Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Review

Fictionally famous Elizabeth Zott is the host of Supper at Six, a tv cookery show with a twist. See, Elizabeth isn’t a trained chef, she’s a scientist and approaches cooking from a scientific mindset. We learn why she’s gone from working in a lab to being one of the most recognisable women in America and the obstacles in the way for her and other women in the early 1960s

If you’ve been on Bookstagram at all since the beginning of 2022, you are bound to have seen Lessons in Chemistry from *at least* one bookstagrammer 😅 there was a lot of hype for this book and it’s easy to see why. The story flows nicely, the focus on feminism is cut through with humour. Every now and again we see glimpses of the story through the eyes of Six-Thirty, Elizabeth’s amazing dog

I had a lot of fun reading this! Did I think it was flawless? No, I think there was just a bit too much hype for this and it didn’t live up to it being an absolute fave but it was a solid read. If you like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine then you may enjoy this book too. It has a similar sense of dry humour. Or if you like books about fictionally famous people like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is fun to immerse yourself into the world of someone ‘famous’

Ruth & Pen by Emilie Pine Review

Ruth is a 40 something year old on the brink of her marriage collapsing. Pen is 16, on the verge of leaping into the dating world, she wants to ask her friend Alice to go on a date. Set during the duration of one day in Dublin in October, the paths of these strangers cross as they struggle with the decisions facing them throughout the day

I loved Emilie Pine’s memoir Notes to Self, a collection of personal essays. So I was really looking forward to this debut novel and it did not disappoint. She captures the characters perfectly. For Pen, the awkwardness of being a teenager, navigating your first big crush, pushing boundaries, being grown up. As well as her life before and after being diagnosed with autism. For Ruth, the sheer exhaustion of being in a relationship that looks destined to fall apart, after repeated failed attempts to IVF. Most of the POVs are from Ruth or Pen, but we also get them from other characters such as Ruth’s husband Aidan and Alice, Pen’s crush, which I really enjoyed. It rounded out the story, so it wasn’t all one sided

Notes to Self tackles infertility & pregnancy loss and this is reflected in Ruth’s story. Pine’s own experience adds authenticity, Ruth’s experiences are so raw, her husband’s desperation so painful, it really punches you in the gut. I loved Pen’s relationship with her mother, how her mother really tries to understand Pen, support her while clearly not wanting her to get hurt

One of my favourite reads of the year so far, I can’t wait to see what Emilie Pine does next!

CW: pregnancy loss, IVF

The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan Review

The baby girl, born 2 weeks early, hasn't even been named when her father tragically dies 3 days after her birth. The novel is about the lives and relationships of the Aylward women left behind from this death: his mother Mary, his widow Eileen and his daughter Saoirse. These 3 generations of women live a slightly unconventional life filled with laughter, arguments, disappointments, tragedy, joy, loyalties and betrayals

I was hesitant to pick this up, purely because the other Donal Ryan books have left me in a blubbering mess on completion and I wasn't sure I wanted that emotional ruin right now! The end of the first chapter left me open mouthed in shock, but while the rest of the book had me tearing up, it's definitely on the lighter side.

The story isn't plot driven nor is it overly character driven. At least, not from the point of view of seeing the characters deepest hidden thoughts and feelings. Instead, it's driven by the characters and their relationships. It's like looking in the window at this family and being enthralled by what you see. Donal nails the characterisation of these rural folk: turns of phrase, the typical family fall outs, their hopes and disappointments for each other, the types of characters that are friends and neighbours. This, along with Donal's lyrical prose, made me love the story and these women. It feels almost timeless, I wasn't sure when this was set until 15% through the book and even when you do find out, it remains this way bar the mention of certain items or events. 

The chapters are short and it spans about 40 odd years, things never go super in depth. Because it's so wide spanning, it could feel like it's rambling but everything pulls together near the end. This style won't be for everyone but I enjoyed these vignettes. It was enough for me to fall in love with the Aylward women and those lucky enough to orbit their odd coven

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!

