The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Book Review

 Nora Seed has hit rock bottom. In the course of a day, her cat is found dead, she loses her job in a music shop, the private piano lessons she teaches are cancelled and her next door neighbour no longer needs her help. Her best friend doesn't reply to her messages, she's still getting over cancelling her wedding (not helped by her ex still trying to contact her) and her brother no longer talks to her or sees her. She has nothing left to live for, no one who will miss her when she's gone and feels like she'd be better off dead. She decides to take her life and wakes up in this mysterious library, between life and death and is faced with the regrets she has about all the different decisions she had in life. She gets a chance to explore these decisions and live the life had she taken a different decision. Will she find a life she prefers or will she decide that she still wants to die?

The premise of this book is very interesting to me, I love the idea of how the slightest decision in life can drastically alter your life. Exploring all the different Noras and their lives was cool and it was fun to see the different versions Haig came up with. This element of the book kinda reminds me of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson but instead of the character reliving life from the beginning over and over, Nora gets to chose the different decisions at key parts of her life which is cool.

Haig's own experiences with mental health really do help the story line and how Nora is feeling, it felt authentic and believable. It's not super heavy though, there are some serious topics but under Haig's guidance the overall tone is positive and hopeful. It's a fun, thought provoking if slightly predictable read. And I really got a kick out of the music shop Nora worked in being called String Theory, nerdy and punny from a music and multiverse point of view!  If you want to see some spoilers as part of my review, you can check out my Goodreads review where I have embedded in my review and hidden, marked as spoilers.

In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk Book Review

After Ros touches back down in the UK after 3 years in US, she’s living in an exact replica of her bedroom in her parents’ shed, in need of a job and reconnecting with friends. She sends out a message to all the contacts in her old mobile phone and receives one back from an ex. Not just an ex but THE ex, the one that got away. As she revisits this romance and readjusts to her friends all having new lives, Ros is about to discover if her 20s really was all that or if things are about to get better.

I really enjoyed this book, Ros is flawed but likeable, you’ll laugh and cringe at her while cheering her on. Kelk does a great job at portraying that awkward stage in your early 30s where some of your friends are moving on and settling down, while some are single, free and want to continue on their 20s carefree lifestyle. There is romance but I think the heart of the story is the friendships and the journey Ros goes through personally. That it’s very easy to miss the past when you’ve got rose tinted glasses on! Another smash from Lindsey. I read this in May during lockdown and it was exactly what I was looking for then in a book. And I really want to go to a roller disco now!

The Confession by Jessie Burton Book Review

Three women. Elise Morceau, her daughter Rose Simmons and the link between them, author Constance Holden.

Elise and Connie meet in the 80s and instantly form a deep relationship together. Rose has been raised by her father, knowing nothing about her mother Elise who abandoned her as a baby. Until one day in her mid 30s her father gives her some books by Constance and tells Rose that she knew her mother and was the last person to see her. The story is told in a duel narrative, we follow Elise and Connie in the 80s when they move to LA as one of Connie's books in made into a movie, as well as present day when Rose pretends to be Laura Brown and takes a job as Connie's assistant in a bid find out more about her mother.

I loved Burton's writing, as I said before with The Muse it just feels so effortless, the descriptions never feel forced or contrived. Every word seems perfectly picked. I had no idea where this book was going as I read it, which just made it even more exciting to read. The book is so much about love, identity and longing, I loved seeing the parallels between Elise's life and Rose's life, from jobs, to relationships, how similarly they dealt with some issues and how different they were with other ones. Everything weaved together lovely, though I'd expect nothing less from Burton! Utterly compelling

Confessions of a Book Seller by Shaun Bythell Book Review

Follow up to The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell, owner of The Bookshop in Wigstown, the largest second hand bookshop in Scotland. We see first hand to the ups and downs of being a second hand bookseller, with a special light on the affect a certain online retailer has on small businesses. I love how blunt and wry Shaun is when it comes to customers and their questions and requests. Having worked briefly in a bookshop myself, you'd think I'd be well versed on some people's stupidity ('I'm looking for a book, can't remember the name but it has a blue cover') but reading this I couldn't believe the added cheekiness that comes with selling in a second hand bookshop! Haggling on already fair prices, spending hours on in shop without buying anything, swapping price tags on books.

