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stuckinthebook's Reviews (248)
Great story filled with such great characters, all equally as shady as they are entertaining. A true masterpiece!
The more I read memoir books, the more I fall in love with that genre. I really enjoy sitting down with a cup of tea and letting these wonderful human beings tell me their life story.
All Boys Aren’t Blue is written by journalist and activist George M. Johnson and from the very start of the book, I was hooked. For me, I could really hear George’s voice whilst I was reading, and therefore I flew through this book in a matter of days. I was obsessed. The book, and especially his story, was playing on my mind all the time and I just couldn’t wait to pick the book back up again and pick up where I had left off.
I think George is an incredibly strong character and I honestly think the way that members of the LGBTQIA+ community deal with the constant abuse and awful comments, makes me put these people of a pedestal. They are true heroes in my opinion, and I think they are so strong and determined to go about their daily life, knowing they will inevitably receive some homophobic backlash for their actions, with their head held high. Honestly, I salute each and every one of you.
What I loved about George’s story is his family. George grew up in a brilliantly big family and one in which he was incredibly loved by everyone around him, especially his grandma. His grandma was an exceptional woman, and I can imagine her as this big woman who made THE best food and gave THE best hugs. Those kind of hugs that make everything OK in the world again. I’m so glad that George had this experience of being part of a loving family, as its often very different in the other queer lit I have read.
It is interesting that even though George knew he had feelings for men, he never really openly admitted to other people that he was gay. He had great difficulty in confiding in those around him, even though his friends and family were quick to realise. George speaks a lot about love in his touching memoir, especially raising the point that if there wasn’t such a stigma and fear attached to ‘coming out’, then maybe relationships and experiences could have been very different for George.
George also discusses race and the teaching of history in education. He talks very honestly about his experiences during school, and how the school curriculum in primary school very much focused on how great American history was and held men such as Abraham Lincoln on a pedestal. Even George himself was obsessed with these historical figures. Yet as his education developed and he began to learn less about African American History, he began questioning his teachers on what they were teaching. One poignant moment for me was when his teacher during secondary school claimed that slavery was ‘of its time’ and admitted that he would have probably had slaves back in those days. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, and I was as gobsmacked as George and his classmates probably were when it was said.
So one important lesson to take from this book, which seems very topical following the #BlackLivesMatter protests taking place all over the world right now, is that the best way to fight oppression is to be educated. I’m a firm believer that reading is power, and therefore to fight oppression, we need to educate ourselves on the facts, figures and experiences of people different to ourselves. We need to take the time to learn about different cultures, countries, laws and religions, so when we come up against people who are too quick to spout their racist, bigamist, and homophobic crap, we have all the power and tools we need to prove them wrong.
All Boys Aren’t Blue is written by journalist and activist George M. Johnson and from the very start of the book, I was hooked. For me, I could really hear George’s voice whilst I was reading, and therefore I flew through this book in a matter of days. I was obsessed. The book, and especially his story, was playing on my mind all the time and I just couldn’t wait to pick the book back up again and pick up where I had left off.
I think George is an incredibly strong character and I honestly think the way that members of the LGBTQIA+ community deal with the constant abuse and awful comments, makes me put these people of a pedestal. They are true heroes in my opinion, and I think they are so strong and determined to go about their daily life, knowing they will inevitably receive some homophobic backlash for their actions, with their head held high. Honestly, I salute each and every one of you.
What I loved about George’s story is his family. George grew up in a brilliantly big family and one in which he was incredibly loved by everyone around him, especially his grandma. His grandma was an exceptional woman, and I can imagine her as this big woman who made THE best food and gave THE best hugs. Those kind of hugs that make everything OK in the world again. I’m so glad that George had this experience of being part of a loving family, as its often very different in the other queer lit I have read.
It is interesting that even though George knew he had feelings for men, he never really openly admitted to other people that he was gay. He had great difficulty in confiding in those around him, even though his friends and family were quick to realise. George speaks a lot about love in his touching memoir, especially raising the point that if there wasn’t such a stigma and fear attached to ‘coming out’, then maybe relationships and experiences could have been very different for George.
