Category: Books

Handle with Care by Louisa Reid

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I feel so lucky to have been gifted a copy of ‘Handle with Care’ by Louisa Reid. Louisa Reid is an author that I really admire and I am always excited if I know there is a new book on the way. And it is safe to say that, yet again, she has given us an incredible read, that does not shy away from tough topics – and will in fact make you cry.

In this latest offering we are introduced to Ruby and Ash, best friends – but Ruby has been keeping a secret: she is pregnant. And when Hero makes a dramatic entrance to the world during a History lesson, both of their lives change forever, as does their friendship. Ruby has to deal with a world that thinks it knows best, and Ash has to deal with a revelation that throws a whole different light on what has led to this very moment.

I love that Ruby’s chapters are told in Louisa Reid’s usual wonderful free verse. This allows us to really be on the journey with Ruby as she comes to terms with becoming a mother and all that means for her. It conveys all the emotions that Ruby is experiencing beautifully, and the real feeling of confusion as she has to deal with becoming a mum – and the relationship she has with her own mother.

Ash’s chapters are told in prose, almost suggesting that her life is almost just carrying on as normal, as she tries to understand the experiences of Ruby. It works so well to show the distance which appears between the two friends, but how much Ash still loves her friend, yet just does not know how to help, as they are now living what seem to be very different lives.

I do not want to give any spoilers of what happens in this beautiful book, but I will say that it is an emotional rollercoaster. You will feel joy, sadness, anger and hope, sometimes all at the same time. Most importantly, though, Ruby, Ash and Hope will stay with you even when you have read the last word – and you may surprise yourself as you find yourself thinking about them when you least expect it.

Just like ‘Wrecked’ and ‘Gloves Off’, I will be recommending this book to everyone – and, of course, ‘The Poet’ (although this one is not YA). What reading this has also reminded me is that I must make sure I pick up a copy of ‘Activist’, because I know it is going to be a book that I will enjoy.

So, the important questions is, have you read any Louisa Reid yet? And if the answer is no, then make sure you give them a go soon – because you will not be disappointed.

In A Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am not sure how, but I had missed the publication of ‘In A Thousand Different Ways’ by Cecelia Ahern, and as she is one of my auto-buy authors, I knew I had to treat myself when I spotted it out in the world. It does of course also have a rather beautiful cover, so that was an additional reason it was definitely allowed to be purchased.

This is exactly what you come to expect from the pen of Cecelia Ahern: a little magical realism in the modern world, with a strong female lead who we can all admire for her strength. This is a simple but beautifully told story, as we meet Alice who can see everyone’s emotions; everyone carries colours that Alice can read. This seems like quite a gift that should make understanding people a doddle, but this could be a curse as well as a gift, as Alice has to learn how to live with it, and understand how to make it something that will not simply consume her.

This really is a journey of self-discovery for Alice as we follow her from childhood to adult life; we laugh with her and we cry with her. We see how lonely it can be for someone who does not fully understand who they are and how someone needs to be able to accept themselves and their skills before they are really able to understand others. Alice needs to understand that she cannot take on all the emotions of others, that she must learn to manage her gift and use it for good, but that she cannot fix and protect all of those around her. When she does this, can she find the happiness that seems to have been lacking for her for so long as she has tried to take care of everybody else?

This is such a beautiful book, and part of the reason I always return to Cecelia Ahern is because you know you will get a lovely story and characters that you will care about. I also really enjoy that they are almost like fairytales for adults – pure escapism, a touch of magic and fantastic characters. Cecelia Ahern writes beautifully and you are completely immersed in the world that she creates for her readers.

So, if you are looking for a lovely read this summer (or any time), then I would recommend this book. There are some slightly difficult issues about family relationships touched on in the story, but they are handled with care and they are all part of the complex tapestry of life that make us all who we are. And they make Alice who she is – and she becomes stronger for it.

I am hoping I do not miss the publication of any of Cecelia Ahern’s other books, as this has again confirmed why she has been an auto-buy author for me since the days of the beloved ‘P.S. I Love You’.

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

A friend lent me this book as she wanted to see what I would think of it. Now, if I am honest, I would not have read this book without her passing it on to me. I think it would probably just have passed me by as not one of my first-choice picks. However, once I started reading ‘Before I Do’, I did find it rather hard to put down.

This is the story of Audrey, who is about to marry Josh. This should be the happiest day of her life, but the night before her wedding, in walks Fred, the photo booth guy, a blast from the past – and Audrey’s life is thrown into disarray. Are the signs telling her that she should call her wedding off, and maybe Fred is the real love of her life? Or is Fred just a memory of what was – and not what should be?