The book is a diary that has an entry of some sorts for every day of the year, including the number of customers and the till taking at the end of the day. Not every day is a thrilling adventure, we see the every day mundane and regular chores (buying and listing stock, cleaning the shop, posting the book club books) as well glance behind the scenes at the Wigstown Festival (I particularly liked the story of the picture that Shaun bought years before at auction).

The stars of the book however are the people. We see the return of part time staff Nicky and Flo, with the new addition of the Italian woman that agrees to come and work for bed and board, nicknamed Granny as well as Shaun of course and Captain the cat. The book is funny but I found it tinged with sadness at times, which just added to the human element of the story and highlighting the fact there's people behind small businesses. Like most people who read and enjoy this book, I hope to one day visit the shop in person.

Grown Ups by Marian Keyes Book Review

Marian's latest book Grown Ups is a big family affair, involving the 3 Casey brothers Johnny, Ed and Liam, their wives Jessie, Cara and Nell and an assortment of children and how their lives connect and the secrets they share. We start at a family get together for Johnny, a few hours after Cara has suffered from a concussion, which causes her to start blurting out a bunch of secrets and being very blunt. This has a disastrous effect and we go back in time several months and work through everything that leads to the get together. We see the characters and their sometimes complicated relationships, their interactions and how these secrets grow and build.

Marian is so skilled at writing characters and family dynamics. It's one of my favourite things about her writing. Cara's storyline made me uncomfortable to read at times but I think it's because Marian is just superb at highlighting women's issues and really making the character's voice seem so authentic (something I think really applied well in Rachel's Holiday and The Mystery of Mercy Close). There was something about the book that I didn't connect to as well as those other books I mentioned and I think it's possibly because there's so many characters and some many events. I didn't find it confusing to follow but I felt with all the events and interactions, it slowed the pace a bit. I think if one of the events or story lines was dropped it might have felt a bit tighter. The book is steeped in Marian's signature wit, I especially liked some of the interactions of the younger children. Overall I did enjoy it and the idea and structure of the plot but it wouldn't be one of my favourites by Marian

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane Book Review

Laurie's life comes crashing down when Dan, her boyfriend of 18 years, breaks up with her out of the blue. He says he doesn't want to get married or have kids and needs to find him. Getting over your ex is hard enough, though Laurie has to see him every day at the law company they work at. She's just about holding it together and getting over the pain when she's dealt two more blows: he has a new girlfriend. Who is pregnant. When she gets stuck in the lift with gorgeous womaniser Jamie and he proposes that they fake being an item, Laurie is hesitant. But the chance to make Dan jealous is too much to give up, so she agrees. She gets the satisfaction of causing Dan some of the pain he's caused her, Jamie gets the benefit of looking like he's settled down and is a good prospect for a promotion. With rules outlined and set end date for the 'affair', nothing can surely go wrong?

I love the whole 'fake relationship turns into a real one' trope and with Mhairi writing it you're in good hands! Laurie is such a great character to follow, she's smart, funny, kind and seeing her gain her confidence back just makes you want to cheer her on! Mhairi has a way of making her characters and situations so relatable, which just makes the book so heartwarming.  I loved it, I devoured it in a day!

The Cutting Place by Jane Casey Book Review

The Cutting Place is book 9 in the series Maeve Kerrigan series. Maeve is a murder detective in London who is investigating the death and dismemberment of Paige, a young journalist who had been working on a piece about the Chiron Club, a exclusive members only club. As Maeve works to find Paige’s murderer, she soon learns of the dark and seedy world of the club and the rich and privileged men who hide many secret.

This book had me hooked! I’ve been finding it hard to concentrate and read recently, something a think a lot of us can relate to. I thought this book might coax me out of this reading slump and that I’d finish it over the next few days. Instead I finished it in one day!! The murder and detective element of the story is sublime, Jane Casey always knows how to write a good solid plot. There were moments where I was almost too afraid to turn the page, the fear and tension feel so real. One of the best things about this though is Maeve’s relationships with her colleagues, especially Josh Derwent. While you could pick this book up, and any other from the series, in any order and read as a stand alone, I seriously recommend starting from the beginning and getting to know Maeve and the other characters. One of the joys of the series is seeing them all grow and seeing the changes in Maeve’s personal life. After saying all that, I want to reread the entire series and if this lockdown continues I might just do so!