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

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! 

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.

NonFiction November Challenge and TBR

This will be my 3rd year doing NonFiction November. I participated in 2016 and last year. What's NonFiction November you ask? Run by Booktuber abookolive, the aim isn't to read only nonfiction but to read more nonfiction than you usually do. So if don't read nonfiction, then reading just one nonfiction book will suffice. If you read one a month, try to read two and so on and so forth. There are also 4 one word prompts for you to try complete as well. The beauty of the one word prompts is that it's open to interpretation, you can bend the meanings to fit your own reading habits and likes. Olive does a great job of going through the prompts and their meaning so you can check out her video here if you'd like. The prompts are as follows:

1. Design
2. Sport
3. True
4. Voice

Here are some of books I'm thinking of reading for these prompts

Design

-Semicolon is unsurprisingly a book about the semicolon, one I wanted to read a few months ago as it was a Book of the Month for the Rick O'Shea Book Club. I thought it suited the prompt as punctuation is a design element of language.

-Microtrends Squared is something I'm kinda twisting to fit the prompt to be honest. Mainly because I'm reading it for Book Riot Read Harder and need to get it finished by the end of the year! But economics and trends can shape the world we live in the how things are designed to work.... yeah it's a stretch but I'm keeping it!

-Sex on the Moon is about breaking into a NASA centre to steal moon rocks, I'm sure there's plenty about the lead up and design of the heist!

-Toast and Marmalade is by Emma Bridgewater, who designs pottery. The cover has some of her designs on the front too!

Sport

-Not going to lie, this is the hardest one for me as I'm not a big sports fan and while I had a few ideas, I ran into hiccoughs like the books being hard to get or the reviews not being great. While making my list the other day I Am the Secret Footballer went on sale on Audible for 99p so I decided to just get it!

-Inverting the Pyramid is one of the only sports books I own, purely because the book was on the free book table at work. I'll either find this book on football tactics incredibly interesting or really boring!

-Walking's a sport right? I'm counting it! London Overground is a walk around the Overground system in London. If it's not counted as a sport in the physical sense, then it most certainly is in the adventure/fun sense.

-If walking around London doesn't tickle my fancy then maybe Circle Line, a book on sailing around London will appeal to me?!

True

-The Library Book is about an arson in a library, I picked it mainly because I need to read a nonviolent true crime book for Book Riot Read Harder (Sex on the Moon will also count for this)

-Something I can not get enough of is stunt journalism, doing something for the pure fun and thrill of it. I picked up A Chip Shop in Poznan while in London back in July.

-I already have The Book of the Year 2019 on preorder and can't wait to listen to all these true facts!

-If you're a book lover and haven't heard of Educated then you're head must be in the sand as it's such a hyped up book, the true story of Tara Westover and her family

Voice

-Last year I read Feminists Don't Wear Pink and this year I'm thinking of reading It's Not OK to be Blue, essays and accounts about depression and mental health

-No One is Too Small to Make a Difference is such a great book for this prompt, one person's voice on climate change, that inspires people and proves that one person can make a difference

-Notes to Self are essays from Emelie Pine which I've heard so many good things about and I've really been enjoying reading books about women and their life experiences

-Talking as Fast as I Can is a memoir from Lauren Graham and I liked the fact that it had talking in the title too!

