Did Not Finish - Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

It is so rare that I don't finish a book, but I just couldn't get on with this at all. I thought I'd just write a quick post, because it really seems like a me problem than a problem with the book.

I saw loads of people rave about this series of books, so I bought the first two probably like six months ago and was looking forward to reading them. I have to admit, I thought they were Young Adult fiction and was surprised when I started this and it isn't! Chloe is thirty one, so I don't know why I thought it was otherwise... but I did. 

At the beginning of the book Chloe lives in her parents' mansion with her younger sisters, her parents, and her grandmother. Chloe works in social media and she is also chronically ill. She has fibromyalgia and I think arthritis and a lot of joint problems. She sometimes has to take a lot of painkillers and lives with brain fog because of that. I loved all this part of what I read - there aren't enough books about chronically ill young people and I liked how honest Chloe was about her illness and her pain and her limitations. (I suffer with chronic pain myself so empathised and sympathised). 

She is almost knocked down while walking on the street, and regards it as a near death experience. She is pretty shaken up and decides to write a bucket list of things she wants to do. First on the list is to move out of her parents' house, so she does. She moves into a block of flats which has a superintendent in residence. Red. He is an artist but he's had a terrible relationship and given it up, so a friend of his has given him the job. As a superintendent. Now I dunno about you but I've literally never heard of a block of flats in the UK that had a superintendent, so I found that weird. Plus at one point the edition I was reading had 'colour' spelt as 'color', I'm not sure if that was intentional. And Chloe and Red are bantering at one point and one of them says something about 'filing your taxes'. Now I'm self employed so I literally do do my own taxes, but I'd never say I 'filed' them. It felt like Americanisms shoved into a British book set in "South Nottinghamshire" and I found that very weird. 

I also found the insta romance a bit hard to swallow. I liked the beginning and I was beginning to care about Chloe and her family, but then she quickly moves out so you don't see all her family much, which disappointed me. She then instantly decides she both hates and likes Red because... he is hot and owns a motorbike? Okay. 

I'd have really preferred this if it was a YA romance, but I'm sorry, it just wasn't for me! 

The Offing by Benjamin Myers - Review

I was given this book last Christmas by Lee's brother and his girlfriend, they thought I would like it and the main character is from Durham as Lee's family is so I get why they liked it. I keep a list of books I got for Christmas and my birthday, and I try to get through them before Christmas and my birthday roll around again. In 2021 I've managed about half of them... We'll see what I get for Christmas! Hah. 

Anyway, this book is set in 1946 just after the end of World War Two. Robert, from a Durham village somewhere near Sunderland, has just finished his exams and left school. He will probably follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and start work as a miner, but before that he wants to go travelling down into North Yorkshire to see a bit of the world. He sets off with not much more than a tarpaulin and a sleeping bag. He finds a few days work at some farms along the way. He intends to go somewhere around Whitby and Scarborough, and wants to swim in the sea. 

On the way he finds a small cottage, the meadow around which is basically eating it, and its owner, Dulcie. She is an older lady, taller than Robert, and she has led a weird and wonderful life. Over the next few weeks, she persuades Robert to stay, sleeping first in the meadow and then in a small summer house on the grounds. She feeds him well, giving him his first taste of lobster and of brandy. She has connections which mean that the rationing going on all over the country doesn't seem to apply to her. She has a wine cellar. She lends Robert books and encourages him to read poetry. She tells him he could go to university. 

Robert is determined to pay his way, so he starts cleaning up the summer house. He wants to hack down the weeds which obscure the view of the sea, but Dulcie is angry with the sea and won't let him. He begins to uncover the truth about her life and the great love of her life. 

The book is written from the perspective of an older Robert, and by the end it's clear exactly who he has become. I liked the lyrical quality to the words and to the descriptions - I could exactly imagine the cottage and the village that Robert walked through to get to the sea. I liked Dulcie and was sympathetic towards her. I loved how Robert's life turned out.

I'm giving this four out of five.

The Faraway Truth by Janae Marks - Review

I can't remember where I picked up this book, but it can't have been very long ago as it was hanging around by the side of the bed and I knew I wanted to read it soon, so I picked it up towards the end of November. It's a middle grade book about a girl called Zoe, who is twelve.

She lives near Boston with her mum and her stepdad, who is the only dad she's ever known. At the beginning of the book she has her birthday party at a local cake shop, Ari's Cakes, because she loves to bake. She is with her friends Maya and Jasmine.

Back at home her next door neighbour Trevor comes over. Zoe and Trevor used to be friends, but then Zoe overheard Trevor say something about her to his basketball pals, and got upset, so now she's not talking to Trevor and didn't invite him to her birthday party.

She picks up the mail and notices that there's a letter from her biological dad, Marcus, who is in prison for murdering someone. Zoe has never met him or been allowed to ask questions about him, but now she has this letter. She decides to write back, and gets another letter back from Marcus. She starts to do a little research about Marcus' crime. 

