(Mini) Book Review: Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan

(Mini) Book Review: Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan

Monday, 16 July 2018

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I own a lot of books. Most of these books I’ve read already but needless to say there are a large amount of books that I have had on my reading list for quite a while, and I just haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. I’m sure I will read them at some point but you need to be in the mood for certain books, you know what I mean? So as I was browsing my TBR pile a few days ago, I realised that I wasn’t in the mood to read any of them, which was problematic considering how I’m supposed to be saving my money at the moment. I sent a tweet around asking for recommendations and quickly received quite a few. One of the books recommended was Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan, and by God I am glad I was. I quickly bought a copy of it for Kindle (currently priced at 99p) and settled myself down to get stuck into it.

The story follows Emily, a lonely and isolated woman who is clearly incredibly damaged from previous experiences. It’s written from her point of view and you are really able to get inside her head and understand how much turmoil she has suffered from in the past. You are able to feel the pain that she is going through and understand the craziness behind her extreme actions. We meet Emily on the day of a horrendous accident, where a woman pushing her baby son is involved in a hit and run. Emily, reminded of her past, is sure that it was her who was being targeted and becomes overwhelmed with guilt, holding herself entirely responsible for the young woman’s death. She quickly envelops herself into the life of this young woman, taking on her vacant job at the dentist and befriending her grief stricken husband, all the while convinced that whoever killed Rose will soon come back for her. Emily is the ideal protagonist in this psychological thriller: she is both paranoid and intriguing and you continually question whether she’s imagining everything or not. 

Time and time again I witter on about how much I love psychological thrillers and this one was no exception to that rule. There is something so fulfilling about delving into a book that sends you on a whirlwind of questioning and doubt. As satisfying as I find it when I do guess who the perpetrator is, there’s nothing more satisfying than coming to the end of the book completely dumbfounded as to how it played out- good psychological writing allows you to be pulled into the novel, doubting every line of action and every character without question. The characterisation in Her Name Was Rose is fantastic – the characters and both endearing and likeable and you find yourselves getting completely absorbed within their tale. The book was a pretty quick read- the prose is simple and easy to get through, with the right amount of suspense to keep you hooked and not so much that you’re struggling to keep up with the plot. 

4/5

Book Review: How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt

Book Review: How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt

Saturday, 30 June 2018

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At the moment, for me, books are a little bit like buses: I read nothing for a long period of time and then smash through a pile in an incredibly short space of time. I’m not sure what it is about this time of year, but I find that I always find myself much more motivated to read now than I do in the earlier months of the year. Must be the weather! A few months ago I received a very exciting book in the post and I’ve been eager to get it read and reviewed since then: time hasn’t allowed for me to zoom through it in the way I would have liked, but I had some spare time last week and managed to read it in a single afternoon. 

How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt is attracting from the word go – armed with a gorgeous cover and an intriguing tag line The perfect marriage. The perfect murder? I had an inlking from the word go that this book would be one that I would really enjoy reading. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t disappointed and the story caught me from the offset. 

Beth is a surgical nurse, full of grief after the loss of her daughter. She meets Albie, an ambitious neurosurgeon, at a party hosted by her former lover, Ted. Their relationship ends after Ted’s daughter goes missing and Beth births a still-born baby shortly after. Her feelings towards Ted are, quite naturally, toxic as she blames him for their child’s death. Ted also happens to be Albie’s superior, which puts her, naturally, in a bit of an awkward situation. In an unconnected turn of events, Ted offers Albie a promotion and the opportunity to lead on a trial for a possible cure to a rare children’s brain cancer. Slowly but surely the tables start to turn and Albie finds that Ted has taken credit for the hard-work that he has put in over the years. Couple this with Beth’s immense hatred towards Ted and it’s fair to say that no good can come from this situation and the two work together to come up with a final solution. 

Jane’s characterisation is incredible. I found myself really connected to the characters – all of them, in differing ways- and her medical experience is evident throughout the story. The story was thrilling and I found myself imagining all sorts of crazy conclusions to explain bits and pieces about what happened. In the end, I didn’t need to imagine- every question that I had was answered fuss free and wrapped up beautifully at the end of the story. I’ve never read anything by Jane Schemilt before so I’ll definitely be going and picking up some of her other books next time I do a cheeky book haul. The story centres itself around manipulation, jealous and a web of lies – the story did start off quite slowly but it was quick to pick up the pace. Once you got used to the writing style it was a very enjoyable and well written piece of fiction. I’ll definitely be recommending this book to people who ask -  and probably to people that don’t, as well! 

4/5. 

