Reading this book feels like you're just having a chat with Carrie. Even though, being 19, some of the advice doesn't really apply to me anymore, it felt more like I was having a conversation with one of my friends. I absolutely whizzed through it, because it was just such a joy and pleasure to read. I would recommend this to anyone, of any age; although some chapters are much more focussed on issues that tend to apply to teenagers, I do feel like much of it is a guide to being a functional human being! Dealing with arguments, following your dreams, and when not to use sarcasm (and create a sar-chasm!) are all things that we all need reminding of all through our lives - and I'm sure I'll refer back to this book when I need that reminder. Well done Carrie! :D

This book brilliantly combined stories of joy, stories of pain, and stories of the colourful characters of Nonnatus House in equal measures, linked together with an incredibly subtle 'coming-of-age' thread. I chose to read this book because I enjoyed the BBC series so much, and I have to say it exceeded my expectations, adding a new dimension to the stories we see on-screen with additional commentary on the sociology of the East End in the 1950s which is not possible in television.

I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up because I really enjoyed the BBC Drama, and although this was very different (both in style and in accuracy) I wasn't let down. It's a really heart-warming tale that makes you laugh and cry, and is a good, absorbing light-hearted read. I read most of it in one sitting, because you're completely absorbed into the wonderful world that June Mottershead paints. It also has a gritty realism to it; the danger with memoirs like this is, of course, rose-tinted glasses, but I felt like there was hardly any of that. It was a very real story of some very real people achieving something extraordinary.

The other day I was sitting in my car, waiting for my friend to come out of the supermarket, and I decided to see what I had on the kindle app on my phone. One of the first titles to jump out at me was Upside Down by N. R. Walker, a book that’s been on there for a while but I never seemed to be in the mood for. I opened it up, started reading, and apart from driving us home didn’t put it down until I stopped.

Upside Down tells the story of Jordan, a foul-mouthed, geeky young man in his early twenties, who is coming to terms with the fact that he is asexual. He has had a crush for weeks on a guy who gets the same bus as him, but his new realisations about his sexuality prevent him from making an introduction. His best friend drags him to a support group for people on the asexual and aromantic spectrum, and the bus guy is the one who runs the meetings! From there they strike up a friendship which then, of course, leads to something more…

I won’t say anything more because I don’t want to spoil it, but it was a great read. Jordan and Hennessy (bus guy) are both hilarious and are absolutely adorable together, and the side characters (pretty much all of whom were LGBT+) were also really funny, really fleshed out and had some really nice side plots. The writing sucked me in immediately, and although there was a teensy tiny bit of drama it was, on the whole, a lovely, light-hearted read to distract you from a summer spent in lockdown. The LGBT+ representation, particularly the asexual representation, was very strong, and I liked that there was an acknowledgement and discussion about how sexuality – including asexuality – is a spectrum, and isn’t one-size-fits-all.

All in all, a fun, easy read, great for when you just need a bit of escapism!

Find this and other reviews at my new blog (eek!) https://elementarymydearbookblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/28/review-upside-down-by-n-r-walker/