Zoe eventually tells her Grandma, who babysits her during the summer holidays, about the letters. She has had a letter from Marcus saying he's innocent, and Zoe desperately wants that to be true. 

Meanwhile, she is doing an internship at Ari's Cakes and her parents have agreed that if she does well, she'll be able to audition for a kids' baking show. Zoe also does some brainstorming of her own to come up with a new cupcake flavour.

Zoe and her family are Black, and so is Marcus, but her stepdad Paul isn't. She's aware of the reactions that she gets when she's out with a white man. She also discovers through her research that men like Marcus are more likely to be the victims of miscarriages of justice.

I really enjoyed this book - it's a cute middle grade with a good plot and some good sideplots too. I liked the characters and wanted Zoe to succeed! I'm giving this five out of five. 

After the Party by Cressida Connolly - Review

A few weeks ago my friend Laura gave me a bunch of books that she didn't want anymore. There were some great sounding books in there! I was really grateful. Laura and I have similar taste in books so I generally trust her. I had the books in a bag but thanks to a broken radiator we had to clear loads of stuff out of the bedroom so while we were doing that we took the opportunity to put the books on my spreadsheet. We did this a few years ago, and Lee then made an app for me - libraryofbee.co.uk - so I can easily check what books I have when I'm out and about and then I don't buy duplicates. So anyway as we were putting this on the spreadsheet I decided to leave it out to read next, and I'm really glad I did as I really enjoyed it. 

The book is set in 1938, right on the cusp of World War Two. Phyllis and her husband Hugh, and their children Julia, Frances, and Edwin, have been living in South America as Hugh works for British Rubber, and have then been in Belgium for a little while, but have no returned to England. To begin with, they stay with one of Phyllis's sisters, Patricia. Patricia is married to Gleville and they have a daughter called Antonia. 

Patricia and Phyllis have another sister, Nina, who married a mechanic, who was rather below her station. (Phyllis and her family are frightfully posh and all their houses are massive). Eric and Nina are big players in British Union, sometimes known as the British Union of Fascists, which was led by Oswald Mosley. They encourage Phyllis to get involved too, as she's newly returned to England. Over the summer, Nina runs camps for party members. Phyllis feels she'll be at a bit of a loss with the children, who are fourteen, twelve, and eight, or something like that, so she takes them along. Julia ends up getting into some bother. Phyllis makes some friends - Sarita, who is married to her second husband, Fergus, and Venetia, who is hilarious but quite coarse. 

War looms on the horizon but Phyllis and her family believe themselves to be huge patriots. They are obsessed with Mosley, who they call the Leader. Phyllis is quite overwhelmed when she meets him. But mostly her life is a round of parties, sorting out the household, and visiting her ailing parents. It's obvious that something is going to happen, but the reader isn't quite sure what. 

Interspersed with the main narrative are little bits from Phyllis herself, which read as if she's being interviewed by a journalist or something. She has been in prison, which turned her hair white, but the reader doesn't know why. She talks about not forgiving her sisters, but again, we don't know why.

I found the book compelling and really interesting. I do love posh people who are sometimes terrible but sometimes not. I liked the backdrop of the Fascist party and associated politics (even though I am very very far from a fascist). I sympathised with Phyllis, to a point, but I also found her frustrating at times. 

The book reminded me of The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes which is ironic because Diana Mitford, one of the sisters, became Oswald Mosley's second wife (she also appears in the book). I'd love to read something else by the same author!

The House Guest by Mark Edwards - Review

 

I bought this book on Amazon (something which I try to avoid, but realise that sometimes needs must) for just a pound last December and recently got round to reading it. Someone must have recommended it or linked to the fact it was a pound, but I also know that quite a few people have read this. 

I thought it was good in the first half but then went slightly off-piste. I'm not sure I'd read something else by the author. Here's what it's about, though:

Adam and Ruth are house sitting at a big house in Williamsburg, New York. The house belongs to their friends, Mona and Jack, who they met on a cruise. Jack and Mona are on a retreat in New Mexico. While in New York, Ruth, an actress, is rehearing for a new play with a prestigious director, and Adam is writing a play. 

One stormy evening a woman called Eden arrives, we through. She says she knows Jack and Mona and had expected them to be home. She says she used to go out with a friend of Jack's (although she's much younger than him) and has had a bad break up. 

Adam and Ruth decide to let her stay. Over the next few days they get to know her a little bit - she tells them a little about her past, and she makes friends with them. She and Adam go out one night and he confides that he is a little bit jealous of Ruth. She has that certain charisma and it seems like her career is about to take off. Adam doesn't think he'll make it as a playwright and is worried Ruth will outgrow him.

On the Friday before Jack and Mona are due home on the Sunday, Eden comes home with Japanese food and tequila for everyone. They all get drunk and in the morning, Adam wakes up feeling horrendous. He goes back to sleep until 7pm and finds the house completely trashed, and Ruth and Eden gone. He has to clean up the house before Mona and Jack come back. Although he's concerned about Ruth and Eden he thinks they'll be back soon.