Obviously I won't be reading all these books in November, I'm good at reading but not that good! I chose these books most because I own them! But also because they fit some other challenges I'm doing and I think there's a good mix of different types of nonfiction. I have other books I might chose instead, especially audiobooks as I love them when I'm commuting and crafting. I also have some books due to come in to the library but I don't think they fit these themes.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacy Lee Book Review

Set in 1890's Atlanta, Jo Kuan is a 17 Chinese-American girl who lives with Old Gin, who took her in and raised her after her parents abandoned her. By night, they live secretly in the basements beneath newspaper publishers. By day they both work for one of the richest families in Atlanta; Jo as a lady's maid for the daughter of the house and Old Gin in the stables. When she overhears the publishing family saying they're struggling with all their competition in the market, Jo secretly pens an advice column for them to print under the name Miss Sweetie. As she comes up against all sorts of racist and sexist struggles in her personal life, she uses Miss Sweetie to channel her frustrations and shake up what society thinks of women and people of colour. But the overnight success of Miss Sweetie soon becomes a problem for Jo, as people are dying to find out who Miss Sweetie is, for better or for worse. Can she risk being found out?

I loved this book! It's such a smart and funny YA book that can be enjoyed by everyone. Jo is such a dynamic interesting character and I loved seeing her channel Miss Sweetie into her own life and push herself to do more. The secondary characters felt well thought out too. There's so many different plots going on that all feed into each other and never get too complicated or felt like too much. This book highlights feminism but highlights how white feminism was in 1890s. It's a great book for younger readers to highlight racism and sexism in those times as it's done so well. Despite these heavier themes, everything is nicely balanced by the wit and humour. Refreshing, informative and fun historical YA novel.

Filter This by Sophie White Book Review

I read Sophie White's first book Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown earlier this year and loved it. It's part memoir, part cook book, you can check out the review here. So when I heard she was writing a novel, I couldn't wait to read. I listed it on my Most Anticipated Book Releases for September to December and was thrilled when I got approved on NetGalley.

Ali Jones is stuck in a job with a boss she hates, her father is ill, her relationship with her mother is strained and the most meaningful relationship she has is with a bottle of wine. She joins Instagram as a way to escape life and channel her creativity and soon becomes hooked, obsessing over the number of followers and likes she gets on her posts. She looks on in envy at some of the big names in the Irish scene, wishing that could be her.

Shelly Devine is THE biggest influencer in Ireland. Beautiful, an actress on a popular soap with a gorgeous successful husband, and cute baby daughter. Not to mention big stylish house and all the brand deals, her life looks complete. But underneath this shiny Instagram portrayal is a different story, with her husband Dan slowly becoming disillusioned with the whole thing and sick of brand Shelly coming before the real Shelly. Can Shelly and her assistant keep the cracks from showing?

When one day Ali leads her followers to believe she's pregnant when she's not, she goes from an up and coming influencer to an overnight success. Ali decides to continue on with the facade but as the time goes on it becomes harder to keep the house of cards from tumbling. Can she succeed in pulling this off?

Filter This is a sharp look at Instagram culture and the influencers behind it. Ali is an anti-heroine, you find yourself rooting for her even though you know what she's doing is wrong! The writing style is very down to earth and very Irish when it comes to dialogue and turns of phrases, something I love seeing in novels. While some of the other influencer characters we see seemed a bit of a stereotype in one sense (peaceful earth mother of a brood of kids who's secretly a nightmare to deal with, a friend who only seems interested in you because your star is rising), they didn't feel forced or farcical, they felt believable. This book made me laugh and cry. Having read Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown, you can really tell that Sophie is writing from the heart and past experiences during some of the sadder scenes, they made me choke up. The humour was right up my alley too, I laughed out loud several times. Looking forward to seeing what happens in book 2!

American Royals by Katharine McGee Book Review

American Royals is the first in a series from Katharine McGee. It's America as we know it, but instead of a President ruling the country, a king does. One in a long line of successors from America's first king George Washington. And for the very first time, thanks to a change in the successor's act, America is to have their first Queen, Princess Beatrice. While still young at 22, she has trained to be a queen since the day she was born. She understands there is Beatrice the person and Beatrice the queen and knows the sacrifices that come with her crown. So when her parents pressure her into dating some eligible bachelors she agrees, even though her heart isn't in it. She's secretly in love with someone else.

