For May’s The Book Taster Book Club pick we read ‘Probably Nothing’ by Lauren Bravo. I have seen Lauren Bravo’s books around but I had not picked one up, until now.
I am not sure what I expected, as we all know I do not read blurbs, so I always go blind into books and start a journey of discovery. (It will be no surprise that I loved the cover, however.) And this book was a joy to read. Although it covers some difficult issues, it does it with wit and charm, that creates a great story with some wonderful characters that you can imagine sitting down with and having a chat.
Bryony does not mind being single; she is fairly satisfied with how she is living her life. Until, one day, she gets a call telling her that her boyfriend has died and his family wanted her to know – the thing is, Bryony does not have a steady boyfriend, just a man she has been having fun with: Ed. From that moment, her life follows a bizarre path as she becomes swept up into Ed’s family, and she does not quite know how to break it to them that she is not quite who they think she is. Alongside this, Ed’s sister-in-law turns out to be her doctor’s receptionist, who probably knows more about Bryony that she would care to admit. And, as they are thrown together, they realise that they may be the support that each other needs against Ed’s slightly ethusiastic and intense family.
As the story unfolds, Lauren touches on issues such as grief, mental health issues, family relationships (some healthy and some not-so-healthy) and friendship, but this is also done with such wit and sensitivity that its adds to the depth of the story and creates quite a thought-provoking read. In fact, it will be a fantastic read for book club, and I can not wait to hear what other readers think, because I think this book could also mean different things to different readers.
This novel does another of my favourite things: it has the sort of title that can have so many different meanings depending on where you are in the story – now, I obviously can not share too much about them, because that could lead to potential spoilers. But, as you read it – because I would really suggest that you do – keep that title in mind, and see what it means to you.