But when Jack and Mona get back they have no idea who Eden is. Adam can't even prove that she actually existed, either. A police officer friend comes over to talk to Adam, but he says Adam would have to register Ruth as a missing person if he wants anything to be done for her, and that has implications for her visa. Adam then overhears Jack and Mona and the officer talking skeptically about Adam's story. 

I liked this mystery and I kept reading - I in fact read the book very quickly - but I thought the resolution was a bit crap and I didn't feel like the twist was good enough. I'm giving this three out of five.

The Mermaid's Scream by Kate Ellis - Review

I was browsing books in the library a few weeks ago and came across this book, which is part of a series centred on detective Wesley Peterson. I do know that many of these detective series can be read as standalones; the authors always give you enough information for you to understand what has happened previously. This one didn't do that much actually, except to tell us that Wesley's wife Pam had previously been ill with breast cancer and is recovering.

Wesley works alongside a woman called Rachel, who I liked, and their boss Gerry. But not all the books is from the police's point of view, there's a lot from the point of view of other people too. 

We start off with Zac Wilkinson, a journalist and writer, who is writing a biography about a reclusive author called Wynn Staniland. He is staying near Staniland's house in Devon (I think) and has been in touch with the author. Staniland wrote a much lauded book called The Viper's Kiss, but shortly after that his wife took her own life in a similar way to a suicide in the book - which in its turn was written based on an historic murder in the area. Staniland lives with his stepdaughter and is rarely seen in public. 

Zac is due to give a talk at a local library when he doesn't turn up. It turns out he has many, many ghosts from the past and a lot of enemies. One of them has turned up to threaten him... but has this person killed him?

Then two bodies turn up in a static caravan at a nearby farm. At first, it looks like they have taken their own lives, but Wesley gets a bit of a bee in his bonnet about it and discovers they've been poisoned. The couple were on holiday from their home in Leeds, and seem to have no ties to the area, so who would have wanted them dead?

I like the main mystery around Staniland and the deaths of Zac and the couple in the caravan, but I thought some of the other stuff, including an archaeological dig at a local manor house, was distracting and pointless. I also found the whole cast of characters baffling, I wish a few characters had been cut entirely. I did find the book compelling and I finished it, but I won't bother with the series again and and giving this three out of five.

Manic Street Preachers - Album by Album, edited by Marc Burrows - Review

So a couple of things you might not know about me is that I am a huge fan of the Manic Street Preachers and have been since I was thirteen years old in 1997. I even have part of a lyrics of theirs - 'cheap tarnished glitter' - tattooed on my inner wrist. I am also a zinester - you can see all the zines I have for sale here on Etsy. So when Marc put out a call for "book reviewers, zinesters, and Manic Street Preachers" specialists to review this new book, I obviously fitted the bill in all three respects, so I contacted Marc. He sent me an electronic copy of the book for review. I wasn't otherwise compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I had seen the book previously as a few of my friends are featured - Rhian, who I know through The Libertines primarily, Phoenix, who I must have come across way back when in Manics forums but didn't know until a couple of years ago, and Claire, who I met through Twitter a few years ago. I was excited to read their essays.

The book is made up of essays by different people on each of the Manic Street Preachers' albums, from 1991's Generation Terrorists to 2018's Resistance is Futile. Alongside is a chronology of the band, from singles they were releasing to tours they were doing, and including information on the disappearance in 1995 of Richey Edward's, one of the band's lyricists and sort of rhythm guitarist. It's an enduring mystery and one which the band had to move past musically in their subsequent albums. 

Now, I'll admit I stopped closely following the band after 2001's Know Your Enemy. I did keep up with the next two released, which were compilation albums. Lipstick Traces' second CD is made up of covers of other songs, and I absolutely loved that one, I played it to death at university. I liked parts of Journal for Plague Lovers and Postcards from a Young Man, so I've listened to those on Spotify and so on, even if I don't own the physical CDs. So I haven't followed the band closely for a while, but I was still excited to read the book. 

It had a strong start with Rhian E Jones chatting about Generation Terrorists. I loved the essay on Gold Against the Soul, which I think is an excellent album and is underrated by both the band and fans. Writing about The Holy Bible (one of the darkest and most terrifying albums ever written, focussing on Richey's mental health problems and so on) was never going to be easy, but the author did it brilliantly. Phoenix Andrews' writing about Everything Must Go was personal and reminded me of my own teenaged Manics fandom. Claire Biddles' essay came towards the end of the book, and taught me things about an album I don't know at all. I liked that - I learnt a lot about the later albums that I'm not familiar with. So many of the essays were personal but also political, which is something you can say about the Manics themselves and their music. 

Any fan will like this book I'm sure, so buy it for the Manics fan in your life. I'm giving it four out of five.

