meg, Cal and Charles encounter the eccentric characters of Mrs Who, Mrs Whatsit and Mrs Witch, learn how to tesser and find themselves on the planet of camazotes. While I didn't fall in love with the story as a whole as I found the adventure elements of the plot very fast, rushed and not very memorable. I really enjoyed the Mrs W characters, Meg, Charles and Calvin and I loved the meaning behind the story much more than the story itself. This book explores identity, politics, society, feminism, and familiar ties as well as much much more and I can understand which it is such a beloved classic. While I will undoubtedly forget the plot before too long, the characters of Charles, Meg, Mrs Witch, Mrs Who and Mrs Whatsit will stay with me and my younger self wishes I had met these fabulous characters in my youth!

3.5. A pleasant surprise. I found this book highly compelling, very convincing and great fun!

I've literally just finished this book and I am completely enamoured by it. My brain is a wash with so many thoughts and feelings about this collection of short stories. First and foremost each story packs an emotional punch. The stories are unique. They are raw. They each tackle characters who are struggling with difficult home environments. With psychotic or mentally disturbed family members who impede on their development or who are responsible for psychological damage to the main protagonists. Each of the stories are dark and harrowing. But the characters within each are completely fascinating . The first two stories and the last I would have loved more development of those individual stories and for the third story I feel that plot could of been condescended down more. However the writing style, the suspense and the characters were fantastically constructed. The book is intoxicating. You become drawn into each dark story. These characters and plots will haunt you and stay with you long after the final page. And I feel for myself I need to re read these stories again to gleen out even more of the wonders of Eden Robinson's storytelling. An effortless 4.8/5 out of 5 stars. Such a fascinating and enthralling short story collection. Please go read it!

This is a very interesting book. Now almost ten years old the overall argument of the book seems somewhat questionable. It did make me look at how we view success in a different way to how I previously had and in this respect Malcolm Gladwell's aim when writing this piece has been fulfilled by his readership. However I found the overall argument very simplistic and the style of the book read more like an undergraduate dissertation piece than a convincing psychological document. Don't get me wrong it was very easy to read. Very easy to understand and a fascinating way to turn previous assumptions about success on their heads. If you want to feel engaged in psychology without being overwhelmed by complex academic texts then this book is for you. However while I have become interested in both Malcolm Gladwell and his works as a result of this read. I fail to be convinced of his argument and so for me this novel sits at 3.5/ 3.8 read for me.

After reading this book it has solidified a few things about Sally Rooney and her writing style. I think reading this book has helped me see the writing evolution from this book to Normal People. The themes of self harming are prominent in both books and Sally Rooney clearly enjoys writing about damaged women. I found some of the themes raised in this book problematic. Similar to normal people Frances just like Marianne is a character that I am deeply worried about and felt anxious to leave behind. The depression and sadness that Frances copes with alongside physical issues is heartbreaking and while so many people love Sally Rooney's books, I think she creates bleak characters that can make the reading experience very claustrophobic. I have so many things I want to discuss about the themes of mental health and sexuality and monogamy in this book so I will do a review of it on my channel soon. Safe to say I didn't like this as much as normal people and I have a few issues with the book so it's a 3.5 stars for me.

5 star read! I adored this book!!!! It has everything you could ever want. It has romance, it has love triangles and even love rectangles ! It has folk tales and fantasy elements and much much more! It has captivating characters and each character is given the depth and consideration they deserve within the wider plot . It has twists and turns and shocking and heartwarming moments. Sarah Perry is such a talented writer. She is a strong contender for the future. She had beautiful prose, fantastic character development and superb plot development. I will read anything and everything she will write in the future and I urge you to do the same! If you do anything this summer....read this book!!!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Considering I am not usually a YA fan, I didn't really expect much from this book. But I have to admit I really enjoyed reading this. The book was very easy to get into and was a fast paced read. I really like in the book the discussion of race and identity in America shown through the lens of Starr, a teenage African American girl. There were a few times this book made me cringe but it was mainly the scene of the girls at prom as I felt it was rather juvenile but that's just because I don't have a taste for the YA writing style. I found the plot as a whole very relevant, contemporary and believable. I think it's fantastic that this book can help a future generation of young African American children and other minorities in America feel they have something to relate to and a way to understand the world they live in better through this book. I think Angie Thomas is a great advocate and it was a solid YA novel. This is a book most readers will enjoy and connect with regardless of race, sexuality or gender and it is a book I would happily recommend to all readers. A 4 and a half star read.