This book is a joy to read, there is so much warmth and humour in this book but with a rather serious undertone. It really explores the impact that the past can have on our future. Especially when the past becomes romanticised, and we have so many people around us telling us what we should think, what we should do and exactly how they think things should be.

The characters are beautifully created for the reader. They are really brought to life, and as the book is set around the day before and day of a wedding, you will definitely find someone you know amongst the characters. A personal favourite for me was Josh’s grandma, reading her Jilly Cooper novels, observing all that is going on and passing her cutting remarks about everything – but you know that she has a good heart underneath it all, just nobody is quite good enough for her grandson.

So, if you like a humorous story, with a heart and some serious observations, then this is a book for you.

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

If you have been around here a while then you know I am already a fan of Clare Pooley so when this proof copy of her newest novel landed on my doorstep I was over the moon. First of all, although we do not judge books by their cover, of course, the cover of this book is absolutely stunning and should make you all want to read it. But you should also all want to read it because, to put it bluntly, it is a fabulous book.

This is a book full of colourful characters, of capers, and simply of pure joy from beginning to end, and it was a book that just made you feel good when you picked it up to read it. In fact, I stayed up past my bedtime to finish reading it because, although I did not want it to end, I also had to know what was going to happen to this unlikely group of friends.

As with all of Clare Pooley’s novels, this is a book about community and friendship; this time, it is centred around a community centre, which is a lifeline for the locals and for the characters in our book. Our main focus is the newly formed group for the older members of the community, giving them somewhere to socialise (and keep warm), but not one of them is ready to settle for a few board games and a cup of tea. They are all ready to keep having adventures, and have some pasts that they need to deal with. And, for Ziggy, it provides the nursery he can take his little girl to, which means he may be able to finish his A-Levels and get to uni as he had always hoped.

When this community centre is under threat, however, it brings the young and old of the community together to do whatever they can to ensure it has a future. And, as you would expect with the novels of Clare Pooley, there are many laughs along the way as well as some tender moments that will no doubt bring a tear to your eye.

I absolutely adored this book and will be recommending it to anyone who will listen. This is a book with a heart and is a book that shows that getting older does not mean that you need to give up on life – in fact, you can have just as much fun as you may have done in your younger years. I think it is great that there are always inter-generational friendships in Clare Pooley’s books, which I think are so important because we should not let those who came before us become forgotten.

So, to conclude: Clare Pooley is one of my favourite authors, her books simply bring me joy, and I will be raving about this book for quite some time to come.

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Bookstagram made me do it, as well as the fact that this book won the ‘Val McDermid Debut Award 2024’ at the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival. And, oh my word, this book deserved this award – and it definitely deserves more hype than it seems to be getting. As you all know, I do not read blurbs, I go with what I think I will like based on what I see around, so I had no idea of the story I was about to read, but it absolutely blew me away.

This is not cosy crime; I have been describing it to people as more Taggart or Frost than Midsomer Murders, but this is a excellent crime writing. This is a story that has come from a great writer and plotter, and someone who has a brilliant creative mind. This is a story that is not about if you can work it out, but about how it is worked out on the page – and I loved it.

Ava is growing up just outside Birmingham in the 1980s. She has some slightly unusual interests, like the anatomy of animals, and keeps records and observation notes of the world around her. Ava has a great mind and, when a number of children are murdered in the local area, she gets drawn into the investigation, and becomes quite the support for the local police force.

I can not give any of this tale away, but please do not think that because a young girl becomes a support for the local police force, they are there as a bit of a joke. This is not true at all; this is about respect and support between the two. Ava can observe much of what the police can not ,as she is part of the community, and because observing and note taking is something that she likes doing.

I honestly thought this book was absolutely fantastic and well-deserving of its award. At points, it might not be for the faint-hearted, but things are not there to shock – they are there as part of the story, and it is all dealt with well.

I really hope that we will see more from the pen of Marie Tierney because I, for one, will be reading it immediately. If you like an excellent piece of crime fiction, maybe with a slightly chilling edge, then make sure you pick this book up immediately, because you will not be disappointed.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am always happy when I see that Lucy Foley has published a new thriller, so when ‘The Midnight Feast’ started appearing all over the bookstagram community, I knew I needed to keep an eye out for it. So, it was a no-brainer when it appeared as a bit of a Kindle bargain, and it did not sit on my Kindle for long.