If you'd like to buy my zine about the Manics, it's available, here! 

The Villa In Italy by Elizabeth Edmondson - Review

This is a book that I probably wouldn't have ever picked up in my entire life, but it was the November choice for my book club, so I bought a second hand copy on eBay and started it in early November. And I ended up really enjoying it and want to read other stuff by the same author! I totally judged it by its cover and thought it would be frothy fluff. It isn't, and I really liked it. 

The book is set in the mid 1950s, so the spectre of World War Two is very definitely still felt. Four strangers are told that they are named in the will of a Beatrice Malaspina, and that they must travel to her house, the Villa Dante, in Northern Italy, for further instruction. 

The first person is Delia. She is from a posh family in Yorkshire; her father is a lord. She is an opera singer, a profession that her parents don't approve of. She has been suffering from bronchitis for a while and the damp English air has done nothing to help. She is only too happy to go to Italy, hoping the warmth will help her. She goes with her friend, Jessica. Jessica is also from a posh family, and she's also married to an MP, Richie Meldon. The marriage is unhappy and Jessica is desperate for a divorce, but Richie won't comply. Jessica has been followed around by a tabloid journalist, so she's also desperate to get away from England. The two take off to Paris in Jessica's car, and then on to Italy. They arrive in the middle of a storm and, desperately hoping the house is in fact the right one, go to bed.

The next two to arrive are George and Marjorie. George is a scientist, currently on sabbatical from his work in Cambridge. During the war he worked on stuff that was linked to the atom bomb, and since then he has lived a guilty life, incapable of dealing with the fact that he had a hand in the deaths of so many people, albeit at a removed place. 

Marjorie is a detective writer, but she hasn't written anything for over five years. She is working class and also a lesbian, which I felt was revealed in a really good way further on in the book. She is recovering from an accident and is also running out of money.

None of these three people know who Beatrice Malaspina is, but they all have time to travel to see what is going on. They spend a couple of nice days down on the beach and exploring the house, which has expansive grounds outside and many frescoes painted on the walls inside. There are two members of staff, Benedetta and Pietro. 

Then Lucius arrives. He's the son of a rich US banking family and is himself a banker. He's about to get married to someone it turns out that Delia and Jessica went to school with. He also doesn't know Beatrice and doesn't know why he's there.

The five start to work together to bring the house back to some of its glory and to uncover what is going on with the will. I found the book really compelling and read it fast. I liked Delia, who is really the main character, and her life and friendship with Jessica. But I liked everyone else too - although not some of the people who turn up towards the end. I liked the posh, genteel people feel to it. I'm giving it four out of five. 

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M McManus - Review and Blog Tour

Hello and welcome to my blog for my stop on the tour for You'll Be the Death of Me! If you haven't been to my blog before, please do have a click around as I've reviewed all of Karen's previous books and plenty of other YA novels. It is a pleasure to welcome you! 

Where did I get it? I was given an electronic copy of the book in exchange for this review. I was not otherwise compensated and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you very much to Penguin for having me! 

What's it about? Cal, Ivy, and Mateo are all seventeen and are high school seniors in a suburb of Boston, MA. They used to be friends in 8th grade, after a school trip where they snuck out together and had The Greatest Day Ever, but things happened and they haven't spoken since. But each of them has things going on in their lives. One day, they all meet in the school parking lot and decide to skip school and head into Boston. 

This is what's going on for each of them:

Cal has split up with his girlfriend Noemi and has started 'seeing' someone else. It turns out this person has been grooming him and he is rightly unsettled about it. Noemi says he's like a shell of a person, and Cal certainly feels it. He's been pulling away from all his friends and even from his dads. I don't want to spoil the storyline but I loved how it all unravelled for Carl. 

Ivy lives with her parents, who are high achievers (her mum is due to receive an award on the night of the day that Ivy decides to skip school) and so is her brother Daniel. In fact Daniel skipped a grade so he's a senior like she is. Ever since this happened Ivy has felt 'less than', there's no love lost between her and Daniel and she is constantly striving to keep up with him. Ivy had been in the running for class president, but she lost to Brian 'Boney' Mahoney, who was running as a joke, and she's annoyed about it. She feels a bit lost and lonely. 

Then there's Mateo. He lives with his single mum and his cousin, Autumn, who lost her parents in a car crash when she was eleven and has lived with Mateo and his mum ever since. Ma used to own a bowling alley, but after an accident there and with her own health declining, money is tight in the house. Mateo is working three jobs and Autumn is too, including doing something that becomes pertinent to the plot. Ivy and Mateo also kind of had a thing when they were thirteen, but something happened and they haven't spoken since. 

