“Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you.”

This is what I was missing from Emily Henry, a story full of emotion, hardships and an adorable small town.

We follow Nora, a full on city girl, going on vacation with her younger sister Libby in Sunshine Falls, a small town in North Caroline. The only issue is, Nora's work nemesis, Charlie, is also in this town. 

I will be honest, it did not feel like a true enemy to lovers, but that did not by any means make the book any less interesting. In fact, I feel it made the romance feel more grounded and real. I loved the main characters chemistry and how they complemented each other. 
All that said, I think my favourite topic in this book was the relationship between Nora and her sister. heir bond, the way they carry each other through pain, change, and uncertainty. There’s so much love and complexity in their connection, and that emotional depth is something Emily Henry does so well. 

Can't recommend this one enough, and I will be jumping to her other books straight away! 💛

The Eyes are the Best Part is my first more gory story. I was not sure what to expect but while I was not quite surprised or amazed by it, I was not disappointed either. 
The story was interesting enough, quick, easy to digest and I actually read it in basically one day. That being said, it also didn't make me feel much for the characters, except maybe the sister of the main character, she deserved much better. I didn't particularly like the main character, or care much for her. 
Unfortunately I also felt the more interesting moments (like the dreams or the more messed up scenes) didn't get the attention they deserved and were cut short. 
All in all, it was a fun, messed up read. I'll be interested in checking more from this author! 
Trigger warnings: cannibalism, stalking, infidelity, sexism, racism. 

 I am afraid this one got me a bit in a reading slump :/ (or maybe I should blame my other hobbies) 😅

You and Me on Vacation (or People We Meet on Vacation) follows Poppy and Alex, two very different people who’ve been best friends for over a decade. I really liked the concept, a cute summer romance built on years of friendship, but it left me wanting a little more.

I picked this up right after Beach Read, which had so much emotional depth and heaviness balanced with charm, and I guess I was hoping for a similar punch. This one leaned more lighthearted, which is totally fine! It just didn’t hit quite as hard for me.

Still, it was a fun read and Emily Henry’s writing is always a comfort. I’m excited to keep going through her books 💛 

Wow. I’m honestly a bit out of words right now. This was so much better than I ever imagined, and it’s only my first Emily Henry book!

We follow January and Gus, both writers struggling with writer’s block, as they rent neighbouring houses by a beautiful lake beach (nice play with the title "Beach Read"). They couldn’t be more different, she writes romance, he writes literary fiction, but they strike up a challenge to swap genres and teach each other how to write again.

The plot sounds like your classic rom-com setup, but it ends up going so much deeper than that. Emily doesn’t just write about characters falling in love, she writes their grief, their trauma, their messy healing, and their quiet, silly moments too. And the way she balances all the heavy moments with the silly ones is truly magical.

This is easily one of the best romance books I’ve ever read, and I just know Emily Henry is about to become one of my favourite authors.

P.S. I’m so glad I impulse-bought all her books last month. No regrets ❤️

<b>"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."</b>

Animal Farm is a brilliant political allegory that critiques systems claiming equality while keeping power in the hands of a select few. It starts with a revolution, animals rising up in hopes of a better life and creating the principles of "Animalism." But by the end, everything comes full circle. Same oppression, just with different faces in charge.

Orwell cleverly uses animals to show how humans manipulate, twist narratives, and justify their dominance... all to build and maintain a totalitarian regime. Such a simple and strong message! I recommend this book to everyone 🐷

 Kingfisher never disappoints with her witty and sarcastic characters. In this one, we follow Kara (aka Carrot) and her friend Simon as they stumble upon a strange corridor hidden behind a hole in the Wonder Museum. What could go wrong?

In true Lovecraftian fashion, the story leads us on a weird, unsettling journey through a strange new world (universe?) full of willows and beings only referred to as “They.” It’s not really scary, but it’s eerie in the best way possible. I loved that so many things were left unexplained. In H.P. Lovecraft's words: “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”

Definitely recommend this one, it’s a creepy and easy read that lingers with you. 

 Cujo is so much more than just a tragic tale of a dog, it’s a trajic story of two families falling apart in very different ways. A marriage in shambles after an affair. A woman stuck with an abusive, controlling husband. And a good boy who just happened to get rabies. 

I went into this book just expecting a big focus on Cujo, but all these dynamics in Castle Rock made the book just as terrifying to me. This is, in my opinion, what King does best, quietly building a whole town full of messy lives and layered relationships, and then showing just how fast everything can fall apart.

In the end, Cujo was always a good boy 💔 he was just hit with something far beyond his control. 

Of Mice and Men had more emotional impact than I expected. It’s a story about friendship and dreams; and the heartbreaking limits of both.

We follow two friends, George and Lennie, two migrant workers trying to get by during the Great Depression. Lennie has a pure heart, but also a mental handicap that causes him to accidentally hurt others without meaning to. George looks out for him, and together they travel from town to town with the dream of owning their own land and raising rabbits. But this dream is painfully out of reach, especially for the working class in that time.

It’s yet another sad story (especially that ending…), but it also shines a light on how harsh certain periods in history were; especially for people with disabilities, or for those who were simply different.

<b>"Sometimes there is absolutely no difference at all between salvation and damnation."</b>

I don’t think I was emotionally prepared for this story. And as I sit here writing this review, I am struggling to find the right words. 
The Green Mile follows Paul Edgecomb, a death row supervisor, and John Coffey, a gentle giant, condemned to the death penalty. King wrote this in a collection of 6 short stories, and each of them starts with Paul in Georgia Pines nursing home writing his story and his time as a block supervisor of the Cold Mountain Penitentiary.

It is a heartbreaking story, but also one with such important messages that I will always hold with me. It strongly criticised the American justice system and its use of capital punishment. It shows how racism and prejudice can lead to innocent people being wrongly convicted and punished in irreversible ways. But what stayed with me the most was the emotional connection between the guards and the prisoners. Even in a place like the death row, there was friendship and empathy, and I think their connection was what made this book more painful at the end.

The Green Mile wrecked me, but it also showed me how in the hardest, most cruellest moments, there is room for hope and kindness. And how forgiveness, of others and yourself, is one of the most important things. Now it's time to go watch the movie and cry some more 🤍

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is such an incredible classic. I applaud Robert Stevenson for using the line “If he shall be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek”. Was not expecting this book to make me laugh. 

I had read this many years ago and remembered it being creepy and unsettling... but reading it as an adult? It’s truly disturbing in the best way. It’s a beautifully written and horrifying story about the duality of man, how we present one version of ourselves to the world, and keep another hidden away. It really shows how important balance is when it comes to indulging our desires, because if we lose that balance... we risk getting lost in them completely.

The writing can be a bit tough to follow at times (the English is a bit old-school), but it’s short and smart. I’ll be recommending this one to everyone.