This is the first book this year that has had me so deeply conflicted. Things I liked in this book I really loved and bits I didn't enjoy in this book, I passionately disliked. It is so difficult to summarise my feelings on this book here. I will be doing a video on my channel soon to better unpick my thoughts on this book. In simple terms however I loved the relationship between Raymond and Eleanor but I struggled to warm to Eleanor's character overall and I found the book (good days and bad days) as two separately constructed books that were pushed together and lacked a fluidity. I got no sense of suspension or anticipation for the action that would happen in the book and I found Eleanor's crush implausible and it ruined other elements of the book. For now I will give the book between 3 and 3 and a half stars and discuss it in more depth with you soon on my channel!

I am hugely conflicted in regards to this book. While it's not as good as his other two books, I found the plot engaging and the character development terrific.

But trigger warnings this book is fat phobic. I really respect Norton as an author and love the way he weaves his narratives. But this book does not deal with the character of Sergeant Collins sensitively and even being a debut novel isn't excusable. The first and last chapters made my skin crawl with discomfort. Fat phobic writing isn't acceptable in this book published in 2016 or books published thereafter.

It didn't move the plot forward and as a reader made me feel like the author was propping Collins up as a character we could ridicule for being fat. I was not cool with that. Therefore this book cannot be rated higher.

I would rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I really loved the complexity of the three way relationship between Ellis and Annie and Micheal. I loved that sexuality in this book as well as friendship and loss and grief were all explored fluidly and with sincerity. I found the ending just a little contrived and so it didn't give me the emotive ending I was looking for, however I cannot take umbrage with Sarah Winman for that. Over all I found the book beautiful. I loved all elements of it, including the parts set in France which is a compliment to Winman's writing as usually I find holiday segments in other books rather trying and tedious. I loved the fact that the revelations surrounding Micheal and Annie weren't forced or over-romanticised and that Sarah Winman trusted you as a reader to connect the dots and the memories in a way you saw fit without forcing you to feel a certain way by making a memory obvious in terms of the characters emotions at the time or in hindsight which some authors do. Overall an incredibly impressive novel and a story very character driven with loveable and fascinating characters to dive into and connect with. Also for a 200 page book it delivers so much richness in plot and character development without losing its integrity. A talent which some authors don't have the restraint or experience to accomplish. So well done Sarah Winman!

4 star read. This book had beautiful imagery. I loved the repeated metaphor of shadows rising and floating away. I also loved the personification of people's shadows and how they became the representation of characters inner turmoils within the novel. The world Hwang Jungeun created was bleak yet intoxicatingly mystical and alluring. The characters of Eungyo and Mujae were fascinating and their romance captivating. I loved the subtleties in this novel. A very well composed novel.

I know this will be a very controversial review. I really did want to enjoy this book. However upon finishing it I feel very underwhelmed. Over a year ago I finished the reluctant fundamentalist and really enjoyed it but I had many issues with this book. I hated the writing style of this book. It made the reading experience pretty tedious. I hated the bits when the perspective would sporadically shift to some random person in a random location for a page and then go back to the main narrative. It made the feeling of certain chapters jarring and the shift was irrelevant to the wider plot. I wasn't invested in the relationship between Nadia and Saeed and so moments that were meant to be heartwarming and/or heartbreaking lacked sincerity for me. I think Mohsin Hamid can certainly write and some interesting points were raised in this book about emigration and identity. However I wasn't overly convinced about the device of the doors and so this book can only receive a run of the mill 3 out of 5 stars from me.