So yes, the three of them decide to skip school and head into the city. Each chapter is told from one of their points of view, taking it in turns, which I really liked because I got to know each character well. I liked them equally, and for different reasons. They are heading towards a cafe when they see Boney Mahoney heading towards a squat that is used as an art studio. Boney, as winner of the election, is supposed to be giving a speech at school at right that minute. Ivy is furious - thinking that he has skived off and that this shows how little he cares about being class president - so she follows him into the building. However, when she gets there, she finds Boney dead, with a syringe at his side. The boys realise that she makes a pretty good suspect for killing him actually, so when they hear sirens they leave very quickly. 

The day disintegrates as Ivy does find herself public enemy, as Cal discovers truths about the person who has been grooming him, and as Mateo finds himself under suspicion and increasingly worried for Autumn. All the action is contained to one day which adds to the tension of the book. I really enjoyed it, I liked how good and bad things happened and how many things got sorted out 

What age range is it for? Fifteen plus 

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No I don't think so 

Are any main characters people of colour? Yes, Mateo's mum is Hispanic 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Mateo's mum, I'm going to say she counts. And I loved the way that her ill health and the cost of her medication had such an effect on Mateo and Autumn - this is reality for so many children and teenagers and I thought it was very well put across. 

Is there any sex stuff? No, but trigger warning for the grooming obviously 

Are drugs mentioned or used? Yes. I won't give away the plot but it's illegal drugs. There's not much talk about effects of the drug, but be careful 

Is there any talk of death? Yes, obviously as Boney gets murdered. It isn't too graphic but be careful. 

Are there swear words? A few, they're well used within the plot though. 

 

What criticisms do I have? Almost none, I loved the book as I've loved everything else by the author! 

Would I recommend the book? Yes completely. 

 

What do I think of the cover? I like how it fits with Karen's other books. They would look gorgeous in a whole collection on your bookshelf! 

How many stars? Four out of five!

 

Karen M. McManus is the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thriller/mystery novels, including One of Us Is Lying, One of Us Is Next, Two Can Keep a Secret, and The Cousins. You'll Be the Death of Me will be her next novel, publishing December 2021. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master's degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, which she mostly uses to draft fake news stories for her novels. For more information, visit www.karenmcmanus.com or @writerkmc on Twitter and Instagram.

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it in Waterstones a few weeks ago, as you can tell by the sticker. I follow Tanya on Twitter and have been intrigued by the premise of the book for ages, so I knew I wanted to get it soon. 

What's it about? Ashana is sixteen and goes to school in Whitehawk, Brighton. She has her best friend, Adara, and her family - Mum and dad and her sister Rosh. Mum is an A&E nurse and Dad works as a gardener. Rosh loves books. Ash is gay, and is out to Adara, and to her mum, and I think to Rosh, but she knows that her mum disapproves and isn't sure if her mum has told her dad. Ash has kissed girls, but they always end up ghosting her or otherwise breaking her heart. 

Then on a school trip Ashana meets Poppy. Poppy goes to Roedean school and lives in a huge house. The two start a relationship, and the first half of the book is the two of them falling in love and getting to know each other through jaunts round Brighton and a trip to London. Poppy is bright and beautiful and it's easy as a reader to see why Ash falls for her. 

But right at the beginning of the book we see Ash as a grim reaper, so we know she's going to die. And she does. In the After. I absolutely LOVED the last night she spent with Poppy and the way she's confused when she's first dead. The legend is that the last person who dies on New Year's Eve becomes the reaper for teens who died like they did, in the area. Ash meets Dev and Esen and Deborah and has to come to terms with being dead. But she's desperate to see Poppy again... 

What age range is it for? 14 plus 

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Yes, both Ash and Poppy are gay. 

Are any main characters people of colour? Yes, Ash's family is Indo-Guyanese, which I really liked, I liked the cultural depiction of Ash's family. 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? I don't think so, although Ash's dad has been ill. It's not mentioned much. 

Is there any sex stuff? Yes, it's lovely but not graphic 

Are drugs mentioned or used? No I don't think so. 

Is there any talk of death? Yes, obviously, and it is somewhat graphic 

Are there swear words? Yes, I loved this actually, it was very real. 

 

What criticisms do I have? Having thought about it, my only criticisms are as an adult reader of the book, and I don't think that's fair. It's a very good YA novel. 

Would I recommend the book? Yes absolutely. 

Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? Just because I bought it recently and wanted to read it. 

 

What do I think of the cover? It's absolutely gorgeous! It's foiled too, so pretty. 

 

What other books is it like? I'm drawing a blank, sorry 

How many stars? Four out of five

 

Where is the book going now? I'll keep it!

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman - Review

I read Richard Osman's first book and was quite disdainful towards it because it annoyed me in quite a few ways. You can read my review here. My mum wanted me to read it so I did. She has also read this second one so I decided I would read it. I do think that Richard's writing has improved between the first and second book, this one is better written and has a better story I think. However, it did still annoy me in parts. 

So we're back with the Thursday Murder Club, only a couple of weeks after the events of the first book. Ibrahim borrows Ron's car to go into Fairhaven and on his way back to the car three youths on bikes steal his phone and then beat him up, leaving him ill enough to be hospitalised. Ron, Elizabeth and Joyce are rightfully worried for their friend, and want to find out who did it. 

