BOOK REVIEW // ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

Hi Readers,

Sorry it's been a couple of weeks again, but I'm going to try really hard to keep on track with uploading once a week on the blog from now on! 

Today, because I'm in the midst of manic exam revision, I'm just going to write a quick book review, because it's been a while since I did one. In this post I'm going to talk about 'All The Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr. 

This book is something that I would normally never pick up, historical fiction isn't really my cup of tea. However, it was receiving so much attention on platforms like Instagram, Youtube and Tumblr that I thought I'd give it a bash. And I was not disappointed. 

The story is told from the perspective of two different characters - Marie-Laure, a blind French child who has been evacuated from her home and her life in Paris to a small seaside town in the north of France during World War II, and a German boy called Werner who is recruited by the German army because of his expert skills in fixing radios. Both of these characters are so well developed, and despite starting the book thinking I would take sides, I absolutely didn't. I grew so attached to both of these characters and wanted more and more of their story with every page. 

The story is done so interestingly and doesn't feel in the slightest like a long-drawn war novel, even if it did take me a little while to get into the book. If you're the same, persevere, I promise it will be worth it. The language is a little more difficult than what I'm used to, and it took a while to get into the swing of it, but once you find a flow with this book it's impossible to put down. 

The plot is exciting, interesting, educational and jaw-dropping. The way in which the two main characters' paths cross is phenomenal, and I guarantee the book will make you laugh, cry, laugh and cry again.

The author writes the setting of different areas of France absolutely flawlessly, making you feel like you are running along the walls of Saint-Malo with Marie-Laure. You truly feel immersed in the different towns and cities.

When I think about this book I remember it with rose-tinted glasses, with an almost nostalgic feeling, the same way I get about old films like Breakfast at Tiffany's. If nothing else, this book is beautiful and I'd highly recommend it. 

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next week! As always, catch me on; 

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BOOK REVIEW // DARK PLACES

Hi Readers,

Today I have another book review for you, and this is definitely one of the best books I read last year! Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn (the author of Gone Girl) is an absolute must-read for lovers of crime/thriller/mystery books. 

The story follows Libby Day, whose family was murdered except for her and her older brother Ben. Ben gets the blame for the murder due to Libby's testament in court. Libby is suddenly thrown into a world of 'fans' of real-life murder mysteries when she realises she needs to do something for money, but is too depressed to work. She ends up at meetings and events with these 'fans' and gives them a little bit of the Day family each time for a price. However, while doing this she ends up caught up in the mystery of who really did commit the murder of her family. 

The characters in this book are so excellently written, to the same standard that they were in Gone Girl. Libby is a depressed, unlikable character who comes out of her shell throughout the book, while Ben is someone you can't help feel sorry for. 

The plot is so incredible, and will have you guessing non-stop who did it, as well as have your jaw hitting the floor with unbelievable twists and turns. 

I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good whodunnit full of twists and unpredictability, as well as a gripping story that you can't put down. The only bad thing I'd have to say about this book was that it was a little slow-going at first, I can remember feeling like it took a bit of getting into, but persevere through the first chapter and I promise you'll be hooked! 

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BOOK REVIEW // ME BEFORE YOU

Hi Readers,

By now I'm sure you will all have been to see the movie version of this book! Regardless, I wanted to talk about it. Today it's Jojo Moyes' 'Me Before You.'

This was a really solid book. The story is so beautiful, and actually raised a lot of conversation about some of the issues raised - I'd recommend having a look through some of the Goodreads comments and reviews for this because it's very fascinating (be prepared for spoilers though!). You can tell the subject has been either well researched, or Moyes has had experience with someone who is a quadriplegic.

The characters are really good too, Lou is a really sweet girl, and is very relatable because she's so goofy! Will is also really good, and as a reader, you find him just as mysterious as Lou does. The only thing I'd criticise about them is the fact that their relationship went from 0-60 in about 2 seconds. I thought it was a bit unrealistic.

