I Miss Blogging

It's been such a long time since I've sat down and actually planned out something to write about, other than a book review. Don't get me wrong, books are one of my great loves and I will continue to write reviews on them, but I miss writing about other things.

It's my fault, really. I've let life get in the way. Since finishing university almost a year ago (can I still use this excuse?!), I've jumped straight into my job, which I love, and I've been trying to figure my life out ever since. But honestly, I don't want my entire life planned out at twenty-two years old. I'm perfectly happy just going with the flow. I say that so much, maybe I should get it tattooed somewhere on my body. Clearly 'this too shall pass' was not the right choice. (Nope, it definitely was. No idea what I'm talking about? See my post on getting my tattoo here!)

So, note to self: make your blog more of a priority in your life. Hopefully you'll see some more varied stuff from me soon.

No promises, though.

Review: The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland

This was such a beautiful story! I had really high hopes for it, since I've also read and LOVED Stephanie Butland's Lost For Words (see review for that here!), which was an amazing story too.

I have nothing bad to say about this book! I loved all aspects of it - I loved getting to know Ailsa as she tries to figure life out after having a heart transplant. I loved the relationship between her and Seb, which developed slowly but surely, and I loved the realness of her other relationships: the strained one with her mother and the non-existent one with her father.

Stephanie Butland manages to write characters that are just so REAL; they're flawed and they struggle and they generally are just trying to figure things out. It makes for a wonderful read that you cannot possibly let go of easily. I can honestly say that five stars is not enough for this book - I loved it.

Review: Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

This book made me cry! It is the heartbreaking story of Richard, an acclaimed concert pianist who is diagnosed with ALS, and struggles to come to terms with the loss of his body.

We switch back and forth between Richard's point of view and Karina's, his ex-wife who blames him for their divorce. It was interesting seeing how Karina deals with this news, as she instantly feels guilty, and becomes his carer out of a sense of obligation more than anything else.

The one thing I would say about this book is that I wish we could of had more of an insight into how Grace, their twenty-year old daughter, deals with this news. We get glimpses of her as she comes back and forth from university, but this is pretty limited. I know the important person is Richard and his diagnosis, but it would have been nice to have some more from her.

The end of this novel is heartbreaking but hopeful, as Karina finally feels like she can move on with her life and become her own person after many years of putting herself second. I would definitely recommend this book, even though you may need tissues to finish it!