bookbeforeuleap's Reviews (863)

This is the story of Sheridan, who suffers from a rare condition where he cannot see his own face and has just broken up with his girlfriend.

There were some humorous observations as to what we would miss if we couldn't see our own reflection (Jam on your nose, stray stubble) and I liked the friendship that Sheridan had with the journalist and the sense of community Heidi's story created when she was hosting her prop party.

I really liked that Sheridan had a condition that I had never heard of as it brought something new to the story but I wasn't a massive fan of his half of the book, I think this would have worked better if the chapters from the characters were told alternately rather than the first half as Sheridan and the second half as Heidi because I was really bored with Sheridan's story and would have DNF'd this book if I hadn't read the reviews that said the second half picked up and was from Heidi's point of view.

This is the story of Simon who has only had one relationship in his life and when that comes to an end, he starts to question his ability to find love. He then meets Kim and focus's all his attention on her, confident that she is the one for him but what if his focus on Kim stops him seeing who would really be perfect for him?

Simon is a brilliant, likeable character and you just want to see a happy end for him. I liked the humour and loved his friendship with Phil and Penny but at times I do think that there was a little too much in-depth bird terminology/ descriptions.

This is definitely one for fans of the Rosie Project or any bird lover!
Thank you to @farragobooks and @leefarniefarns for my #gifted copy in exchange for review.

This is the story of Bilal, who mothers dying wish was for him to build a mosque. A once central and included member of the community, Bilal becomes ostrisized and the target or hate crimes by people he thought were his friends. Spurred on by his wife he becomes more determined to for-fill his mothers dream despite the negativity from the community.

This is a great story of a community that on the surface appears inclusive but actually only wants to be inclusive if it works out in the direction they have planned. This is a very clever story and once I wish didn’t ring true but after all I have seen this year I fear is truer than ever and it makes me so angry.

I did feel the first half was a little slow as it set the scene but Malik really knows how to write to get you emotionally invested so be prepared!

My favourite character was definitely Rukhsana, she warmed my heart throughout and I just wanted to give her a great big cuddle! I loved that the most unlikely of characters brought them all together.

Alix' first book, The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my first ever blog post, so I squealed with excitement when I got this one and it did not disappoint! ⁠

This is the story of three sisters and how, after being separated through circumstances none of them fully understand they are reunited and come together on a quest to return witchcraft to the world in order to make it a better place.

What an enchanting and spellbinding read! I loved the strong independent female characters that the author is so brilliant at creating and to touch on so many historical issues, such as gender, women's rights, race, homophobia, sexuality, survival, feminism, that are so often glossed over in this genre was really refreshing.

I absolutely adored the addition of old fairy tales and the use of nursery rhymes as a way to pass witchcraft down through the generations and how they also came together to tell their own story.
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This is the perfect book to cuddle up with on a cold October day when thoughts of Halloween and magic fill the air and Alix E Harrow is definitely on my auto buy authors list!

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for review.

This is the story of a failed writer who is convinced by her best friend and bookshop owner to try and find love by leaving copies of her favourite books with her phone number in on trains.

The premises is adorable and I had high hopes going in. While some parts really did make me laugh the majority just irritated me. I thought the main character was unbelievably selfish and I just couldn't get past that as it made it unbelievable that she would have the friendships she had.

I did enjoy the use of the different books and the mix media of blog posts and emails.

This is a very lovely tale of Henry Applebee and his journey to right a past wrong. Along the way he meets the lovely Ariel and Travis and they listen to his tale during a train journey to Edinburgh.

I really enjoyed themes in the book and that the story unfolded on a train journey. Although predictable it was fun to follow each of the characters journeys and to see their little acts of kindness and missed chances.

My only criticism is that I felt few parts were a little repetitive, we were told of Henry and Francie's meeting in dreams of Henry's and then told again when he was retelling the story on the train...

This is the tale of three lighthouse keepers who disappear from a lighthouse in the middle of the sea without a trace, what was left behind and what could have happened to them. A Famous author hears of the tale and decides he wants to write a book about it, to try and uncover the mystery.

Going in I thought this would be written from the authors point of view but you actually don't hear from the author until the end. I thought it was very clever way that the interviews were written without actually having any questions, just a stream of responses which leaves you to deduce the questions being asked. I think this is brilliant as each person reading it might take something slightly different out of it. The author has an incredible way with words and I was really drawn into the story and desperate to know the outcome. I did at some points get a little lost with all the characters, mainly the actual light house keepers as they didn't have as clear a definition as the wives but overall it came together very well.

The perfect read to curl up and get lost in.

This is a beautiful story of Lenni who is 17 and Margot who is 83. They meet in hospital and when they realise that between them they have lived 100 years they decided to create an art protect with a painting for each year. As they are painting they describe to stories of their lives to each other and form a friendship.

I love a multigenerational tale so I knew I wanted to read this one straight away and it was everything I wanted from a book, it made me laugh, it made me cry and it ultimately warmed my heart.

I loved Lenni's take on life and her quick wit and humour (I will never look at a raisin in the same way again!) I especially loved her interactions with Farther Arthur. I also thought the inclusion of religion and questioning of it was handled really well. The use of art to bring to the two characters together was beautiful and really emphasised how important the arts are to us.

I also loved how there were little chance encounters and coincidences that appear throughout the book as I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason and Lenni again sums that up entirely, 'It was an exchange of riches. She gave the hospital a gift and it gave one back"

This is the story of a school shooting playing out in real time hence the title three hours, ⁠and boy does it pull at the heart strings. I absolutely got caught up in this spine tingling good read from Rosamund Lupton.
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When I first started reading this I did feel the start was a little bit slow and I wasn't sure I was going to love it as much as everyone else but then somewhere along the line I got lost in the narrative that was unfolding and I was hooked, I couldn't put it down. I finished this book in the hairdressers with tears streaming down my face and have recommended it to so many people!⁠