(Mini) Book Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

(Mini) Book Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Saturday, 23 June 2018

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A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about Why I Read War Fiction and since then I’ve been slowly adding more and more books to the list of War Fiction that I’ve enjoyed reading. My most recent War Fiction read is actually less fiction and more historical fact – and a book, rightfully so, may I add, that has been on a lot of peoples’ radar over the last few months.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris is based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who is sent to Auschwitz in 1942. Lale stands out from the rest of the people sent to the camps – he is well dressed, well educated and speaks a number of different languages. At home, he is known as being a lady’s man – a smooth talker. These language skills and seemingly his personality allows him to stand out and he is asked to become the camp’s Tatowierer, a job that carries multiple repercussions but also provides a number of benefits. As Tatowierer, he is given better sleeping arrangements, he accesses more rations – which he shares with the other prisoners, no less- and he is able to move around the camp much more freely than everyone else. In doing so, he meets Gita, a young girl who he falls instantly in love with and suddenly his reason to survive becomes all the more clear. His attraction to Gita is clearly instantaneous.

The book is particularly poignant in the sense that it depicts the horrors of the war at their worst, highlights the difficulty of survival in the bleakest of occasions, but also the beauty of life and appreciating it in its purest form. It’s about showing compassion to people who deserve it and not taking the little things for granted. Told to the author by Lale himself, it highlights the significant role that non-compliant people had in the war effort and how people on either side of the war front had to make difficult choices to survive. 

My love of history goes deep within me and having the opportunity to read such a book was just fantastic – knowing that the characters within the story were real and the story that they had to tell was just as real really affected me and made the story all the more enjoyable for me. The story – in spite of its somewhat bleak content- has a happy ending and it’s nice to see that sometimes, for some people during the war, there was a light at the end of the tunnel and they were allowed some happiness in their lives. 

I’m looking around for books with similar themes at the moment so if anybody has any recommendations then I’d be incredibly happy to hear them! 

Goodreads: My June/July Reading List

Goodreads: My June/July Reading List

Friday, 1 June 2018

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It’s been a while since I did a post talking all about the books I’ve hauled recently and there’s good reason behind this. I’ve been on a self-imposed book ban and for the most part I’ve stuck to it- one of the benefits of being a book blogger are the dozens of books I receive on a monthly basis from publishing houses. It means that generally, I don’t have to buy books unless they’re ones I really, really want and for the most part I can get by reading the books I get in the post. Richard and I are flying over to Paris tomorrow morning and I’m super excited about this: however, pretty much all of the books on my to-read pile currently are hardbacked and the last thing I want to be doing on a weekend break is lugging around a heavy hardback in my backpack. 

I put in a teensy amazon order last night – and it actually WAS teensy, for once- and picked out a few books that have been on my radar for a while now. I tended towards Young Adult fiction this time despite the massive amounts of contemporary fiction in my basket at the time. I thought I’d share the two books that I chose, along with a few of the books I’ve been sent by publishers recently. 

The book I’m currently reading isWhistle in the Dark by Emma Healy. Having read (and of course, loved) Elizabeth is Missingby Emma, I was over the moon to receive a copy of the book for review from the publishers. I was quick to get stuck into the book (although I did finish off my most recent read The Tatooist of Auschwitzbeforehand) and about 120 pages in I’m enjoying it – I am waiting for something big to happen at the moment but I’m sure that that will come soon enough. The story follows Jen, a mother whose 17 year old daughter vanishes seemingly without a trace until suddenly she is found- but nothing goes back to how it used to be. Lana can’t – or won’t- remember what has happened to her and is reluctant to discuss where she went for those hellish days of Jen’s life. However, her daughter is different now and she can’t quite put her finger on why or how this is the case. It’s fair to say that I am very intrigued to read on and find out all the answers. 

Another book I received in the post for review is Kismet by Luke Tredget. I’m not too sure that this one is my cup of tea – based around dating apps, Kismet is a love story, seemingly, and focuses on the inperfections in people and consequently their obsession in finding the perfect match. First of all, I am completely in favour of dating apps. As a person whose work life has completely overshadowed ANY possible chance of going out and meeting people, I understand the convenience of being able to meet and connect with people from home. As a nearly 25-year-old socially inept woman, the prospect of going out and striking up conversation with a potential suiter would absolutely terrify me. I am quite intrigued by this book and am planning on reading this book as soon as I’ve finished up with Whistle in the Dark. 

As most of my readers are probably aware by now, I am a teacher and consequently I spend a lot of my time reading Middle School age books, prior to sharing them with the children in my class. I recently received a copy of The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd and I cannot wait to share it with the kids at work. I’ve been reading a chapter at a time whenever I have a chance so I’m already a fair way through the story without even knowing it, and it is absolutely hilarious and exactly the kind of story that my class are going to adore. The cover is absolutely beautiful as well – from the looks of things, I’ll definitely be adding the sequel which comes out later this year to my wishlist as well! 

The final book from my proof pile for this month’s to do list – not that I’m being at ALL ambitious here- is probably the one I’m most excited about and the only psychological thriller I’ve included! My love for thrillers knows no bounds and I would happily read nothing but thrillers if I had to, so going this long having not read one is definitely unlike me. I’m excited to be a part of the blog tour for How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt and the book sounds exactly my cup of tea. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on this book on the blog on the 30^thJune so be sure to check back then for a full review if you’re interested in this one! 