This was what I expected from the pen of Lucy Foley, a thrilling read with an added chill. This was another ideal summer thrilling read – set during the summer solstice, past and present. As readers, we are facing two mysteries, one from the past and one from the present. What happened in Tome in the past that has been haunting it ever since – and could now have an impact that nobody was expecting?

Francesca has turned her old family home into a exclusive new resort, to attract the creme de la creme of society, giving them the ideal place to relax and recharge. However, the rest of Tome are unhappy about this heiress and her development damaging the local economy and the local land. However, as we discover as we read the book, the conflict has existed for quite some time and has had a far-reaching impact on many in the community.

The local legend of ‘The Birds’ is also haunting the people of Tome – but will it stop Francesca and her business from being successful, or will revenge finally been achieved by those who have been wronged, in this life or another?

There is a chilling edge to this thriller when the superstitions are entwined with the the actions of those in Tome. (And it really makes you think about how you would pronounce the name of the village – it adds another edge to the tale.)

As a thriller, this is a well-constructed tale. Told from multiple points of view, and through the journal of ‘Bella’, we are well and truly drawn into this story – it is a real page-turner – especially as there are so many hidden secrets for so many of the characters. And Lucy Foley makes the landscape and the land a character in the story, too, which adds even more all-important atmosphere to the story.

This is a thriller that will be ideal in the summer months, but it will take you well into the spooky season too – and I will be recommending it to many of my thriller-reading friends.

The Summer Party by Kate Gray

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I was lucky enough to win a copy of ‘The Summer Party’ by Kate Gray from another wonderful book lover. I was so incredibly excited when I won this, as ‘The Honeymoon‘ was a fantastic thriller and has been passed round numerous friends who have also loved it (love being able to share books with friends), so I knew I was in for a treat with ‘The Summer Party’, and I was not wrong. And it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, just in time for the summer break.

Kate Gray again takes us on quite the thrilling summer adventure. This book really reminded me of ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie, it was a brilliant locked-room mystery and, to me, that is quite the compliment, as it shows that this is up there with one of our greatest mystery writers. When the Flavour’s Summer Party is at a new exclusive summer resort on the sourthern coast, the whole business is over the moon, and when some of the team are invited to spend the whole night on the resort, it seems like a dream. Of course, it is soon more like a nightmare, as they fight to find out exactly why the night is not going as they would hope – and does it have some connection to the death of a work colleague after the Christmas Party? (Parties are really not good news for this business).

There was a twist where I actually gasped out loud (good job I was reading at home) and there are so many red herrings and moments, where everything you think you know is turned completely on its head, that it is impossible to put this book down. In fact, I read it in two days, because I just had to know what was going to happen next.

The characters are an interesting bunch, especially when they are thrown together on the island overnight. It adds another dimension to the story when you are slowly figuring out why these ‘random’ colleagues have ended up in quite so sticky a situation.

This is an ideal summer read, especially if summertime is your time for a thriller. This is a claustrophobic, summer-heat, locked-room mystery – with more than one mystery amongst its pages. I will definitely be sharing this book with my friends and recommending it each time I am asked for a thriller. I hope that we have more thrillers from Kate Gray soon, as I will most definitely be reading them.

Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I discovered the books of Andrea Mara thanks to ‘The Book Taster Book Club’, and so when I spotted that there was a chance to read her new book, I knew I had to give it a go.

This, like ‘No One Saw a Thing‘, manages to create a thrilling read from something that is probably a fear that many of us have in the back of our mind. Those strange noises in a house, that can send our imagination wild and inventing all sorts scenarios that you know are probably not true but, in that moment, feel incredibly real. As the title suggests, the fear here is the idea that there is someone in your attic watching everything you do, especially when it is dark and you feel at your most vulnerable. And there is a strong theme of never be too trusting or believe everything someone says and does; it can be so easy to be manipulated into believing a situation when there is fear involved, or the desire to protect those that mean the most to you.

I will not write a review with spoilers, so as always it makes the thrillers harder to write about. However, Andrea Mara enjoys sending her characters (and her readers) off on some misdirection, which has you constantly doubting what you are reading. There was one moment where I thought I had solved some of the mystery and was not sure how Julia (our main character) had missed it – but then it turned out I had not been quite as clever as I thought. Although, I had an idea that did end up being correct, so it wasn’t all a complete detective disaster on my part – some of my suspicions were confirmed.

I did feel the chill often at the idea that there may have been someone in Julia’s house, watching her and her family. I am not sure I want to be in the house on my own at night for a while, especially not when the house may be making all its noises to let you know it is here.

