3.5 stars

Holy smokes - this book is bonkers, but in the best way. It’s like if you put an Agatha Christie mystery and an episode of Black Mirror into a blender - out would come this fantastic story. Turton has created quite the gem.

The writing in this book is brilliant, complex and incredibly detailed. It hurt my brain trying to keep all of the threads straight as the mystery slowly unravelled. So my brain may be broken, but it was worth it.

Right from the first page the narrative threw me off, leaving me unbalanced and uneasy. And that continued throughout the story as the protagonist struggled through his investigation. I felt as in the dark as he was, trying to put all the clues together. It’s fair to say that this made me emotionally invested in the outcome rather quickly.

And then there’s the ending. Oh boy, it just screams Black Mirror and I loved it. It left me with a tonne of questions; I find myself still thinking about it days after finishing the book. I definitely recommend you give it a whirl.

Taylor Jenkins Reid first blew me away with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so is it really a surprise that she’s gone and done it again? I adored this book.

The Six are a fictional 70’s rock band, although at times you start to wonder if they actually did exist. The story is written like non-fiction, with the author interviewing each member of the band and those close to them. It’s such a unique format, and felt quite real at times.

It’s amazing how a simple interview can create this vibrant story with complex, layered characters. Jenkins Reid truly has a gift for bringing characters to life - Daisy Jones will definitely stick with me (just as Evelyn Hugo did).

It’s a rough and gritty story; it doesn’t sugar coat the darker side of rock and roll in that era. ‘Sex, drugs and rock and roll’ pretty much sums it up. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I think it’s worth reading all the more because of it. And whenever I put the book down, I would think to myself, ‘this would make an amazing movie’. Fingers crossed.

The Book of Wonders by Julien Sandrel has finally been translated into English, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read it. Thank you Quercus, for a copy of this book!

I want to give this book ALL the stars! I loved it. It is pretty much a bucket list book, and reminded me a bit of 100 days of Happiness by Fausto Brizzi.

The story itself is pretty heartbreaking; Thelma is a single mother to 12 year old Louis. She’s a workaholic and their relationship is strained. One morning, he’s hit by a car and ends up in a coma. While he’s in the hospital, Thelma finds one of his notebooks. In it is basically his bucket list - his wonders. She decides to fulfill every item, with the hope that if she does them all, he will wake up.

This story is firmly focused on the characters. The world building in the beginning is minimal, instead focusing on what is going on in Thelma’s head. But, as she starts traveling and fulfilling Louis’ wonders, the setting becomes more of a focus. It’s like a picture in black and white that slowly turns to colour, and it seemed to coincide with Thelma’s personal awakening. It was a beautiful way to write the book.

And then there’s the ending. It’s a little ambiguous, with some hope thrown in for good measure. It left me thinking about the story for quite a while afterwards. Perfect. Is this going to eventually be a movie? Because I really hope so!

This was a reread, but it has been ages since I last picked it up - at least 20 years! I was in high school when I discovered that The Princess Bride was a book before it was a movie. I adore the movie, so when I saw this on the shelves at Chapters (way back then) I had to have it.

Goldman wrote the book in a very unique way - as if it were an established, literary classic that he was updating for the modern reader. The asides in the text from his POV are hilarious and keep the pace moving really well. Apparently the idea came to him while telling bedtime stories to his daughters - it’s inspired. This story is a fairytale that will certainly enchant people for decades to come (as it has already).

My favourite part is definitely the characters - they are all so quirky and unique. Although to be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Buttercup - she is very self-absorbed. It made me wonder what Westley ever saw in her!

Anyways, the point I’m trying to make is: don’t just watch the movie. Read the book too. You will not regret it.