Crying in H Mart by Michell Zauner Book Review

Crying in H Mart has received a lot of attention and hype online and there's a good reason for this. In Michelle Zauner's memoir, she tells us what it was like growing up as the only Asian American in her school, her often strained relationship with her mother (which was more relaxed the summers they spent in Seoul at Michelle's grandmother's house) and life since her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when Michelle was 25 years old.

 Zauner is unflinching at times when discussing her mother's illness and the devastating effects on her family, the book is so raw and brutally honest. It shows the difficulties of being a carer for someone who is sick and the states you nurse them through. There is also tenderness and love, as well as humour to lift the mood at times. The title of the book stems from the H Mart shops in America, a brand of Korean supermarkets. Zauner speaks a lot about Korean food, the role it played in her life growing up and as an adult, to her mother's relationship to it during her illness, as well as how Zauner has used it after her mother died as a way to help process her grief, stay connected to that side of her culture and find comfort. A tough read at times but an interesting one

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry Book Review

Poppy and Alex have been best friends ever since college. Despite being polar opposites of each other (Poppy is free spirited, loves adventure and travels for a living. Alex is more stable, has a job as a teacher and knows he wants to settle down in life), the two really get each other and are probably the most relaxed and honest versions of themselves when they are together. Every year they've gone on some epic summer trip, except they haven't spoken in 2 years after falling out. When Poppy gets a chance to plan another trip for them to Palm Springs, she's hoping it's just what they need to heal their friendship. Or maybe she should just start being honest that her feelings for Alex are more than just friendship?

This is a cute opposites attract, friends-to-lovers story. I liked seeing their friendship evolves over time and adapt to their new lives and new partners. We get the present storyline of them in Palm Springs where the first days are a holiday and the last few days are dedicated to the wedding of Alex's brother. We also get flashbacks from when they met and each holiday they had over the years. The flashbacks are what make this a fun summer read, as you get to explore these new locations with the Poppy and Alex and as there's not a lot of travelling being done at the moment, it's pure escapism. Vancouver Island, New Orleans, Nashville, Italy, San Francisco to name a few of the locations.

I was rooting for Poppy and Alex throughout the novel, it's hard not to. But I did find the book to be a bit slow moving at times. Part of the reason for this is the number of flashbacks. They met 11 years ago and we see a snippet from nearly all of those summers. While it's interesting to see their friendship and see how their feelings over the years change, to actually reach the point of them acting on this happens after we're at 2/3s off the way through the book. Which is a bit late for me, as there's not a lot of time to see them enjoy this realisation. I think if you don't mind a longer build up, you may enjoy this book more than I did. Overall I did like the book, it was a fun summer read, it's perfect to read lying in the sun!

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman Book Review

The follow up to the hugely successful The Thursday Murder Club, we return to Cooper's Close and the 4 main characters again: Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron. When Elizabeth receives a letter from a dead man, inviting her to meet him, she's intrigued by this mystery and goes to visit him. What follows is a tale of stolen diamonds, the mafia and death threats. This man asks Elizabeth to help him and due to their long and complicated history, she agrees. However, as dead bodies start to pile up, are the 4 in over their head?

I enjoyed coming back to 4 friends, they're very different but you can tell they all really care for each other despite these differences, something that is really shown in a subplot with Ibrahim. The story is a bit outlandish but I don't mind this, you can suspend believability and just go along for the ride. Especially because Elizabeth is a such a fun, interesting character (anyone else see Helen Mirren playing her in a screen adaptation?!). There's a few twists and turns in the story to keep things interesting. I do think it's a bit crowded at times character wise, with the 4 main characters and then giving us personal stories for Donna and Chris (two local police officers who are friends with the Thursday Murder Club). I find these storylines with Donna and Chris (Donna a lonely almost 30 year old female police officer and Chris, midlife overweight, unmotivated police officer) a bit cliched as well. I'm also not a huge fan of the chapters that are written like Joyce's diary, they change the flow of things. If you were a fan of the first book, then I think you'll like this one as well. A cosy mystery, like a modern day Agatha Christie

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary Review

 

Addie and her sister Deb have just set off early in the morning, for the long trek to the Scottish countryside for their friend Cherry's wedding. They expect it'll be a fun road trip, (even if they are giving a lift to stranger Rodney who is also going to the wedding) with plenty of time to get to the day before the wedding BBQ. However the plans changes when early into the trip, there is a fender bender with another car. Unfortunately, the two people in the other car are Addie's ex Dylan and his obnoxious best friend Marcus! Both of who she hasn't seen since her relationship ended and who are also going to the wedding. With Marcus and Dylan's car now out of action, they squeeze into Deb's Mini Cooper so they can all reach the wedding on time. But this road trip turns out to be anything but easy!

