stuckinthebook's Reviews (248)

Why Did I Read This Book?
I read this book back in January after promising to myself that I’d start reading and blogging again like I used to. So this book was my first book of 2020! I looked for inspiration for my reading list and I came across The Whisper Man in the Richard & Judy Book Club at WH Smith. Now if you know me, you know how much I love the Gothic and Horror genres, so this thriller and it’s supernatural overtones was just what I needed to kick start my year and passion.

What Did I Think?
What I enjoyed the most about this book was that it is such a fast-paced and easy read. As events transpire through the book, the short chapters make you feel so uneasy and before you know it, you’re halfway through the book.

The characters’ backstories all intertwine with each other’s, filling this book with twists and turns to keep any reader on the edge of their seat. What made this really interesting is that you have a narrative from the Whisper Man himself before and after his attacks, adding a really intriguing view on how this serial killer works and why he preys on the vulnerable and desolate within the neighborhood. The honest and moving experiences of the characters make this read as upsetting as it is terrifying. And with Alex North’s background in philosophy and sociology, there’s no wonder the narratives of these characters are extremely realistic.

The Whisper Man really is a chilling read and one that will play on your mind for days after, as well as making you think twice about leaving your bedroom door open at night.

Why Did I Read This Book?
I am a huge fan of Khaled Hosseini’s novels and have been ever since reading The Kite Runner during college. The imagery he creates with his honest and heartbreaking depictions of Kabul and Afghanistan during the reign of both Soviet Russia and the Taliban is enough to shock any reader to their core. Yet his writing has inspired me to read more on this particular topic. I have wanted to read The Little Coffeeshop of Kabul for some time now, and it was definitely worth the wait.

What Did I Think?
Having grown accustomed to nothing being sacred or long-lasting in a Khaled Hosseini novel, I was expecting everything to go wrong. However, this book is so different from what I thought it would be. It focuses on relationships and how everyday life was affected by both political and religious restrictions.

The book features multiple protagonists and there are some very raw and harrowing moments in each of their stories that prove the true hardship in living your life with various constrictions imposed by war and religion.

However, what is so touching about this novel is that love always prevails, making this more a story about love rather than destruction.

Alike Hosseini, Deborah Rodriguez writes so beautifully about Kabul, making you feel like you are right there with her.

Why Did I Read This Book?
I wouldn’t say that fantasy is usually a genre that I tend to read. In the past I have steered away from them as I have only ever come across cheesy, trying to be Lord of the Rings / Game of Thrones types. You know what I mean. However I picked this as it was ‘Bestselling’ on my Kindle app and ok, I’ll admit, it has a beautiful front cover (don’t judge!).

What Did I Think?
I think Bridget Collins encapsulates escapist fiction in one of the most unique and inspiring ways. The whole concept of the novel is that people’s memories are removed from their recollection and bound into a book. It helps those forget traumatic and unbearable memories, but as the popularity of binding grows, it also allows the rich and powerful in society to forget their crimes and hide their sins through enforcing silence in others.

What makes this read so encapsulating is that every detail is so exact and authentic. There are multiple themes running through this novel, yet at the heart lies a love story between two people who society prevents from being together. It reminds me very much of a Victorian society in which everyone had their little dirty secrets that they hide from everybody, as well as themselves.

So if you’re thinking of delving into a parable that illustrates the necessity of living with your mistakes, or in fact, like me, you’re interested in reading some other genres, I cannot recommend The Binding enough.

Why Did I Read This Book?
Named as the ‘literary phenomenon of the decade’ and deemed as a ‘future classic’, why in the world have I only just got round to reading Sally Rooney’s Normal People? I always tend to steer away from romantic novels and I have to admit that this book had never really excited me. That was until I saw an article on how Sally Rooney became the youngest novelist to be nominated in the Best Novel Category at the Costa Awards. So I thought it was time to see what all of the hype was about.

What Did I Think?
What I love the most about this book is the portrayal of relationships in the modern-day. There were times when I could completely relate to the events and thoughts of the two protagonists, Marriane and Connell. Perhaps that’s because I’ve had the pleasure (or not) of dating during the surge of social media and ‘casual’ relationships.

The heartbreaking and honest depiction of being young and in love reassures you as the reader that what you went through when you were in high school and college was common amongst nearly everyone. Some of the relationships that both Marianne and Connell go through, not just romantically but with family and friendships, are far from perfect and it’s so fascinating to go along their journey to happiness with them.

What was truly upsetting to me was that both characters go through moments where they are struggling with where they are in life. That they feel they should have ‘normal’ lives as everyone else does. They should have a good job. A loving relationship. A house. Maybe even a family. But because they are far from achieving any of these, they feel disconnected from their friends and society. And that’s what makes this book so genuine because you know what Sally Rooney is talking about. You know you’ve had those moments where you’ve compared your life to others and perhaps thought that yours was as far from ‘typical’.

Yet that’s what’s so magical about this elegant love story. Two people finding happiness when everything else seems lost. I hope that Sally Rooney never stops writing novels like this, and it’s safe to say that her debut book, Conversations With Friends, has earned itself a top spot on my reading list.

Why Did I Read This Book?
As I’ve probably mentioned before, the Gothic genre has to be one of my favourite genres. So much so, I even did my dissertation on Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I could curl up with a late 19th Century Gothic any day given the chance. So when I read the reviews of The Confessions of Frannie Langton and the words ‘Gothic’, ‘terror’ and ‘horror’ were reappearing, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy.

What Did I Think?
The story follows a Jamaican slave who is brought to Georgian England and ‘gifted’ by her owner to his friend. She is accused of murdering her new master and mistress, George and Marguerite Benham and through Collins we are able to hear Frannie’s story, from beginning to end.

Gothic elements run through the novel, with Frannie assisting her master with horrific human experiments. From this terrifying experience however, Frannie learns how to read and write. Through Frannie’s written account, the novel seamlessly gives voice to a female minority in a society that would have typically silenced her.

Jane Eyre ‘tones’ echo throughout its pages, as Frannie is a powerless child brought up horribly in a terrible place. Yet, Frannie finds empowerment through books and reading which ultimately separates her from other slaves, including the white servants.

There is an impressive variety of themes at play, including race, gender, class, sexuality, depression, science, education, drug misuse and the psychological effects of servitude. All of which, Collins encapsulates in their entirety.

Upon finishing the book, I listened to a podcast in which Sara Collins discussed her novel and what I didn’t realise is that she was a lawyer before she embarked on her creative writing masters at Cambridge University. This may be why this Gothic novel begins at the Old Bailey. She goes on to say that she didn’t want this to be just another slave narrative that dehumanises the protagonist. Which couldn’t be more true.

Frannie has this fire in her that differentiates her narrative to other historical fiction I have read. Her determination to be more than what society allows is truly admirable. Her story makes me question if Frannie is so strong-witted because Collins felt so passionately about allowing this character to come to life through the pages.

Perhaps the only thing I can criticise about this novel is that it was slightly longer than it needed to be, yet if you prevail, the rewards are invaluable...and you’ll get a beautiful book sitting on your bookshelf too!