Tips and Tricks to Beat a Reading Slump

Hello! Yes, it's been a very long time since I've posted on here. I started some posts in February and then the world went to hell in a hand basket. And all good intentions went out the window. It's a very strange time at the moment, having to stay socially distant and it's been a struggle. Reading is great for escape and losing yourself but to be honest I've been going through big waves in my reading habits over the past 2 months or so. I'm keeping up the pace with my Goodreads challenge but I'm finding I'm reading loads over a few days or a week and then I don't read anything for a long gap and struggle to want to even read. Which is completely understandable, given the circumstances. My concentration isn't what it was at the beginning of 2020!  But I decided to write up some of my tips and tricks for breaking out of a reading slump, partially to help me break out my own slump but also in the hopes that it might help someone else!

1. Read an old favourite

When in doubt, pick up a book you've read before and loved! It's the book equivalent to a childhood blanket, it can be very comforting and if you've already enjoyed the book, then it's unlikely you'll lose interest half way through.


2. Pick up the genre or book series that gives you the most comfort

This isn't necessarily your favourite genre but it could be. For me, I find YA contemporary novels to be quite comforting. And I'm partial to reading some women's fiction, my favourites are from Lindsey Kelk, Jenny Colgan and Mhairi McFarlane. They're usually funny, light and quick to read and have feelgood vibes which give me a pick-me-up!

3. Try rearranging the books on your shelves

It'll give you a fresh perspective on what's in front of you, plus pulling out the books and rearranging them means you're looking at what titles you have easy access to and maybe get you excited for the reason you bought the book in the first place. All the fun of shopping but none of the expense!


4. Change the format you consume your book

If you usually read physical books, try an audiobook, especially while you're out walking. If you like ebooks but have been using screens a lot more recently, picking up a physical book can be good to give yourself a break from screens. If you've not used ebooks or audiobook before, give them a chance before you knock them! They're very handy and if you're in Ireland you can set up a free BorrowBox account through your library. At the moment with the libraries closed you don't even need to go into the library to set it up. Download the app to set it up or follow the guide from the Libraries Ireland website.

5. Change from a genre you usually read to another genre

It can be anything like a small change (if you usually like contemporary fiction, then trying something similar in historical fiction) to a more drastic one (sci-fi to contemporary fiction). A change can be good, sometimes reading too much of the same thing can blur everything into one, similar to how you can be full up from eating too much at dinner. Changing your palette can work with reading, just like no matter how full you are from dinner, you always have room for dessert!


6. Try a buddy read

Having a friend read the same book at the same time can make things more interesting! You have someone to chat to and discuss the book. I recently read Idaho by Emily Ruskovich as a buddy read on Instagram and it was great having a bunch of people to discuss and dissect the book with after we'd finished

7. Give non-fiction or fiction a chance

Sometimes I need to swap from fiction to non-fiction or vice verse. If non-fiction seems a bit daunting or boring, a good place to start is with a memoir by someone you like. Even better, I love an audiobook narrated by the author. One book I loved recently was Me by Elton John, I listened to it and it’s fantastic. It’s not narrated by Elton but by Taron Egarton who played him in Rocket Man


8. Read something shorter like a graphic novel or poetry book

If I feel like I’m picking up stuff and half reading them or putting them down, reading something shorter like a book of poetry or a graphic novel helps. Especially because they’re easier to finish and gives a sense of accomplishment on finishing it and motivates me to read more.

9. Read a book that’s a reworking of a classic

There’s loads of these recently, like the Hogarth Shakespeare series or The Austen Project series. Sometimes reading something that’s familiar but you don’t fully know what’s new in the rewrite can help. Some people reckon that if you know there’s a twist coming in a film you enjoy it more as you’re not distracted looking for a twist. I’m sure there’s plenty that disagree with that but sometimes for books it help.


10. Look up new and upcoming books

Podcasts on books can help, as can looking up what’s coming out in the next few months. Goodreads has a section under Browse New Releases that shows you new releases upcoming from the authors you’ve already read or by genre

11. Let it run its course

Sometimes none of it works and it’s best to just try not to force it too much. Your reading mojo will always comes back eventually!


Let me know if any of these helped you or if you have any other tips of your own. You can also find me on Instagram for more book related content.