So, if you like a page-turner of a read, then this is the book for you – especially if you are in your thriller era.

A Love Letter to The Seven Sisters

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Last year a lovely bookish buddy suggested that we read ‘The Seven Sisters’ series by Lucinda Riley. As I am always willing to give most books I go, I knew I had to join in (I also knew that I have a habit of not finishing book series, so I thought this may encourage me to do so). Little did I know that in just over a year I would have read all eight of the books and be suffering from a little bit of a book hangover.

I have not written blog posts for each of these books, so I thought I would write a post that was an appreciation for them as a whole. Through this wonderful series, Lucinda Riley took us on seven incredible journeys as each of the seven sisters and Atlas’ adopted daughters find out about their pasts and their heritages. And then we have ‘Atlas – The Story of Pa Salt’, written by Harry Whittaker (Lucinda’s son) and inspired by his mother’s wonderful work; that final book that ties up all the loose ends and mysteries that have been created by each of the other books.

I think the joy of these books is that they are beautifully crafted stories, with the rich histories of many nations around the globe interwoven into the tales. But, also, these are stories that remind us that there is so much goodness and kindness in the world; even when things seem at their hardest, there is always someone who will help you find your way.

Also, they also inspire the reader to find out more about each of their historical settings (well, they did for me, anyway) or the fascinating countries that the stories of the sisters begin in. There is also a great respect for the cultures and traditions of the world – nothing is disrespected in the name of entertainment, which is incredibly important to me as a reader and a History teacher. (I have been known to find books with historical settings disappointing/difficult, when entertainment has been placed above the respect that some things should be shown).

The next paragraph may be a little bit of a spoiler (although not if you are an observant reader – which I am not) if you have not yet read ‘Atlas – The Story of Pa Salt’…

But something that is incredible about these books, is not just how well plotted they are, but how you realise that Pa Salt was there all along. In pretty much every book, Pa Salt had made an appearance and, as you read the final book, you realise where you have missed him. I found that an absolute joy, as I could remember moments of reading the original seven books and I felt transported back to those stories. And I have even heard myself saying that I will re-read the original stories. I may do it on audio this time to have a different reading experience, but I will be ready to spot Pa Salt in each of the books – a bit like a grown-up ‘Where’s Wally?’

So, I titled this post ‘A Love Letter to The Seven Sisters’, and I stand by that. This is a series of books that has offered me true escapism, characters that I have loved and cared about, and sent me on adventures that I would never imagine going on. They have also got me over my fear of chunky books; I will never let that put me off again, as I could be missing out on some stunning stories.

This is also a thank you to wonderful bookish buddies who have read along with me. It is thanks to them that I have entered this fabulous world of ‘The Seven Sisters’. When you can read along with a bunch of bookworms at your own pace, but have a space to share their ideas, always makes the reading a little more special and proves that reading does not have to be an antisocial or lonely pastime. And I have found a new set of books that will hold a special place in my heart for a long time to come.

Weirdo by Sara Pascoe

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

The July choice for ‘The Book Taster Book Club’ was ‘Weirdo’ by Sara Pascoe. This was a book that I had my eye on for some time, so it was a perfect excuse to pick it up and read it.

I can see why this book may be a Marmite book – and I definitely do not think that it is a book that will be for everyone, but I rather enjoyed it.

This story is told as a stream of consciousness, like we are living in the head of our main character, Sophie. And, for some, this may be a little jarring, but I rather enjoyed this as a reader. We all live in our heads sometimes, like Sophie, and we often have thoughts that may trigger other thoughts and cause us to jump around in our own heads. For me, this was really interesting, as little moments can often cause another memory or idea to be sparked – and this is what happens throughout the story. Sophie unpacks her past as she lives in her present, which takes her on a journey of self-discovery, as she realises that maybe there is not such a thing as perfection. But she also begins to understand why her present may have been impacted by her past…

Sophie also has a whole host of difficult and dysfunctional relationships to address in her life. These have certainly impacted the Sophie that she has become and need a bit of shaking off if she is going to move forward with her life.

So, as much as I appreciate that this book will not be everyone’s cup of tea, I think that there were a number of features that are probably quite relatable to many young women. The overthinking is definitely something that I could relate to, as was the way we jump around with our thoughts. This is especially true if we are feeling isolated or alone, which is how Sophie is feeling in this stage of her life. And I think there is an important lesson to us all that we should never let anyone dull our shine, or tell us that we are not worth being exactly what we want to be.