The plot has two parts: the current timeline of the gang trying to make it to Scotland on time as well as the flashback timeline which starts at Addie and Dylan meeting and works it way up to their breakup. Addie and Deb were working as housekeepers in Cherry's family's French villa, which was being rented out to wealthy families. Dylan ends up staying there and this is where he and Addie start their relationship. This setting, as well as the road trip plotline, makes for a fun summer book. Living in the French countryside and being on a road trip are two very summery things in my mind, so I really enjoyed reading this book, outside in the sun. I liked the road trip element a lot, there's lots of things that go wrong, I also like the tension of two exes being forced to share this small space and reflect on their relationship. Rodney, being a bit of an odd character and also a stranger to the others, adds an element of comedy and bizarreness. I found the flashback plot a lot slower at times, it's obviously needed to show why the couple broke up but it slowed down the road trip plot, which I felt more invested in. Overall I liked the characters though Marcus confused me a bit at times, how nasty he is to Addie felt almost unwarranted. I felt like compared to The Flatshare and The Switch, this book didn't have as much charm and feel good energy. I do think that if you liked Beth O'Leary's other books, then you'll enjoy this one as well though, the road trip portion is super fun

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am not required to post a review on here and all thoughts are my own

About Us by Sinéad Moriarty Book Review

'Three Couples. Three Love stories. One Couch'

Today is my day for the About Us by Sinéad Moriarty bookstagram tour. I was very kindly sent a copy by Penguin Books Ireland and decided to share my review on here as well as on Instagram.

About Us follows 3 different couples:

•Ann and Ken are in their 60s and Ann is feeling lost now that all her kids are grown up

•Alice is struggling as a stay at home mother to 4 kids while her husband Niall is resentful that she no longer has the time or energy for him

•Orla is a young teacher in her 20s who is falling hard for one of her pupil’s dad but she is unsure if her past relationship fails means she is unable to be intimate

They each end up on the couch of Maggie, a sex and relationship therapist. Can each couple work through their problems and discover what’s best for them as individuals too?

This book sucked me in, I devoured it in a day or two! I was completely wrapped up in all the stories. Each couple is at a different stage in their lives, all with different relatable sex and relationship problems. It felt balanced, every character has flaws. Mostly told from the women’s point of view (it changed every chapter), we sometimes see it from the men’s point of view too which helped ensure it wasn’t all one sided

I liked how with one couple it was the woman who suggested the therapy but with another couple it was the man, it gave a sense of balance and realism. The progress the characters make in therapy isn’t linear, they hit bumps in the road which is realistic to real life therapy. You can tell it was well researched by the author

Throughout the story, one of the main feelings is hope. You’ll be rooting for the characters to do what’s best for them and find their happiness! The lives of all the characters also slightly overlap outside the therapist’s office which is sometimes I love in novels. For example Orla lives with Ann’s daughter and while they don’t have many scenes together, the scenes they do have are sweet

If you like stories about the complexities of relationships, this is the perfect read to immerse yourself into this summer!

Release date 15th July

This book was sent to me by Penguin Books Ireland for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The Authenticity Project by Claire Pooley Review

Do you like books where people are connected, sometimes without even knowing they are, and how they all impact each other lives? Then this might be the book for you!

Julian Jessop is an eccentric artist in his 70s who is lonely. He writes his story in a green notebook, being open and honest about his life and leaves it in his local cafe. The owner Monica finds the book and is so touched by his story that she decides to reach out to help him. She’s so inspired that she too writes in the notebook and leaves it on a stranger’s table. From there, the book has 6 people who write in it, who all cross each other’s lives and eventually meet in different ways.

It’s a cute uplifting novel, a feel good summery read. I read it very quickly as I was enjoying it so much. The characters are not perfect, they have their flaws and we get to hear what they’re thinking as it rotates the POV for each chapter. It is slightly cheesy and predictable at times but it’s still charming and overall I enjoyed it

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi Review

 

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi packs a punch. Jayne is in college and barely keeping it together, stuck living with a freeloader who isn’t her boyfriend, her only friends are those she parties with and she has an eating disorder she’s in denial about. Despite all this, she’s happy she’s in New York City, at least it’s not Texas. Her successful sister June is also in the city, but the two sisters have been estranged and haven’t spoken in years. Suddenly June contacts Jayne to tell her that she’s sick with uterine cancer. Their lives are slammed back together with this news, which isn’t always easy sailing. But will the sisters be able to help each other through their illnesses?

