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Cathy Bramley – We’ll Meet Again
What a sweet, perfectly romantic book. It was less than 50 pages long so you wouldn’t think you would have much time to become invested in the characters, but the way this was written made the characters feel like friends almost immediately.
I’ve never read any of Cathy Bramley’s books before, but I decided to read this one while I was sat on my train waiting to set off from the station, and it was such a quick and engrossing read that I finished it as the train was pulling away.
Set in World War Two, we are following the story of Jenny Hallam, a nurse, and Will Rose, a pilot whose plane fell out of the sky and left him with horrific burns.
Will, probably fairly, has been quite a recluse since he arrived in the hospital, but it seems like nurse Jenny might be the one to pull him back out of his shell. But she’s not having an easy life either, with kids at home and a husband in the war that hasn’t written to her for weeks, she has many things on her mind.
Through this short story, we see events in Jenny and Will’s lives unfold, taking us along on a story of heartbreak and eventual happiness for both characters.
As I mentioned before, I’ve not read any of Cathy Bramley’s books before, but if a book this short can make me so emotional, I’ll be on the lookout for more!
It’s also free on Amazon at the moment, so if you’re interested, it won’t cost you anything to check it out – just hit the link below!
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Sarah Bennett – Spring at Lavender Bay
I’m in two minds over how to review this book – on one hand, I read the book in just a few hours and I felt really invested in how Beth’s story would turn out.
But what was really jarring for me was that there were so many editorial mistakes that I kept being jolted out of the flow of the story because either the sentence didn’t make sense or a spelling mistake meant my brain had to try and process what was being said.
Like “His mum had always had a funny term of phrase’, or ‘Please try and remember than none of this is about you’. I know it shouldn’t bother me so much, but I find it really offputting.
But in terms of the story, although it was pretty predictable what was going to happen, I still felt invested in it – the characters were really likeable and made you want to root for things to go in the right direction for them.
I appreciated how well described Lavender Bay was, I felt as if I could be there with them, smelling the fields of lavender mixed with the salt from the sea – sounds like heaven!
I’d say if you were wanting an easy read and could forgive the mistakes, I’d recommend this book, and I would probably read the next in the series if it was cheap enough, but it’s not something that I’m desperate to read so clearly not one of my favourites.
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Rainbow Rowell – Fangirl
It would be really easy to judge this book by the title and assume it’s ‘just’ young adult fiction and doesn’t have a serious point. But although this might be young adult fiction, it showed that the only way to get through social-anxiety and other mental health problems is to open up to people and let them help you.
As you might tell from the title, Cath is a fangirl, introverted and in love with the Simon Snow fanfiction that she writes – she has thousands of followers online but not so many friends in real life.
And now she’s heading off to university and her close relationship/dependency on her twin sister Wren is on the rocks as Wren samples all the social activities that college has to offer.
With a surly roommate that she doesn’t talk to, and her roommate’s boyfriend who seems to hang around the room all the time, Cath doesn’t know how to cope.
So when her dad gets sick again and her mum tries to get back into her life after leaving when Cath and her sister were only little, it’s all too much for Cath and she just wants to go home.
But it turns out that help will come from the most unexpected places, and those people that she thought she could trust will betray her in ways she wouldn’t have imagined.
Can Cath cope without her sister? And can she start to let go of Simon Snow and the fan-fic world she has created to embrace the real world and make the most of her time at university? Seems like only time will tell…
I flew through this book in less than a day, I felt like I could relate to Cath on so many levels (apart from being able to write, definitely not that one). Not wanting to go out, preferring the world inside my room to the world outside, now that I can relate to.
The book was written in such a way that although it felt really fast-paced, I also felt like I was feeling every emotion along with Cath, from heartbreak to joy and back again. Great work by Rainbow Rowell – I’ve had this book on my shelf for so long, I wish I’d read it earlier!
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Sarah Turner – The Unmumsy Mum
It’s been ages since I read anything, so I really needed to find a light-hearted book to get me back into the swing of things. And this one was perfect (although not as light-hearted as I’d imagined).
I’ve been following Sarah on Instagram for a few years, so I have seen what her posts are like, and her book was kind of an extension of that. Funny most of the time, but interspersed with real honest moments that were heartbreaking at times – she gives a real honest view of pregnancy and parenthood that you’re not going to get from most parenting books.
A lot of my friends are starting to have babies now, and if I was previously feeling broody (I wasn’t), I definitely wouldn’t be anymore – some of the insights she gives into parenthood would be enough to put anyone off going through that. Poo explosions so bad you might as well just bin the babygro? Not exactly a selling point!
But you can also tell throughout the book (and throughout the descriptions of the hard times), that she loves being a mother and she does a great job of selling you on all the great parts too.
It was overall a quick read, but one that I really enjoyed and one I’d recommend to anyone thinking about parenthood or just wanting a good laugh combined with a real emotional read.
