Author: Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Just. Got. Real. by Jane Fallon

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Tandem Collective UK kindly gifted me a copy of ‘Just. Got. Real’ by Jane Fallon as part of a readalong campaign.

This was my first introduction to Jane Fallon’s books, and it was an absolute delight to read – I think I may well be looking out for more of her books.

At first glance, this may appear to be an obvious romance novel, especially with its fantastically pink cover (which is amazing), but actually this story is so much more than that. This is a wonderful book about grief, loneliness, friendship – and rediscovering yourself when you may have slightly lost your way. And a fantastic revenge.

Now, as regular readers of my blog will know, I hate to give anything away in my reviews, so I am going to keep my little summary brief. Joni’s marriage has ended in divorce, her daughter has moved away and her best friend has died in a car accident. Joni has created a life of routine for herself for each day, but it is not quite a life full of adventure. However, when she decides to get back on the dating scene thanks to an app, her life becomes far more adventurous than she ever could have imagined – with an opportunity to make two new wonderful friends.

I found that I could not put this book down, as I just kept wanting to know what would happen next. This book is fantastically written and the characters are so beautifully created that you could imagine sharing a glass of white wine with them when they have their girly get-togethers.

So, if you are looking for a read with strong female characters, then this is the book for you.

Must I Go by Yiyun Li

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This book has been on my TBR list for over a year, it was one of the titles I selected as part of my Rare Birds Bookshop advent calendar, Christmas 2021, and I finally managed to pluck it off the shelves with the help of my TBR Pile Tarot Cards.

I think, despite the beautiful cover, I have avoided this book as I felt that it would be a very serious read that would require a large amount of concentration. However, I need to not let impressions like that put me off reading a book – as, in fact, this was a wonderful read, and one that I will be recommending to people.

‘Must I Go’ introduces us to Lilia Liska who has reached the grand old age of 81, and lived what may seem like a fairly ordinary life surrounded by family. However, there is a slightly different narrative to her life that she has not shared quite as readily with the world, and decides now is the time as she begins to reflect on her past. There was once a man, Roland Bauley, who held her heart and she carried as a secret – and now she is annotating his diaries with the alternative history of her past to leave for one of her granddaughters, and one of her great-granddaughters, to help them understand the truth of the past.

I was so drawn into this story because it is so beautifully told and Lilia seems such an ordinary elderly lady at the start of the story, but as we are shown the secrets of of Ronald Bauley’s diary, she becomes such a fascinating character. And I just had to keep finding out more once I had started reading.

If you like a beautifully written story about love, family and hidden pasts, then this is the book for you. You will find yourself eager to find out what happens next, and even wondering how the story may have continued once that annotated diary is read by those who it was intended for. And that, to me, is a sign of a good book.

And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have finally joined the local library. In fact, it was listening to the author Jan Carson that convinced me that I had to make use of my library, and so I did.

And the first book I took out: a YA graphic novel, one that had been on my wishlist quite some time – ‘And the Ocean Was Our Sky’ by Patrick Ness.

This book is absolutely stunning; the illustrations are truly beautiful and so clever. They are sybmbolic as well as supporting the story, and you are left with some of them to use your imagination to add more to the moment. They are, in every way, just enough to bring the story to life for the reader.

I guess I should talk about the story. Inspired by ‘Moby Dick’ (which I have not read, despite Mr Bookwormandtheatremouse insisting that I should), it is the story of the whales as the hunters of man, rather than the other way round. And what a powerful story it is. Patrick Ness has really flipped the tables on the classic, in such a sophisticated and meaningful way. This is not a gimmick of a story, but one that really makes you think about the impact of whale hunting on those beautiful mammals of the sea – and Patrick Ness really brings them to life for the reader.

However, this is not a tale that preaches to its readership; it makes the reader think. You will consider how not everybody that hunts supports what is happening, but there is also that survival instinct kicking in. It is fundamental to all to want to survive, even sometimes when the things that are needed for that to happen may not always sit comfortably with our ideology. So, on the pages of this book, we have quite a study of human and animal nature.

If you like a thought-provoking and powerful read, then this is a book I would suggest you pick up, I would love to know how other readers respond to this graphic novel. And always remember: YA books are not just for younger readers.

An Unwanted Inheritance by Imogen Clark

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I was due to read ‘An Unwanted Inheritance’ back in December, when I was kindly gifted a copy by Tandem Collective UK – however, it never made it. I had give up hope and just thought it was one of those things that was just not meant to be – however, out of the blue it appeared on my doormat, so I had my little readalong on my own.