Jayne is a hot mess, for a number of different reasons, yet I still found her compelling. Sometimes when characters are written like this, as unpredictable and unreliable, it can be over the top. But it felt authentic with Jayne, as more of the story goes on, you can understand how someone would spiral like this. The book is so raw at times, painfully so. The portrayal of an eating disorder is brutally honest and could be potentially triggering to some people

Family is at the centre of this book, the ways they support and hurt you, sometimes at the same time. Jayne and June have a tumultuous relationship, which at the core has a lot of love. I enjoyed seeing the sisters reconnect and seeing Jayne rebuild other relationships (including the one with herself). This is being marketed as a YA book but I would say it’s more New Adult. Jayne is in college, I would say she’s 19-20. I think teens could read it, but this book covers a lot topics like racism, eating disorders, sexual assault, cancer with raw honesty and anguish

The Killing Kind by Jane Casey Review

 

Ingrid is a barrister in London, who's life has turned upside down after defending John Webster in a stalking case. Since he was acquitted, he has turned his attention on her, making her life hell. When her restraining order runs out, Ingrid thinks John is back, especially when a fellow barrister ends up under a lorry. Everyone thinks it was an accident but Ingrid is convinced the victim was pushed. And that she was the intended target.

This book had me gripped from the beginning! It really hooked my attention and reeled me in. The story was intriguing, finding out the backstory of Ingrid defending John Webster and the immediate aftermath of the trial. As the current storyline unwinds, the sense of fear and paranoia Ingrid feels is so palpable. You have no idea who to trust or how much is Ingrid's imagination running wild. Especially when Ingrid interacts with John Webster. There's plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested as everything ramps up. One storyline seems a bit rushed at the end, but it didn't take away from the overall storyline. Fans of Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series will enjoy this stand alone novel. It's a multilayered, well paced thriller that I read in under 24 hours as I didn't want to put it down!

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am not required to post a review on here and all thoughts are my own

Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2021

 I've seen Aoife over at Pretty Purple Polka Dots regularly do a Top Ten Tuesday, which is run by That Artsy Reader Girl, so I've decided to join in! Partially because I love a good list but also because today's list is Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2021 and I used to always do my most anticipated reads so I thought it would be a good way to ease back into posts like that.

Animal Vegetable Criminal by Mary Roach

This is probably my most anticipated read of the year! I love Mary Roach's books, she takes a specific topic (past ones include death, living in space and sex to name a few) and looks at them from a scientific point of view. They're always super interesting and I'm sure this one will be no different. This will explore the science of nature vs humans conflict, which mostly when there's problematic wildlife, humans are the blame. The book is being released in the US under the title Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law on 14th September by W.W. Norton and Company

UK release 14th October by Oneworld Publications

Sista Sister by Candice Brathwaite

I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite was one of my favourite releases last year. Part memoir, part manifesto, the book is Candice's account of being a Black mother in the UK, covering topics from her own childhood, as well as her pregnancy and the complexity of raising her children. Sista Sister is her new book of essays on a range of topics, all centring around what Candice wishes someone had spoken to her about when she was younger. I listened to I Am Not Your Baby Mother last year and loved Candice's narration so I've preordered this as an audiobook as well

Release 8th July by Quercus

On a Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk

On a Night Like This is Lindsey Kelk's upcoming book and I am a BIG fan of Lindsey's work! It's a story of two people from wildly different worlds: Evan belongs to the glitzy world of the rich and Fran is the assistant to those in the rich, glitzy world. However Evan whisks Fran away to Crystal Ball event. Can one magical night change everything or will they go back to their own separate worlds after the night is over? It's being marketed as a feel-good Christmas rom-com which I love! And surely by now you must have that Kylie Minogue song stuck in your head since seeing the title?! 

Release 11th November HarperCollins

The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber

Heather Webber writes charming, magical realism stories set in the American South which are perfect autumnal reads. Two estranged sisters must come together to help run their mother's inn during Sugarberry's famous water lantern festival. I enjoyed Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe and South of the Buttonwood Tree by the same author and will be cosy read

Release 30th August St. Martin's Press

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Practical Magic, book one in the series, follows Gillian and Sally, Owens sisters who lives with a family curse. The Rules of Magic follows Franny and Jet, the aunts who we first meet in Practical Magic. Magic Lessons is about Maria Owens in the 1600, the origin of the family curse. This final book in the series follows events after Practical Magic, with three generations trying to break the family curse. I've loved reading this series so I was excited to see there is another book out, especially as we get to revisit the original characters from the first book. The book is out 5th October by Simon Schuster.

UK Release 6th January by Scribner UK

Precious Catastrophe by Deirdre Sullivan

This is the follow up to YA novel Perfectly Preventable Deaths, with twin sisters Madeline and Caitlin living in the weird and creepy Ballyfran. The first book was so atmospheric and eerie and I'm sure this one will be no different! I read the first one in autumn and look forward to reading it again at the same time of year. I love a witchy book for autumn, if the previous 2 books didn't make it clear! 