Her younger sister Samantha feels like she's nothing, forever to be Beatrice's younger, wilder sister. A spare part, 2nd in line. She envies her sister and the way America adores her. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger at a party has a spring in her step, though trouble is always around the corner with Samantha.

Samantha's twin brother Jeff has split from a 3 year relationship with Daphne and is now falling for Nina, Sam's best friend and daughter to the Minister for Treasury. Nina is hesitant though. Despite knowing the Washingtons since she was 6, she isn't ready for a public relationship and all the pressures that come with it. Daphne is also determined to get back with Jeff but to what ends?

The book was a fun YA book, a little bit too long considering there are multiple points of view (Beatrice, Samantha, Nina and Daphne). It doesn't get confusing but I think having 4 POVs did slow down the pacing at times. It also meant that you'd just be getting into one person's narrative and looking forward to what was happening and then it would change. The tones never changed that much either and I do think it might have benefited from having the POVs from the men in the book. Perhaps that will happen in the next book in the series? Part of me likes the idea of reimagining American history. There were hints to the troubled past America has, such as slavery, and while it wasn't expanded upon, I'm glad it wasn't erased entirely. It does raise a question of the idea of a white monarchy in a country that already had native peoples and the fact that the whole point of the American Revolution was to get rid of a monarchy. That's the part of me that didn't like the reimagining part. However I did manage to cast that aside while reading it, as what the book does well is that it's like a soap opera. I could easily imagine it as a TV show. It was a very entertaining and light read, a fun YA novel that teenagers will enjoy.

The Wych Elm by Tana French Book Review

Toby considers himself a fairly lucky guy. He has a job working for an art gallery with a campaign that's going really well, a girlfriend who's mad about him, his own apartment. Then one night he awakes to find the place being burgled by two men, who viciously beat him. As Toby struggles to recover from the attack that almost left him dead, he goes to live at his family's homestead to look after his dying uncle Hugo. The respite is interrupted when a human skull is found in the wych elm tree in the garden. Suddenly Toby and his family find their lives upside down as detectives investigate the mystery behind this skull. With Toby's memory being patchy since the attack and as tensions heighten, Toby is forced to reevaluate his life and if the past is everything he thought it was.

Be forewarned going into this book, it's long and slow moving. Knowing that meant that I could enjoy the book and anticipate what was going to come. It helps that Tana French is a favourite author of mine and that I knew everything would come together nicely. I enjoyed her wording and scene building, she has a lovely way with words. I was hesitant going into this because it isn't part of the Dublin Murder Squad series but honestly it felt like it was, the only difference being the point of view is from a suspect rather than a detective. And with the suspect's memory not being up to scratch, it was a mystery to us as we read it, as he was finding out as it went along what actually happened, so it was like a detective piecing everything together. I wasn't a massive fan of the ending, for something that was so slow it felt a bit rushed or something. That said, despite how slow moving it was at times, every time I wasn't reading it I was dying to pick it up and I read the 500+ pages quickly over the weekend. So that's a good sign! If you've not read Tana French before, I would not recommend this as the first book. But if you have and you're a fan, pick this up!

Anticipated Book Releases September-December 2019

In my Anticipated Book Releases May-August, I said I'd have a post up in August for my September-December Releases and I've actually managed to keep my word! Not going to lie, the idea of writing this post, getting the photos ready for this post seemed like such a hassle. More so because Blogger just doesn't seem to co-operate with me when it comes to photos. Anyway, there's lots of great books upcoming that I wanted to share which motivated me to get everything sorted!

