Friday 25 August 2017

Review: A Semi Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland



50 fears in 50 weeks.

I cannot even begin to explain how much I loved this book. 5 stars are not enough! Anyone who has suffered or been effected by mental health in anyway HAS to read this book. 

I loved Esther - she is flawed and therefore relatable in a way that meant I was unable to put the book down. Each character was so fascinating and the plot that pulled them all together was heart-breaking and hopeful in equal measure. It may sound like an exaggeration, but as soon as I finished this book, the first thing I wanted to do was go and find a spider and face my crippling fear once and for all. 

This book just makes such an important point about mental health - it effects everyone, whether directly or indirectly, and that it is completely okay to admit that you need help. Everyone is afraid of something, and only by dealing with that fear directly will you be able to move on.

Thursday 17 August 2017

Review: Good Friday by Lynda La Plante

Image Credit: http://lyndalaplante.com/good-friday/

This novel is a classic example of a good detective story. It was full of twists and turns, and from the very beginning I found myself trying to figure out who the 'bad guy' was. Despite guessing from the beginning, I didn't manage to figure it out, and so when the big twist was revealed I was really surprised.

The one thing I would say, is that I found Jane a little annoying. I haven't read the previous two Jane Tennison novels so I don't know whether that would have made a difference, but she was a little irritating, particularly at the beginning.

The plot was fast-paced and this made the novel incredibly easy to read. The story-line itself was really interesting, and as I said earlier, the big reveal was completely unexpected. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who loves detective fiction.

Sunday 13 August 2017

Review: Lost for Words by Stephanie Butland


I read this book in two days. I loved it. I don't even know where to start, to be honest.

I mean, it's set in a bookshop, so what's not to love already? And the main character, Loveday (apparently that's an actual name... I've lived a very sheltered life), is so relatable. She's flawed and self-conscious and prefers her own company to that of anyone else. To sum up this book in one word, it would have to be SECRETS. This novel is full of them. Everybody keeps secrets, and the characters in this novel are no different. Loveday has spent her entire adult life working in a bookshop and lying to everyone about her past, but she eventually comes to realise that she's only hurting herself by holding onto these secrets and refusing to let go.

It was the ending of the book that really did it for me. It was tragic, but somehow bitter-sweet. I actually almost cried. As eager as I was to finish the book, I also didn't want it to end.

CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH. 5 stars, 10/10, would recommend to a friend. I don't know, maybe I just loved it because it was a book about books. You can't really get much better than that, to be honest.

Saturday 5 August 2017

August and Chill

I can't believe it's August already! The months just seem to be going by quicker and quicker these days.

The arrival of August means only one thing: adult life creeps closer by the day. My postgraduate full time adult job starts in September, and I can already tell I'm going to be so busy. I'm really looking forward to it, but I'm also anxious about letting the student part of my life slip away. I didn't enjoy being a student, on reflection university was not for me, but that doesn't mean that the thought of being a fully functioning adult is a calm one.

I'm trying to spend my remaining days of 'freedom' relaxing - something that I am terrible at. I can never just chill - even when I'm watching Netflix I have to be doing something else at the same time. So I'm making a real effort to just breathe, and soak up this time before the next chapter of my life begins.