I also don't want to give anything away but oh my god, THE ENDING! Have tissues at the ready, and I can guarantee if the movie made you cry you're in for a rough time with the book. There's also a lot more to the book which makes the whole experience more enjoyable, and develops both the story and the characters more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It's a super easy read - I think I finished it in about two days, it's romantic, emotional, down to earth and different from the usual 'beautiful boy falls in love with a beautiful girl' love story. It's not normally the type of book I'd go out to buy, but I'd definitely recommend it.

BOOK REVIEW // LEAVING TIME

Hi Readers,

I must apologise for my absence over the past couple of weeks but I've been trying really hard to put all my energies and focus into starting university and socialising with the people I'll be living with for the next year or more. Now I'm completely settled and back into a routine, I'll be back to bringing you a new blog post every Sunday. 

Today I'm bringing you yet another book review! This time it's Jodi Picoult's 'Leaving Time.' 

This is a beautiful story about a girl trying to find her mother, who's been missing (or worse) since she was a little girl, and her amazing story to find her. It also has a lot of elephants, so you can't really complain. 

Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors (my favourite book of hers was Nineteen Minutes, seriously read it!) for many reasons, all of which I found in this book.

Firstly, I love how educational the books are - you always learn something from her without meaning to! In this case, you will learn, and probably become obsessed with, all about elephants and Africa. I also love how each chapter is from someone else's perspective and the characters in this book are so fun and interesting. The book will also keep you on edge and desperate to know what happens next the whole time you're reading it, making it impossible to put down. This is a truly gripping and beautifully written and well-thought-out story.

The only problem I had with this book was the ending - I don't want to ruin it for anyone but I was left slightly thinking 'Jodi... are you for real?' I think it partly felt like a cop out or an easy ending in my opinion. It obviously wasn't because the rest of the book was written based on it, but I just felt a bit disappointed when I reached the end. It's not necessarily bad writing, it's just not typically the type of story I'd seek out to read, and it didn't seem like it was going to be right until the very end. 

All in all though, this is a stellar book which is super easy to read and has a very exciting and gripping story, well thought out and funny characters who come to life from the pages between your hands and some of the most beautiful written scenery I've ever come across. If you're ready to be transported to Africa and back, give this one a read! 

BOOK REVIEW // INSIDE ALCATRAZ

Hi Readers,

Today I'm reviewing a book that's different to something I'd normally pick up. It's Jim Quillen's 'Inside Alcatraz : My Time on the Rock.' It's almost a memoir, a true story of his personal experiences within Alcatraz, and the events that put him there. 

I rarely read non-fiction but this could have easily been a fiction novel due to the huge amounts of excitement and action Quillen has experienced. 

The story is utterly gripping, I was instantly hooked even by the comparatively mundane stories of his childhood and didn't lose this feeling throughout the book. It's also one of the most honest stories I've ever read - Quillen is so good at holding his hands up and admitting he's done wrong and writing about his time in prison without glamorising it like so many books and movies do. 

The only fault I could pick with this book is sometimes I would get confused with how Quillen describes the prison layout - sometimes the book is so fast paced that it's hard to imagine which part of the prison he's talking about. I think because he spent so much time there it's much easier for him to visualise it than for someone who has never even had a tour round the prison. 

Overall this book was amazing, if you want a hard hitting truthful story about a man desperately trying to become good, and to learn a bit about one of the most historical nights in Alcatraz's history from someone who was actually there, I'd recommend this book for you! 

Thanks for reading, as always you can find me on; 
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BOOK REVIEW // DISCLAIMER

Hi Readers,

Today I am reviewing the book 'Disclaimer' by Renee Knight. After browsing through endless books on Amazon one night a few months ago, I decided to go for this book based on all the critical acclaim it had received. Looking back, I wish I'd read some of the customer reviews too (something I tend to avoid in case of spoilers). 

