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emma_rreads's Reviews (183)
Despite loving the film Practical Magic, I’ve never actually read a book by Alice Hoffman - slightly shamefaced, as I absolutely loved this.
Young Ivy Jacob finds herself pregnant and runs away to The Community, where her daughter is raised.
Mia rebels against the strict rules and falls in love with the magic of reading….
It’s a book that I thought I had the measure of, and then it went somewhere entirely leftfield!
A book about women, their struggles against the patriarchy, about agency and autonomy. The parallels in the book between what is happening now in parts of America with the overturning of Roe vs Wade and the treatment of women throughout history and in the present in The Community are evident and made me shudder.
A story that engaged me from the off, with brilliant strong, female characters and a book that I am pretty sure I could read again and see things I missed the first read round.
Young Ivy Jacob finds herself pregnant and runs away to The Community, where her daughter is raised.
Mia rebels against the strict rules and falls in love with the magic of reading….
It’s a book that I thought I had the measure of, and then it went somewhere entirely leftfield!
A book about women, their struggles against the patriarchy, about agency and autonomy. The parallels in the book between what is happening now in parts of America with the overturning of Roe vs Wade and the treatment of women throughout history and in the present in The Community are evident and made me shudder.
A story that engaged me from the off, with brilliant strong, female characters and a book that I am pretty sure I could read again and see things I missed the first read round.
Brilliant. Fast paced, multi media style narrative focused on the disappearance of celebrity Melanie Lange. It’s often an uncomfortable read in terms of media intrusion and the toxicity of social media, but it’s thought provoking and highlights issues that are relevant to the celeb focused society we’re a part of. Zoomed through this, it’s wonderfully moreish and had me up way in to the wee hours!
An unusual read that was not what I was expecting at all!!
Tara, an Irish piano teacher, accepts a position for the housekeeper to William, an aging pianist whose illness prevents him from playing as he used to. But they’ve met before, and William doesn’t remember.
I don’t want to say anything that spoils it, but this is beautifully written Irish fiction. A touch of folklore (ish…..you’ll see what I mean!) and a sublime use of language.
Tara, an Irish piano teacher, accepts a position for the housekeeper to William, an aging pianist whose illness prevents him from playing as he used to. But they’ve met before, and William doesn’t remember.
I don’t want to say anything that spoils it, but this is beautifully written Irish fiction. A touch of folklore (ish…..you’ll see what I mean!) and a sublime use of language.
A really enjoyable historical fiction turned mystery centred around the unsettling Hedone House. A home for those suffering with tuberculosis, Agnes at first thinks her new marriage to its doctor will lead to her mother’s cure, along with happiness for herself. But things are not quite as they seem. I raced through this, an unusual summer holiday read - easy to read but with depth and completely at odds with summer with its gothic undertones, but highly recommended nonetheless!
I have to admit that I wasn't sure about this when I started it, and if it weren't a book club book I'm not sure how much I would have stuck with it - however, I'm pleased that I did! Thanks to my disorganised approach to life, I gave myself 24 hours to read this, and so switched between the paperback and audio versions.
It's a heartbreaking read about families living in the barracks in Trinidad in the 1940s. It's often a tough read, racism, classism, violence and trauma are prominent throughout. But it's eye opening and a story that did get beneath my skin, although it is definitely not an easy read in any sense of the word.
Events begin with the disappearance of Mr Changoor, a local, wealthy man. His wife, Marlee makes an unrefusable offer to Hans to act as a watchman to protect her in his absence. Set on using the money to create a better life for his wife, Shweta and son Krishna, he accepts. Surrounding the present day is the crushing trauma of the past from all involved which colours events as they unroll.
Excellent literary historical fiction.
It's a heartbreaking read about families living in the barracks in Trinidad in the 1940s. It's often a tough read, racism, classism, violence and trauma are prominent throughout. But it's eye opening and a story that did get beneath my skin, although it is definitely not an easy read in any sense of the word.
Events begin with the disappearance of Mr Changoor, a local, wealthy man. His wife, Marlee makes an unrefusable offer to Hans to act as a watchman to protect her in his absence. Set on using the money to create a better life for his wife, Shweta and son Krishna, he accepts. Surrounding the present day is the crushing trauma of the past from all involved which colours events as they unroll.
Excellent literary historical fiction.
Crime mystery writer Eleanor Dash is on a book tour in Italy when she herself becomes part of a murder mystery. With the group assembled having a checkered, interweaving past, as various attempts are made to murder members of the group. A vibrant blend of mystery, romance and comedy which equals a thoroughly entertaining read.
I thought that at the age of 40 I was beyond crushes on fictional characters, but it seems not!
I loved everything about The Ministry of Time. The characters, the concept, the genre hopping plot that kept things constantly interesting on the best possible way. I’m a sucker for time travel tales anyway, but this basically parcelled up everything I like and sent it straight to my doorstep.
I’m now grieving its end and have spent the afternoon trying to find out if there’ll be more!!
I loved everything about The Ministry of Time. The characters, the concept, the genre hopping plot that kept things constantly interesting on the best possible way. I’m a sucker for time travel tales anyway, but this basically parcelled up everything I like and sent it straight to my doorstep.
I’m now grieving its end and have spent the afternoon trying to find out if there’ll be more!!
I absolutely loved this book. A taboo subject, but one that needs to be talked about - the expectations placed on mothers.
Bea is Mum to toddler, Mabel. But when she falls pregnant a second time she’s left to examine just how motherhood has changed who she is and she’s forced to consider what she needs and wants from life.
As a Mum blogger, she writes her inner most feelings concerning her daughter, but the blog inadvertently gets posted and leaves her emotionally bare to everyone around her, and the general public.
An absolutely brilliant read, with so much to pick apart and discuss; women’s rights, motherhood, womanhood, social media, relationships and societal gender roles. This should be a gift for all new Mums (and some older ones too!)
Bea is Mum to toddler, Mabel. But when she falls pregnant a second time she’s left to examine just how motherhood has changed who she is and she’s forced to consider what she needs and wants from life.
As a Mum blogger, she writes her inner most feelings concerning her daughter, but the blog inadvertently gets posted and leaves her emotionally bare to everyone around her, and the general public.
An absolutely brilliant read, with so much to pick apart and discuss; women’s rights, motherhood, womanhood, social media, relationships and societal gender roles. This should be a gift for all new Mums (and some older ones too!)
What I thought was going to be a freaky weird read about an animatronic sex doll, actually a beautifully written book about the impact of trauma and the ways in which we as humans cope.
When Dolores discovers a sex doll hidden in the garage belonging to her husband, David it begins a path of self realisation.
I went in intrigued by the premise and while it wasn’t what I expected, it was actually so much more. I was engaged almost straight away and kept turning those pages long into the wee hours!
When Dolores discovers a sex doll hidden in the garage belonging to her husband, David it begins a path of self realisation.
I went in intrigued by the premise and while it wasn’t what I expected, it was actually so much more. I was engaged almost straight away and kept turning those pages long into the wee hours!
I really wanted to love this book, and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite reach me as I thought it would. For me, as someone who doesn’t have an especially scientific mind, I did feel a bit bamboozled by a lot of the science talk, which I think did prevent me from connecting with the Rosalind. I did however end the book feeling that she suffered a huge injustice and she deserved so much more from life.