Release 30th September Hot Key Books

Cook As You Are by Ruby Tandoh

I'm a huge, huge fan of Eat Up! by Ruby Tandoh, which is packed full of essays and small thought pieces about food from different points of view; from the purely pleasurable to the political, food and body weight and stories from Ruby's life. Ruby has a no snobbishness allowed approach to food, which is so refreshing from someone who writes recipes. This cookbook is to appeal to people from all walks of life, to be accessible and inclusive.

Release 7th October by Serpent's Tail

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

A new series from Becky Chambers, who wrote the Wayfarers series, a gentle inclusive sci-fi series about life in outer space for various different alien species. This series is called the Monk and Robot series and that's all I pretty much need to know about it! I'm sure it'll be just as comforting and lovely to read as her other books.

Release 23rd August St. Martin's Press

Anyway the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

The 3rd and final book in Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow series. While I liked the other two books, I didn't love them but I am intrigued to see how the series end. Simon Snow is the series that features in Fan Girl, which is not so loosely based on Harry Potter. It's a fun, fantasy YA series and I'll probably pick it up if I'm looking for some fast paced fantasy.

Release 6th July Macmillian Children's Books

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

I had downloaded this image to include in the post originally but then afterwards noticed I forgot to add it. Oops! The Man Who Died Twice is the follow up to the wildly successful The Thursday Murder Club, a series about a group of friends in their 70s who live in a retirement village and like to solve crimes. I have no doubt this one will be as big as the first one. 

Release 16th September Penguin Books

I'm sure in a few month's time there will be other books announced, usually some are announced for release in October for the Christmas market. The new Aisling book by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen is due out later this year too which I can't wait to read!

What books are you looking forward over the next 6 months? Drop a line below or let me know over on Instagram! 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid Review

For years the Riva siblings have hosted a big summer blow out party in Malibu, which has only gotten bigger the more their fame has risen. Nina (surfer and supermodel), Jay (championship surfer), Hud (renowned photographer who's helped boost Jay's career) and Kit (the youngest, still trying to find her place in the world) are the estranged children of Mick Riva, legendary musician. This year's Riva party is going to be the biggest one yet, everyone is vying to go but with secrets simmering under the surface for each sibling, this party may blow up in more than one way

The story has two timelines: we have the current timeline of 1983 which is set over 24 hours and is broken down into chapters of one hour, as well as the past of how Mick met their mother June in the 50s and what happened to their love over the decades that made Mick estranged from the family. I love books that span a day, it's a fun concept and Jenkins Reid does a good job of balancing the past to give us context of what's happening in the future. I really felt for Nina, trying to hold everything together for her family and putting the happiness of others first over her own. The conflict between Jay and Hud adds some tension to the story and while I feel like we didn't really get to know Kit too much, I could totally see a follow up novel with her at the centre. The storyline with their mother June is sad and poignant at times and I loved how we travelled through the different decades, I could imagine the different looks and fashions even though there's not a lot of description of these, I think Jenkins Reid does a good job at creating books that you can see vividly in your mind, ones that would be good as film adaptations and this is no different. The setting in Malibu, with the descriptions of the beaches, cliff side houses and surfing was amazing, making this a great summery read. 

While I did enjoy the book, there were elements I didn't enjoy. Primarily at the party a lot of characters are introduced and have their own little story arc (involving sex, drugs or vandalism as the party got wilder). It got a bit difficult keeping track of these minor characters, I get that Jenkins Reid was showing that even when bigger dramas are happening at a party, everyone is having their own mini drama and she was showing how some of the characters were connected to each other. As well as adding to the debauchery at the party. However it really distracted from the main characters and what was happening to them. We didn't need to know some of the background tales for these characters, even if it was only a few lines. We just needed to know chaos was happening. I think if you're a fan of Jenkin Reid's books you will enjoy this but it doesn't top The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones and the Six

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am not required to post a review on here and all thoughts are my own

Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane Book Review

Eve, Susie, Ed and Justin have been friends for roughly half their lives, ever since meeting in school as teenagers. Eve has been in love with Ed for years, the one that never was after a kiss between them at 18 failed to develop into anything further. Their friendships are one of close bonds, fierce loyalty and in jokes galore, much to the chagrin to outsiders, like Ed's long term girlfriend Hester. However a shocking event one night changes all this and secrets start to spill. Eve discovers that she might not know her friends as well as she thought she did.

I inhaled this book, I find Mhairi's book are fantastic for getting me out of a reading slump. This is slightly different to the other ones I've read. While there is a romantic storyline in this book, it's not the main focus, so it falls outside a traditional romantic comedy in that sense. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but it's really more about friendship, the relationships you have with other people and how much you really know about others in your life. There's some serious storyline elements but Mhairi handles them in such a way that has great humour. And with great descriptions, I'd love to see this one as a film as I think it could be very funny and poignant at same time

I received this e-book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m not required to post a review on here and all thoughts are my own