But also, Elizabeth is distracted because a letter has been put under her door purporting to be from someone that doesn't exist, a cover up that Elizabeth was involved in in her time in MI5. The letter turns out to be from her ex-husband Douglas, who is in a safe house on the complex that the Thursday Murder Club all live on. He is as charming as ever, but he is in trouble. He was involved in an MI5 break in to a house belonging to a notorious gangster, Martin Lomax, and some diamonds have hone missing in the break in. Douglas was identified by Lomax and threatened by him, hence the safe house. He is being looked after by a young woman called Poppy. He says he didn't steal the diamonds but Elizabeth doesn't believe him. 

But a man breaks in with the intent to kill Douglas, and Poppy ends up shooting him dead. Joyce gets a note from Poppy asking her to phone Poppy's mum, which Joyce duly does. MI5 officers Sue and Lance come to the complex to sort everything out. The Thursday Murder Club then end up involved in a murder mystery, gangland wars, trying to find out who attacked Ibrahim, as well as the usual stuff with their families and friends. 

I found the book compelling and wanted to keep reading it. The story did entertain me. I felt like the first half of the book was almost satirical in nature, and I'm not sure if that was the feel that Richard was going for or not, but I found it strange. The second half seemed to settle down, though. I liked how we got to know Elizabeth and Joyce a bit better. Ron and Ibrahim are in this book a little less; I felt like Ibrahim was almost a token character in the first book, but I liked him in this one. Chris, the detective, didn't annoy me as much in this book, and his romance with Donna (also a police officer)'s mum Patrice was very cute. 

I will read the next one. I also noticed that Richard used the verb 'agrees' a lot less here - in the first book there were nearly a hundred uses of the word, but in this one there were just 40, which made it seem much more normal and much less of a writer's tic. I'm giving this four out of five. 

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth - Review

Where did I get it? The library! My friend Lucinda, who is a children's librarian, recommended it to me. I requested it and picked it up from my local library. 

What's it about? Aideen is in her transition year in the Republic of Ireland, meaning she's sixteen. Her mam is an alcoholic and has a complicated relationship with Aideen's dad. Aideen lives in constant fear of her mother going off the rails or of social services getting involved. Her mam is a hairdresser but doesn't always turn up to work. Consequently, Aideen has given her phone number as her mother's to her school. 

She often skips school and never does homework. Her form tutor, Ms Devlin, is also her PE teacher, and is fed up of Aideen's continuing excuses as to why she can't do PE. Aideen has one friend, Holly, but Holly has been pulling apart from her for a while. 

While skiving PE one day, Aideen finds herself in the changing rooms with Meabh, a girl in her class who is always perfect and a bit of a know it all. Holly and Aideen can't usually stand her. Meabh wants to stand to be student president for their year, but she can't see how she can fit it in to her ultra busy schedule. She asks Aideen to push her down the stairs just so she can break her ankle or something to get some time off her sports team. Aideen thinks that's a mad idea but ends up doing it.

Then it turns out that a boy called Kavi has overhead their conversation. He helps Aideen take Meabh to the sick room, and then he just keeps turning up whereever Aideen is. He brings some people to Aideen who he thinks she can also help, and everything goes quite farcical. Aideen is soon making friends and getting into bother, but also helping people. But she can't solve the problems of her mum or her friendship with Holly, and she also thinks there's sparks between herself and Meabh... 

What age range is it for? Thirteen plus 

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Yes, Aideen is openly a lesbian and is out at school. There's other mentions of queer characters too. 

Are any main characters people of colour? Yeah, Kavi is Indian I think. I'm not sure about anyone else. Meabh has a Polish father (also the principal of the school) and one of her manifesto pledges is to introduce Polish lessons to the school. I liked this bit. 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Yes, I think Aideen's mam's alcoholism counts here, so be careful if that's a trigger for you. 

Is there any sex stuff? No, hence why I think it's suitable for 13 year olds onwards. 

Are drugs mentioned or used? No 

Is there any talk of death? A little bit 

Are there swear words? No 

 

What criticisms do I have? I think there was something funny about the timeline - I thought it was near the beginning of the year, but then it was January, but if it was January then earlier in the novel it would have been Christmas and it wasn't? But that's all. 

Would I recommend the book? Yes, it's also really, really funny as well as everything else. 

Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? You have to read library books to then give them back! 

 

What do I think of the cover? It's cute. 

 

What other books is it like? It reminded me of Paper Avalanche for the serious bits to do with Aideen's mam, and other funny/farcical books for the helping other people part. 

How many stars? Four out of five. I would definitely read something else by the same author!

Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway - Review

I requested this book at the library a couple of months ago, and it came in in mid October so I picked it up soon after. I was intrigued by the fact that the book is set in Derry in Northern Ireland, as I haven't read much set there and I thought it would be interesting to read a police procedural set there. I was right, it was - there was plenty of history around the Troubles and how they were impacting upon life today . The book was published 11 years ago and is set in 2009.

Lucy Black is a detective constable and has recently moved back to Derry to look after her dad, who has dementia and keeps getting her confused with someone called Janet. Lucy and her parents, both police officers, lived in Derry when Lucy was small, but after their house was set alight they moved to Antrim. Lucy is estranged from her mother, but her mother is also Assistant Chief Constable in the Derry police. She is divorced from Lucy's dad and Lucy thinks that almost no one knows who her mother is amongst her new colleagues. 

It's winter and snowing heavily when Lucy gets a call one morning to say that a child has been found in nearby woods. There is a sixteen year old called Kate McLaughlin missing and Lucy hopes this is the child. But this kid is much younger - around eight or nine. She is rescued but doesn't say anything, so police and social workers aren't sure where she belongs. She forms a bit of an attachment to Lucy, who keeps visiting her. It is found that she's covered in blood, but again, no one is sure who that belongs to.

Lucy is moved out of CID to the Public Protection Unit, under a man called Fleming. She is working on finding Alice's family when she realises that the case might be linked to Kate McLaughlin. Kate's father, Michael, owns some land on Derry's dockside that is supposedly worth a lot of money, so the case is assumed to be a kidnapping, but no ransom demand has been made. Lucy steps on some toes to try to get to the bottom of what has happened to both girls. 

Her dad is getting more ill. He's been going through his old police notebooks and keeps talking about Janet. Lucy wants to find out the truth here, too.

This is the first Lucy Black book and I would read more, I liked it and Lucy and the setting. I liked the police corruption portrayed too. I'm giving this four out of five. 

Mr Loverman by Bernadine Everisto - Review

Because I loved Girl, Woman, Other so much, I had been thinking that I really should read something else by Bernadine Evaristo. Then I watched her on Imagine with Tom Stoppard which was really good, I liked the look at her life and work. I was intrigued by the premise of Mr Loverman, so I requested ut at my library. It came in quickly and I picked it up after my holiday. 

The main character and narrator is Barrington Walker, aged seventy-four, who was born in Antigua but who came to England in around 1960 with his wife Carmelita, known as Carmel. They had two daughters - Donna, in around 1960, and Maxine, in around 1970. Barry drinks a lot and after yet another altercation with his wife, he decides that he will finally leave her. Because, you see, Barry has been in a relationship with his friend Morris since they were fourteen. We see Barry try to cope with how to tell Carmel and also the history of their lives together. We see the lives of their daughters, the lives of Carmel's church friends, and the life of Morris, Barry's lover. 

There are also little points of view from Carmel, spaced at roughly every ten years. She suffered with post natal depression after Maxine was born, and Barry ended up looking after Maxine a lot, which is why she remains his favourite child. Carmel then got a job in housing for the local authority, and worked her way up. She assumes that Barry is having affairs with women and even, at one point, goes to a house Barry owns to try to catch him with a woman but finds only him and Morris there instead. Still, she has never put two and two together. 

Barry knows she won't take the news that he is leaving her and wants a divorce lying down. Barry is a rich man - he bought properties in the sixties and has prospered, meaning he's been able to support both his children and send his grandson Daniel to private school. He doesn't want to end up in Morris' studio attic flat (Morris won't take any money from Barry).

We learn that in 1989 Morris' wife Odette caught the two of them together and subsequently left Morris. She never told Carmel, but she did go back to Antigua where she opened up a spa hotel. Morris asked Barry to leave Carmel at this point, but he didn't feel he could. 

Before Barry can ask for the divorce, Carmel has to go to Antigua as her father - a violent man who terrorised her mother - is dying. Soon Donna joins her and Barry is left in charge of sixteen year old Daniel. Everything starts to fall apart. 

I loved the book - I liked Barry even though he's a reprehensible old drunk, and I wanted him to be happy. I liked the story of his marriage to Carmel and how they had both struggled. Both daughters were spoilt brats and I loved how Barry saw that and blamed himself. I liked his steady, quiet relationship with Morris. I liked the story of first generation immigrants from the Caribbean. I did feel like we didn't see enough of Morris' personality as I'd have liked, but I wonder if that was a deliberate choice - because he and Barry couldn't live together, he did have Morris on a little bit of a pedestal and had to keep him at a bit of a remove. I loved the look at older queer communities and how they identified... I don't want to give anything else away though!

I'm giving this five out of five and will definitely read something else by Bernadine in the future. I think she weaves together brilliant narratives, I think she'd a splendid writer. 

You're the One That I Want by Simon James Green - Review

Where did I get it? 