‘An Unwanted Inheritance’ is an excellent study of human relationships, especially within the family unit. When three siblings are left with a suitcase full of cash after the sudden death of their father, everything that they thought they knew is brought under the microscope. We follow the three siblings as they try to make decisions about what the right thing to do with their ‘unwanted inheritance’ is (well, it is more unwanted by some than others) but, also, as they try to solve the mystery of where exactly the money came from or who exactly their father was.

What keeps you reading, however, is the character study. I enjoyed seeing how each character reacted to the situation, or at least the situation as they saw it. How, sometimes, people can not see what is right under their nose, or accept what is in front of them. And how money can really impact people in so many ways, some often being very negative.

So, if you are a fan of a book that is character led (although, do not expect to like all the characters, because I certainly did not) and a plot that is guided more by the characters, then this is the book for you. It may even make you reflect on your own character at times.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have recently seen a lot of love for the writing of Matt Cain, and when I saw a sneaky opportunity to snap up a bargain-price copy of ‘The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle’ – I just knew I had to.

This book did not disappoint me at all; in fact, I may go as far as saying that this could well be one of my books of the year – if not my book of the year. I absolutely adored every single thing about this book. It is a true hug in a book, which really should be a genre.

Albert Entwistle has never really revealed who he really is. He has spent his life as a postman, following a routine every day, and keeping people at a distance. However, when he finds out that his retirement is on the horizon and starts to open his eyes a little more to the community around him, he starts to make some changes to his life. And, maybe, he will finally address the past that has held him back for so many years – having the courage to find the man he had lost so many years before, and who he has never forgotten.

This is almost a coming of age story for the older gentleman, and a story of acceptance. Nobody should ever be scared to reveal their real self.

I think Albert Entwistle is one of my favourite characters that I have ever discovered in a book. You just want him to find his happy ending and see all the love and acceptance that is around him, and that he no longers needs to hide in plain sight. And I would like to thank Matt Cain for bringing Albert to life for us all.

So, if you have not read this book, I really recommend you pick it up, as it is a story that will stay with you forever – a truly heartwarming read.

The Fire Starters by Jan Carson

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

In January the Tasting Notes Book Club pick was ‘The Fire Starters’ by Jan Carson. As you all know, I do not read any blurb, so I did not really have the faintest idea what to think about this book.

As I started the book, I have to admit I was not really sure what was happening; there seemed to be two completely unrelated stories taking place – only connected by being set in Belfast. However, as the stories continue of two main characters, Sammy and Jonathan, you realise that they in fact have quite a lot in common, and a similar story to tell. These men are both dealing with their relationships with their children; they are both men who love their children but are also troubled by them, almost in fear of them because of who they have become – or who they may become.

Sammy is a man who fears that his past character has become that of his sons. Sammy was a man who was actively involved in the violence on the streets of Belfast during the height of the Troubles (which we must acknowledge have not ended), and he is worried that this has led his son to become involved in a new wave of incidents in Belfast. Is he really responsible for the decisions his son has made? And is he the only one who can stop him?

Jonathan’s new daughter is magical or cursed, depending on Jonathan’s feelings on any given day. But can he do something that many would think is unthinkable to protect people from his daughter?

As I reached the end of the book, I understood a lot more about how these two apparently individual stories were similar, and how they brought a richness to the novel I may have missed when I first started reading. This is a book that I may not have chosen to read, but I am glad that I have discovered the beautiful writing of Jan Carson. And I do have my eye on reading ‘The Raptures’, as that is another book that sounds incredibly intriguing.

No Shame by Tom Allen

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am finding so many treats as I shop my shelves that it is making me wonder why (like all bookworms – and Nemo’s good friend Dory) I can be distracted by new shiny books when there are some absolute gems on my shelves that I have ignored for some time.

I am a fan of Tom Allen, and his dry and unique sense of humour. I have heard him speak a few times about his memoirs/autobiography and, now that the second has been released, I thought it was probably about time that I read the first. Although, in my defence, this has only been on my shelves since the end of November, so it has been picked up pretty quickly.

I adored this book. It is full of charm and wit, as you would expect from Tom Allen. But it is also very honest, and Allen really invites you to see some of the struggles that he faced growing up as a gay man in surburban Bromley. I enjoy that this is not just a chronicle of his life, but that he selects the stories he wants us to hear about his journey through life from boy to young man – and award-winning comedian.