Onto books that I’ve actually purchased now. My Year 4 English class are using Grandpa Chatterji by Shamila Gavin as their class reader this half term so naturally I bought my own copy to read prior to planning. I was a little bit apprehensive about using this book within my lessons as it’s quite old fashioned – I’m pretty sure we might even have read it when I was at school – but having flicked through it I’m reassured that it’s of good quality and I’m excited to see what work the children in my class will produce using it. My Year 3 English class are focusing on Greek Mythology this half term so I’m going to be reading lots and lots of Greek Myths and stories based on them in the coming weeks as well! 

My final books in this little haul are The List by Siobhan Vivian and 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough. Both of these books have been on my radar, and consequently in my Amazon basket, for a good while now. They both fall into the Young Adult category what was just what I was looking for for my trip to Paris – quick and easy reads that don’t require all that much thought and that I’ll fly through. I’m on track with my Goodreads challenge as it stands but I’m conscious that there’s always time to fall way, way behind! 

What are you reading at the moment? Have you read any of the books on my list? Let me know in the comments! 

Book Review: Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

Book Review: Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

Saturday, 19 May 2018

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It’s very rare to find a book that is both comedic and has a decent story line. As a youngster, I went through the Bridget Jones phase and never did I think I would find a book that resonated with me in the same way. Growing up, I thought I was very much a Bridget Jones kind of girl – clumsy, unfortunate and ready to make a fool of myself at every possible opportunity, through absolutely no fault of my own, of course. Having been treated to Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling by friends Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen has changed my view – I am not a Bridget, I am very much an Aisling.

Aisling is the girl that plays it safe – Aisling wears kitten heels for comfort’s sake, the daughter of a hardworking farmer and a country girl through and through. She has a solid group of friends both at work in the ‘big city’ and in her hometown and has had a steady, long-term boyfriend for a good while. After a romantic getaway turns into a hellish break after she realises that her boyfriend is –never- going to propose to her, she decides that enough is enough and ends the relationship. Breaking up with John gives her the push she needs and after about five minutes of deliberation, moves in with her friend in the centre of Dublin and sets about living as a newly single woman. Add in a work based scandal and a new potential love interest and things really have started to spice themselves up for ‘vanilla’ Aisling.

Aisling is a hilarious character and I really found myself attached to the characters – once I got used to the Irish names, that is! You can’t help but love Aisling and her story, feeling sorry for her when she is at her lowest points and yet excited when the good things happened.  The book is laugh out loud funny but has a heart-warming touching side, dealing with deeper issues such as grief and the different ways it is shown. I absolutely flew through the pages, finishing it in the course of an afternoon and wish I could go back to the beginning and reread it all over again for the first time.

Thanks to Jenny at Penguin for arranging the tour and for my copy of the book – I would recommend it to lovers of Bridget Jones (or not!) alike. Definitely a 5 star read.

Book Review: The Leavers by Lisa Ko

Book Review: The Leavers by Lisa Ko

Monday, 30 April 2018

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If you would have told me, a few months ago, that I would be reading a debut novel about a Chinese immigrant in New York City and loved it as much as I did, I would probably have been pretty surprised about it. Not because of the genre, or because of the culture, but because I never imagined that I would love a book as much as I did this one.

Let me start by saying that Ko’s prose is beautifully written – I found myself instantly attracted to the novel, primarily because of the bold colour of its beautiful cover and then because of the way it presents itself as a piece of literature. Instantly I was sucked into the story and wanted to delve as deep as possible to understand the reasoning behind Deming’s mother’s disappearance. Deming naturally feels resentment for his mother after she disappears without a trace after heading to work for the day. This resentment builts to the extent that he has absolutely no interest in finding out what happened ot her – until of course, he hears news of her and the natural, questioning instinct of humanity sets itself upon his mind. He feels guilt for wondering about her, having been adopted by a middle-class American couple shortly after his mother left. He is the only Chinese boy in his year group at school and he quickly establishes himself quite unintentionally as the outsider – making friends with another outsider, a Mexican boy who he later plays in a band with.

The second part of the story directly parallels the first part and we hear Polly’s side of the story and follow her journey as immigrant from China to self-sacrificing mother in the States. In doing this, she aims for freedom but this does not happen to her in the way she desires.

It is clear that Deming feels a significant degree of cultural displacement, struggling to fit in within the white suburban family he is adopted by and feeling locked down by his adoptive parents’ expectations – they want him to succeed so that they succeed in themselves and in their task to socialise this seemingly ‘lost’ child. Ko, as the author, does well in subtly critiquing this, depicting the family as being unintentionally condescending in a society where migrants and minorities are seemingly overlooked.

There’s a reason why this book was a bestseller in the US and I have no doubts that it will have similar success here in the UK.

4.5/5.