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She Reads Truth – Job: Suffering and the God who speaks
I have read many SRT plans before using the app on my phone, but this was the first time I’ve bought one of their study books to use. I had read online that their study books didn’t contain as much information as the reading plans online – the ones in the app/online come with a mini devotional for each reading and also a discussion area so you can leave comments and talk to other ‘Shes’.
So I was really unsure what to expect, but what I received was a beautifully made book. You could tell the book had been designed and put together with such thought and care that it really made me appreciate the physical book more than the app.
I have always struggled with the book of Job, I’ve just never been able to understand what is going on, and who is speaking when. And even though this book was mainly made up of the Bible passages to read each day, the way that it was laid out and presented in the book really made it so much clearer for me.
Having a colour coded tab each day to remind you who was speaking (Job, his ‘friends’, or God), was so helpful in keeping track of what was going on.
And the space for reflection at the end of each day was really encouraging to sit and spend some time considering what I had just read and letting it sink in – something I think I have probably neglected before and which has stopped me from really understanding.
I appreciated the discussion questions at the back of the book too, but as I was reading this book on my own rather than in a group, I probably didn’t get as much out of that as I could have. If I was reading in a group, those questions would have been great conversation starters to really get deeper.
And finally, interspersed between the readings were helpful little additions like this one which illustrated questions asked in the book of Job and answered in the person of Jesus.
I cannot wait to read my next SRT book. If postage wasn’t so expensive from the US, I would really love a subscription package to receive their books as they are released, but as it is, I think I’ll have to pick my favourite books to purchase. But I would totally recommend SRT Bible reading plans to anyone wanting to get stuck into the Bible – either through the app or a physical book.
168 pages. Published in: 2019Read in Paperbackon 20th March – 10th April 2019 -
Ann Weisgarber – The Glovemaker
For our anniversary, Cameron and I decided to start a new tradition where we will buy each other books related to whatever the anniversary is supposed to be represented by that year. Apparently, year 2 is cotton, so we spend a good hour in Waterstones in Oban looking for books that were cotton related. For Cameron, I bought the Underground Railroad (about cotton plantations and the slave trade), and he bought me this beautiful looking book called The Glovemaker.
I wasn’t sure what to expect at all, but it turns out that glove making wasn’t really central (or relevant) to the plot.
Set in an inhospitable and unwelcoming area of Utah, the town of Junction is home to 7 families who have moved there to escape from the iron rule of the Mormon church. They still call themselves Mormons, but they have no local bishop, and most of them do not believe in polygamous marriages.
And that’s where their trouble comes in. Although they don’t agree with polygamy, their small town has become a stopping point for those that do, those who are running from the law and hoping to get to the sanctuary of Floral Ranch.
But when a state marshall shows up one day looking for the last guy to come through town, and claiming that he kidnapped a girl, things go from bad to worse and our main character Deborah (the glovemaker) finds herself in the middle of it all.
We see the story from two different perspectives – Deborah, who is currently living alone and waiting for her husband to return from his work in the southern states, and Nels, Samuel’s step-brother, who has grown to care for Deborah and wants to keep her out of trouble.
I don’t want to say too much more as I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but this was a brilliantly written book. The scenery was beautifully described so I felt like I could almost be there in the harsh winter of Utah. And I also liked the fact that the book was set right back in the early days of the Mormon church, something I’ve never really heard the history of.
The book is based around a real town and a real community, but the author does make it clear it’s a work of fiction, which is probably a good thing based on the events that occurred, let’s just say that I definitely didn’t expect certain things to happen based on the pretty cover and the blurb on the inside jacket!
304 pages. Published in: 2019Read in Hardbackon 28th-30th March 2019 -
Bill Clinton & James Patterson – The President is Missing
It’s been quite a while since I listened to an audiobook, but over the last week, Cameron and I have been on our anniversary holiday to Scotland which has involved a LOT of driving.
Rather than listen to the same music over and over again, we decided that we’d spend the time listening to a book instead, and since this one was on discount (and was one of the hardbacks that Cameron already had on his shelf), why not?!
Narrated mainly by Dennis Quaid (as the president), along with a host of other voice actors for the other main characters, the book was fast paced and full of twists. It genuinely felt like watching an action film while we were driving round the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands.
I actually was struck with a really weird thought while we were driving, which is that although whenever you read a book, you always imagine it different to someone else reading that same book, it felt strange that we were both listening at the same time but probably envisioning completely different things in our heads – like watching the same film with a different cast.
When I mentioned this to Cameron, he obviously thought I was a bit strange, but we had a chat and whereas I thought the president looked a bit like Harrison Ford, Cameron was picturing him like the president from Independence Day.
As an audiobook, there are a few extra things to consider over a normal book. The narrators for me can completely put me off listening. I’d say that they were well chosen for this book, but some of the accents were a bit dodgy. If you’ve already gone to the expense of hiring multiple people to do the voices, at least hire someone who can pull off a convincing Russian accent. I cringed every time I heard the dodgy impression.
The other thing that was a bit off-putting was that whenever the character nicknamed Bach was narrating, she often talked about the music she was listening to (bet you can’t guess what it was?!) But rather off-puttingly, they played the music along with the narration, but often it was louder than the speaking and it made it really hard to concentrate on what was being said.