Filter This by Sophie White

I read Sophie White's part-memoir part-cookbook Recipes For a Nervous Breakdown earlier this year and loved it. Filter This is her first novel which explores the dark side of social media. Ali Jones craves followers and being an influencer. So when she accidentally leads people to believe she's pregnant and sees a spike in followers, she decides to keep going with this lie. Meanwhile her idol and big influencer Shelly Divine seems to have it all, but we see the big stresses that having this fame brings to her and her family Sept 5th

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

I've read and loved other Gladwell books so I'm excited to see a new release. As the title suggests, it's about talking to people you don't know and knowing Gladwell he'll tell us plenty interesting tales and facts to create his point September 10th

Once, Twice, Three Times an Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

The 3rd book in the Oh My God What a Complete Aisling series. I'm looking forward to seeing what Aisling gets up to next. They're funny and heartwarming reads September 12th

The Confession by Jessie Burton

I was delighted to see a new Jessie Burton book this year! I enjoyed The Miniaturist and LOVED The Muse. To be honest, I don't know what it's about. I haven't even properly read the synopsis. Nor do I want to, I'm happy going in utterly cold! September 15th

Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake

The final book in the Three Dark Crowns series, set on a secret mysterious island where triplets are born, brought up separately and at the age of 16 fight until one is victorious and becomes the new queen. I'm not super excited about this but it's been an interesting enough series and I want to know what happens September 15th

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

The 3rd book from Caitlin Doughty, who I first came across with her Ask a Mortician series on YouTube. Caitlin will answer 35 questions that have been put to her by some of her youngest fans. I expect it will be funny, delightful and informative. I have it preordered on audiobook as I listened to her second book this way and love her narration September 15th

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

Jasmine writes adorable fun contemporary romance novels, I've read the 1st three she's written so far. This one will be Christmas themed so I'm going to save it for that time of the year. Again I don't know too much about it but I'm ok with that! October 1st

The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne

Holly is the queen of contemporary YA and I've enjoyed many of her previous books. She covers lots of serious issues and it seems like this one will be no different October 3rd

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Sequel to her very popular book Carry On. While I did enjoy Carry On, with Simon Snow and Baz (the story that was the basis of fan fiction in Fangirl), I wasn't bowled over by it like others. But I think I might try and read this one to see where the story goes next October 3rd

It's Not Ok to Feel Blue and Other Lies currated by Scarlett Curtis

I really enjoyed Feminists Don't Wear Pink, essays and thoughts about feminism from all different aspects from different women. This is similar but this time the topic is mental health. This list of people included looks amazing! Names I recognise (I can't wait to see what Naomi Campbell has written!) and plenty I don't but will no doubt be interesting October 3rd

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay has been a massive success. I read it in July and loved it, it was so funny and sad. This is a shorter book with stories set around being a medical professional at Christmastime. I'm sure it'll be just as funny and sad as the first book October 15th

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao

I read American Panda by Gloria Chao earlier this year and really enjoyed it, it was a cute contemporary YA novel. Ali, who is the only Asian kid in her high school in Indiana, becomes close to new kid Chase, who is also Tawainese. Though when her mother finds out she forces Ali to end things. Ali uncovers secrets when she digs deeper into why her mum is so reluctant about Ali and Chase October 15th

The Book of the Year 2019 by No Such Thing as Fish

Another book with some of the craziest stories from 2019. As a fan of the podcast I look forward to these and will preorder it as an audiobook when it's available to do so October 24th

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

A new novel by the author of The Night Circus. I don't know much about this book, except there's magic and bound to be so dreamy descriptions of things. That's all I remember about The Night Circus! November 5th

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

A book on feminism and pop culture. If it's anything like Shrill it will be insightful and punchy. November 5th

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch

The latest installment of the Rivers of London series. Though to be honest I'm not keeping my hopes up that it'll be out in November, lately these novels keep getting their publication dates pushed back. One can hope! November 14th

And that's it for 2019! There are of course other books coming out that probably have more hype than these. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the follow up to The Handmaid's Tale, is out September 10th. I'm not sure yet if I'll read it which is why I didn't include it. Other books may also be announced but I'm hoping I haven't missed anything.

What are you most looking forward to coming out over the next few months? Is it one of these books or something else I haven't posted? Let me know in a comment below or on Instagram!