The premise of the book is really good, and something I thought that if done right, would be an amazing story. It follows a woman name Catherine, who has a novel posted through her front door anonymously. When she begins to read it she discovers that the book is all about a dark secret she's worked hard to keep from her family for years. Sounds good right? Wrong. 

The book wasn't totally awful, I mean I read the whole thing. But it was an effort to read, and although the writing was good, the story was very predictable and I had most of it, including the 'huge twist' worked out before I was halfway through. I should stress that I am not normally someone capable of guessing the ends of books or movies either!

I found the first half of the book pretty boring as well, the way in which the twist was set up wasn't gripping or fast-paced enough for me. I found myself trudging through a woman panicking about a stranger knowing her secret for too many pages, with only small glimpses of excitement. 

The ending however was good, here was where some more action kicked in and things got a bit more exciting, making it worth the long read. The pace picked up a lot, revealing the whole story and tying up all the loose ends of the book beautifully. The last section of the book almost made the rest of the book worthwhile, even though I thought a few times about just giving up with it. I could also be being a bit overly harsh, as I've read so many incredible books recently and this one just didn't quite live up to that, so I'm giving it a hard time. 

Personally, I wouldn't recommend Disclaimer but it's definitely not the worst thriller novel out there. If you have the patience to read through it all in order to get to the juicy ending then you will probably enjoy it more than I did! If you've read this, let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading and as always, you can find me at the places below! x

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BOOK REVIEW // I LET YOU GO

Hi Readers,

It's been a while since I did a book review, and since we're starting to move into holiday season, I thought I'd review another book I read earlier this year in case any of you are looking for a pool-side read!

So far, this is probably my favourite book of the year - I Let You Go, by Clare Mackintosh. My Mum bought me this book for Christmas after hearing loads of amazing things about it, and she was not wrong! Once I picked this up I found it impossible to put down again and ended up finishing it within around a week.

The plot (no spoilers!) follows the story of Jenna Gray, as she runs away from her life to Wales to get away from an accident from her past that is haunting her. This is basically all I can say without ruining the fantastic twists and turns the book holds and how every chapter brings about some more jaw-dropping information, vital to unlocking Jenna's secret.

The story is amazingly well thought-out and has so many different dimensions and elements, but is written so beautifully that you never feel confused or lost. The twists and turns will make you gasp out loud and your jaw hit the floor more times than you can count on one hand!

The characters are so realistic and I felt throughout the whole book a range of different emotions for each character. They are so life-like and emotive that it is very easy to imagine yourself as part of this story.

It is also rare to find a book that uses setting so beautifully. Mackintosh's descriptions of the beautiful Welsh coast in contrast to Jenna's old life in Bristol make the scenery stand out like you're looking at a photograph instead of reading a book. It is so easy to picture the cliffs she walks her dogs along, or the sand she draws in on the beach and makes for a truly flawless book.

If you're looking for a twisty, turny, scary and eerie psychological thriller to read by the pool this year I'd definitely recommend picking this up! A Sunday Times Bestseller that absolutely will not disappoint! I hope you all enjoyed this review, if you've read this book let me know what you thought!

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BOOK REVIEW // LOOKING FOR ALASKA

Hi Readers, 

I have another book review for you guys today, which some of you may find a bit dull but I absolutely love reading and I love hearing other people's opinions about the same books I've read. I also want to document all the books I read this year so that I can remember how they made me feel and pick out which ones will be worth a re-read in the future. 

This week I'm talking about Looking For Alaska by John Green. John Green is one of my favourite YouTubers and quickly became one of my favourite authors the minute I started reading The Fault In Our Stars. He is an author who never fails to amaze me with how utterly beautiful he writes. Looking For Alaska is the third book I've read by him, and due to how massive he is now I went into the book with a 'this is so generic and probably not as good as the hype' attitude, but boy I was wrong.