I thought the book itself was really well written though. Mostly fast-paced throughout, there were only a few places where I feel like I probably would have started skim-reading if I had the physical book. Like when they went into a long description about DDOS attacks and what could happen if computers across the world had their hard drives wiped. As a tech person, I didn’t feel like I needed all that and it got a little boring, but I can see why they needed to add it in.
I was also intrigued by all the little insider bits that you could tell had been influenced by Bill Clinton – it made the president feel more real and gave the situations more depth.
I’d say that this book wasn’t my usual kind of book – political thrillers are not what I’d usually pick up in a bookshop, but it translated really well to audio format, and made a lot of long drives feel a lot less boring.
513 pages. Published in: 2018Read in Audiobookon 23rd-29th March 2019 -
Christina Dalcher – Vox
Wow. Just Wow. This book was totally chilling. Set in the not too distant future, women’s rights have been completely stripped away. No bank accounts, no jobs, they are forced to stay at home like a good wife should. But worst of all, they are limited to 100 words a day. Go over that limit and they receive an electric shock. Or should I say shocks. Of increasing violence for every word they say too much.
And this isn’t just women, it’s girls too. A world where women are scared that their unborn babies will be female as they’ll be fitted with these shock bands before they can talk. And if you only talk 100 words a day, how will you ever learn proper language?
For Jean, formerly a scientist with a speciality in linguistics, it’s particularly difficult. Her husband works for the government, and it seems like he might be a lost cause. And now Jean’s oldest son is showing signs that he is being brainwashed by the leaders – he’s saying things that horrify and appall Jean in equal measures.
There were so many times I wanted to blame him, but I can’t. Monsters aren’t born, ever. They’re made, piece by piece and limb by limb, artificial creations of madmen who, like the misguided Frankenstein, always think they know better.
VoxBut when Jean is approached by the government to do some research into a brain injury that has been suffered by the president’s brother, she doesn’t really feel like she has a choice. But she is able to bargain for small pieces of freedom, like having her word-counter temporarily removed, and this is only the start for Jean…
I think for me, the thing that got me most about this book was how close to home it felt. Most dystopian books like this are set in the distant future, but this had so many mentions of familiar things that it felt almost like it could be happening now.
The one thing that bothered me a bit though, was that the book was made out to seem like all these horrible things were being perpetuated by Christians. And I know that there are many Christians out there with extreme views about women and their place in society, but these are not the majority, and I’d like to think that the majority would speak up if this started to happen. Just a reminder though, to make sure that behaviours and restrictions like this should never go unchecked.
I’d also like to just say that this book was a beautiful looking book – that’s what first drew my eye to it in the shop, as well as the single word title. The striking cover and spine just made me want to pick the book up!
400 pages. Published in: 2018Read in Paperbackon 26th-27th March 2019 -
Brandon Sanderson – Mistborn: Secret History
Oh how I wish I had time for a Mistborn re-read. After reading this short novella, it really made me want to read again the stories of Vin and Kelsier. I think the second set of Mistborn books would also have made a bit more sense having read this novella too.
In this book, we mainly follow Kelsier as he seeks to prevent Ruin from taking control. Kelsier is trapped in the in-between, not alive, but not quite yet dead either. I can’t really say much more about the plot because it would contain major spoilers (what I’ve already said is probably already saying too much).
I’m not always a fan of novellas in the middle of book series as they don’t always add much to the overall story, but this was definitely definitely worth it. Still a tad pricey at over £10 for a book that was less than 200 pages, but those 200 pages were jam-packed with so much juicy story that I can’t complain – and yet again, the cover is beautiful, a lovely addition to my already groaning-under-the-strain Sanderson shelf.
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Fiona Lloyd – The Diary of a (Trying to be Holy) Mum
I picked this book up on our church book stall a little while ago – the cover caught my eye – I’ve always liked diary style books.
At first, I thought it was a biography style book, but some of the characters in the book were such caricatures of characters you see in a church that I thought either it can’t be real, or the author is brave to be naming them in her book!
Having no children, I can’t really identify with the troubles of having kids as such, although knowing plenty of people with kids, I can see the familiar troubles. But what really resonated with me were the adult characters within the church that Becky attends.
As I mentioned before, some of the characters were exaggerated, but I could definitely recognise elements of the characters from people that I know. Also the situations that Becky ends up finding herself in were quite familiar too. From not feeling good enough, to finding herself being volunteered for things that are way outside her normal comfort zone, I felt like I could relate.
In fact, her entire character was very relatable – just a likeable woman who is completely honest about the stresses of life. A book mainly aimed at mothers, but not preachy or ‘holier-than-thou’, which was very welcome.
Not a very difficult read, or a very long one either, I read this one in less than a day, I just really wanted to find out what Becky would decide. I’d love a sequel actually, just to get more of an insight into Becky and her life.
Louise Douglas
(I've got no) Shelf Control…
Louise Douglas 