You will laugh out loud as you read this book (quite a choice for me to have read on a train journey to London), and it will break your heart at times as the young Tom Allen struggles a little with his place in the world. But, also, for the clear love that there is between him and his parents, showing unconditional love for their son, even if he did not always realise that everything would be okay after all.

As my first piece of non-fiction of the year, I feel that it was a great choice, as I have been blessed with another well-written and engaging read that I was looking forward to picking up at each opportunity that I had to read. And, as Tom Allen is a contemporary of mine, it was nice to share some of the same nostalgia for Sony Discmans and swimming pools getting their wave machines, and that seeming like the most exciting thing ever. I would definitely like to read Tom Allen’s second book – but first I must continue my quest to get the to-be-read pile down.

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

‘Five Survive’ has been one of my most anticipated reads, so when I spotted that I could grab a copy in the Waterstones post-Christmas sale, I could not turn it down. I mean, it has sprayed edges, so what more persuading did I need?

This book brings together a teenage road trip with a thriller. As a group of friends get stranded off the beaten track on their way to their break, they discover that maybe it was not as much of accident as they orginally thought. In fact, was this ‘breakdown’ all a set-up – but by who and, more importantly, why?

This is a fantastic read: absolutely thrilling, and you are on the edge of your seat at points as the drama intensifies. Told hour by hour in ‘real time’, you live through every event the characters do, feeling their panic and fear intensify as the time passes. And you are desperate to find out, as they are, exactly why it is happening.

For me, this really reminded me of a modern ‘Lord of the Flies’. How the relationships break down and change with no ‘adults’, and various people attempting to take different roles. Especially because, as more and more is revealed about the characters, the more the relationships and roles change and develop.

I was absolutely hooked. Holly Jackson has created a thriller that moves her writing on well from the ‘Good Girl’ crime fiction trilogy – and I am keen to see where else her writing takes us in the future.

The No-Show by Beth O’Leary

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

2023 is the year that I shop my shelves. I am on a book-buying ban and I will be successful (fingers crossed), and I am determined that I get through some of those titles read on my tbr pile, shelf, trolley and the various other places where I have piles of books.

So, I have kicked the year off by grabbing ‘The No-Show’ from my shelf because, to be honest, it has been sat there for far too long, and it was time that I read it. (I mean, it has been there since ‘The Book Taster Live’ event, so really quite some time). It was also my first choice for ‘The Unread Shelf Project 2023’, as I hoped it would tick the box of a ‘Comfort’ read.

And it was a great way to kick off 2023.

‘The No-Show’ was a return, for me, to everything I love about Beth O’Leary: great characters, a clever plot and a feeling of a joy as you reach the end of the book – but not afraid to tackle some tough subjects. I am absolutely not going to spoil it for anyone, because this is a book that I think you have to read to understand what a well-crafted storyline it is. I did work elements of it out as I read the book, but that actually added to the enjoyment, as I was seeing if I was proved correct as I went.

This is a book that is quite difficult to review, as I want to share everything that I think about the book, but I just know I need to allow others to read it for themselves and make their own decisions. In fact, I would love to know if anybody has read ‘The No-Show’, and what they thought about it, because it is potentially on par with my favourite, ‘The Switch’.

So, shopping my shelves has started well; will the year of reading continue this successfully?

The Time Machine by H G Wells

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

So, I am probably as surprised as you that I am a H G Wells fan. However, ever since I read ‘War of the Worlds‘, I have continued to enjoy his books.

The book that helped me to the end of 2022, and to reach my reading goal (with mere hours to spare), was ‘The Time Machine’. Another fantastic novella that was ahead of its time.

The unnamed narrator takes us on his journey into the future, where he discovers what appears to be a peaceful and idyllic world. However, he soon discovers that deep below the surface is a race that is ready to destroy such a world.

For a book that was published in 1895, it was clearly very ahead of its time. However, I think it is probably more startling that, in some ways, the warnings in this book are just as important now as they were over 100 years ago.

There is so much to unpick here; the desire for mankind to have the ability to act almost God-like as they develop their understanding of science, for one. But, also, how easy it might be for the divide between the light and the dark to become so extreme that it will become even more dangerous than we all already know it is.

I am definitely going to continue to read the books of H G Wells, because I just find them fascinating, especially as they all seem to be so relevant today, despite their age.

Have you ever been surprised by any of the classics?