Within the the first five minutes of this book I was hooked with how quirky and interesting the characters were and completely lost my bad attitude towards it. The characters are so well written and developed I felt like I was part of their group, I could have easily been sitting in the Smoking Hole with them all. 

This book also has such a beautiful and potent story that shocks the reader and stays with you long after the book ends. It will make you laugh, gasp and cry, alongside making you feel unbelievably hurt and lost. 

It was also the 11 year anniversary of the book being published a couple of weeks ago, so it is kind of fitting that I upload this post now. 

I can't put this book into one single category, but if you are a fan of decent writing, amazing characters and a story that has the ability to leave you more heartbroken than your worst break-up, this is a book you need to read!

I hope you enjoyed this review, and as always you can find me in the following places;
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BOOK REVIEW // THE ICE TWINS

Hi Readers,

Tonight I'm going to do another book review, as reading is something I'm really trying to keep up during the year and have been loving doing so far.

This time I'm going to talk about S.K. Tremayne's 'The Ice Twins.' There are no spoilers in this post. 

The book is basically about a couple who have lost one of their twin daughters in a tragic accident, and decide to move away to a remote island off the coast of Scotland to start afresh. However, strange things start to happen when the surviving daughter claims she is the daughter that dies. The book is much more complex and deep than this, but that's about all I can say without spoilers. 

I absolutely loved this book and read it in about a week. You literally cannot stop turning the pages when you read this and it is one of the scariest, eeriest and creepiest books I've ever read. The book is full of suspense the whole way through and at one point I had a knot in my stomach the same way I do when I watch a horror movie, which a book has never made me do before.

The way the characters are written is amazing, as you never know who's side you're on throughout the book as the story unfolds. The emotion that is written into the characters is divine and makes them so believable and lifelike. 

The way the scenery is incorporated throughout the book provides great imagery for the reader and will guarantee to make you want to travel Scotland (although I am biased) and really contributes to the overall scary/creepiness of the novel. 

The ending is also very clever and unlike anything I've ever read before, but again, I don't want to give anything away.

If you're into high-drama, intense, twisty novels that are set to send chills through your spine you will absolutely love this book. 

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BOOK REVIEW // After The Crash

Hello Readers!

I'm going to venture into a different type of blog post this time, and talk about a book I finished at the beginning of the month. I want to point out now that there will be absolutely no spoilers in this post! Reading was something I promised myself I would do more often at the start of the year, as it's been a total constant in my life and books are one of the luxuries I love and have always loved to spend money on. 

Around October last year, I purchased 'After the Crash.' After the Crash is Frenchman Michel Bussi's first novel to be translated into English and it certainly did not disappoint.

The book is about a plane crash, in which the only survivor was a three month old baby. After the baby has been taken to hospital, two families claim she belongs to them. The richer of the two families hires a private investigator, who is given until the baby's eighteenth birthday to find out which family she belongs to and the story unfolds from there, following the investigator's eighteen year long journey across the world to try and uncover who the girl is. 

The Good Book Guide said "Michel Bussi knows exactly how to keep the reader turning page after page" and could not be more accurate. This is one of the most compelling "I-need-to-know-what-happens" books I have ever read, and the story is incredibly well thought out and constructed throughout the book. The way Bussi makes all the pieces come together slowly throughout the book whilst introducing new pieces to the puzzle is truly amazing and keeps the reader hooked with every word.
The story is fairly complex, but is written in a way that is so easy to keep up with and follow, unlike some mystery novels that you can't ever get your head around. I felt that even if I didn't pick the book up for a few weeks, I still remembered the details of where I left off last.
The characters in the book are also incredibly well developed, and you feel a real attachment to them, and the underlying theme of not knowing who you really are is one that I could feel myself identifying with (although obviously not quite to the same extent!). 

This book will shock, entertain, upset, and intrigue you with every page you turn, and if you are a lover of great mystery, you should definitely go and pick this up!

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