I won it! I entered a YALC competition for a copy of the book and a box of artisan donuts! I've never had donuts like this so I was excited to try them! My partner and I shared each of them - my favourites were the Oreo one and the Percy Pig one. Delicious! So thank you so much to YALC for this ace prize! I took the book on holiday and started it there

What's it about? Freddie is sixteen and has just started 6th form at his school, where basically no one knows who he is. He has best friends Ruby and Sam, but he overhears some girls saying they don't know who he is in the yearbook, and on his first day his new head of year keeps calling him Patrick. His mother is a TV producer and is currently working on a new show called Cherries (which basically sounded like Skins) and Freddie is constant disappointment to her, especially ever since he broke down while performing in Les Miserables aged ten. She drags him along to something to do with the show and while there he meets Jasper, who is very hot, but who Freddie manages to cover in cream cheese and basically make a fool of himself in front of. 

Freddie is fed up of himself and decides, after chatting with Ruby and Sam, to start saying YES to everything, to try more experiences, and to get out there more. So at school he decides to try out for Grease alongside Ruby and Sam, and new boy Zach. Zach flirts with Freddie from the off, and Freddie really likes him. Freddie doesn't get a part in the show, but ends up as props manager. He has had a crush on Harrison for ages, but now Harrison is going out with Lottie, who is playing Sandy, and who hates Zach, who is playing Danny. Freddie and Zach start a thing, kissing each other in the props room, but Zach wants to keep it 'fun' and 'casual'. Can Freddie handle that?? 

I found the book a little slow to start off with and I also just couldn't warm to Zach. But once I got into it I liked Freddie a lot and wanted him to succeed. I like Simon's books because they always have such funny bits in but also have a lot of heart and a lot of pathos. 

What age range is it for? 15+ 

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Yes, obviously, Freddie is gay and so are a few other characters. There's an interesting bit about how everyone assumes Sam is gay because he's small and thin, but actually he's straight and likes girls - I thought that made a good point about stereotypes. 

Are any main characters people of colour? I don't think so? 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No 

Is there any sex stuff? Yes, some, it's not particularly graphic 

Are drugs mentioned or used? No 

Is there any talk of death? No 

Are there swear words? A couple, very judiciously used. I always like how Simon uses language.  

What criticisms do I have? Nothing apart from the slow start. It's a fun book 

Would I recommend the book? Yes especially if you like Simon's other books 

Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? After winning the prize I wanted to review it soon! 

 

What do I think of the cover? It's cute - I didn't quite get the donut thing until the end! 

 

What other books is it like? Simon's other books! 

How many stars? Four out of five 

 

Where is the book going now? I'll keep it, I've got a collection going now!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - Review

This is a brilliant book and I'd like you all to go and read it immediately! I first heard of it ages ago and bought it when it was cheap on Kindle, but hadn't got around to reading it. Then my friend Ingrid said they were going to have it for their next book club meeting, so I knew I needed to get around to reading it! I started it just before we went on holiday at the beginning of October and finished it there. I loved the book, it's quite complex but still easy to read.

At the beginning of the book the town of Mallard is abuzz because Desiree Vignes is back in town. Several years ago she and her twin sister Stella left town without saying goodbye, leaving behind their mother. No one really expected either of them to return, but Desiree has - with her child, Jude, in tow. She quickly enrolls Jude in school and gets a job in the diner, but doesn't know where Stella is. 

Mallard is a tiny town in Louisiana, and isn't on any maps. It was founded by a Black person, and all its inhabitants are Black, but over time they have become paler and indeed, Stella can later be mistaken for a white woman, although we don't find that out until later. But there is an emphasis on the light skinned people who live in the town, and when Desiree arrives with Jude everyone is incensed because Jude is dark skinned. The family have to cope with prejudice against her in the time she lives in Mallard. 

We next go back in time to when Desiree and Stella were teenagers. Stella wants to stay in school but their mother insists she leaves and gets a job. Desiree is desperate to leave their small town but also has to get a job. Then Stella says she'll go with Desiree, so one night they leave and go to New Orleans. We follow Desiree as she gets a job and falls in love with Jude's father. He beats her and treats her badly which is why she then escapes back to Mallard and her mother. We learn that Stella left one night and Desiree has no idea where she is. She's never been in touch with her mother either. 

Jude grows up and heads to LA for college. She meets Reese, a trans man who has escaped his own small town in Texas I think. This is the late 70s so transitioning is in no way easy, but Reese was one of my favourite characters throughout the whole book. I loved him and Jude. They make friends with drag queens around the area and find a found family. I loved their relationship too. 

Jude starts waitressing in LA and at the very middle of the book, she's at a swanky party when Stella walks in. Jude smashes a bottle of wine and is fired... and then we go over to Stella's story. She found she could pass as a white woman and that's what she's done all her life. She is married and has a daughter, Kennedy. She has spent her whole life terrified of being 'found out' and trying to bury her past. I liked her story too, even though she's not exactly the hero in her story. 

I loved the book and thought it was really deftly woven together and kept my interest. I'm giving this five out of five and am looking forward to seeing what everyone else thought of it!