George also discusses race and the teaching of history in education. He talks very honestly about his experiences during school, and how the school curriculum in primary school very much focused on how great American history was and held men such as Abraham Lincoln on a pedestal. Even George himself was obsessed with these historical figures. Yet as his education developed and he began to learn less about African American History, he began questioning his teachers on what they were teaching. One poignant moment for me was when his teacher during secondary school claimed that slavery was ‘of its time’ and admitted that he would have probably had slaves back in those days. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, and I was as gobsmacked as George and his classmates probably were when it was said.
So one important lesson to take from this book, which seems very topical following the #BlackLivesMatter protests taking place all over the world right now, is that the best way to fight oppression is to be educated. I’m a firm believer that reading is power, and therefore to fight oppression, we need to educate ourselves on the facts, figures and experiences of people different to ourselves. We need to take the time to learn about different cultures, countries, laws and religions, so when we come up against people who are too quick to spout their racist, bigamist, and homophobic crap, we have all the power and tools we need to prove them wrong.
This book was nominated for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction award and ever since it’s been one I’ve wanted to tick off my TBR list. However, I was always put off because I had read very mixed reviews about the book and I was unsure whether I’d enjoy it or not. And who wants to read books they don’t enjoy when there are so many great books out there?
Dominicana follows the story of fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion, who marries a man much older than her and as a consequence, moves to New York City. So she becomes Ana Ruiz, a wife confined to a cold six-floor walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable, the pregnant Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But with her husband returning to the Dominican Republic as it slides into political turmoil and a difficult relationship forming with her husband’s brother Cesar, Ana must choose between following her heart or her family duty.
I really did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I found the story compelling and I was really invested in Ana and her story, even though her decisions were questionable at times. I found it hard to remember that Ana was only a teenager when she married the much older Juan Ruiz but once you remember that she is only a baby herself really, you can begin to understand the reasons behind her decisions. For me, Dominicana was the perfect blend of an immigrant and coming-of-age story and I think the way Angie Cruz blended the both makes it a story that will stay with me forever.
As the story is written in such a descriptive and mesmerising way, you can really imagine Ana and her situation. For me, I could picture the little flat she was staying in. I could imagine how the street below her looked and I could definitely envisage what all the other characters looked like too, especially Ana’s mother, Juan and Cesar. I felt so sorry for Ana, being taken from her home and everything she knew and placed in a strange and scary flat in the middle of New York. I also loved reading about the political events happening at the time in the Dominican Republic as that is a part of history I have never learned about, so reading about it and the effects it had on its citizens was incredibly moving.
I would definitely recommend Dominicana and I can definitely understand why it was nominated for the Women’s Prize. For me, Ana is a character who I would love to meet in real life and just sit and talk with her, as I found her such an incredible force of nature to be reckoned with.
READ THIS IF :
Dominicana follows the story of fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion, who marries a man much older than her and as a consequence, moves to New York City. So she becomes Ana Ruiz, a wife confined to a cold six-floor walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable, the pregnant Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But with her husband returning to the Dominican Republic as it slides into political turmoil and a difficult relationship forming with her husband’s brother Cesar, Ana must choose between following her heart or her family duty.
I really did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I found the story compelling and I was really invested in Ana and her story, even though her decisions were questionable at times. I found it hard to remember that Ana was only a teenager when she married the much older Juan Ruiz but once you remember that she is only a baby herself really, you can begin to understand the reasons behind her decisions. For me, Dominicana was the perfect blend of an immigrant and coming-of-age story and I think the way Angie Cruz blended the both makes it a story that will stay with me forever.
As the story is written in such a descriptive and mesmerising way, you can really imagine Ana and her situation. For me, I could picture the little flat she was staying in. I could imagine how the street below her looked and I could definitely envisage what all the other characters looked like too, especially Ana’s mother, Juan and Cesar. I felt so sorry for Ana, being taken from her home and everything she knew and placed in a strange and scary flat in the middle of New York. I also loved reading about the political events happening at the time in the Dominican Republic as that is a part of history I have never learned about, so reading about it and the effects it had on its citizens was incredibly moving.
I would definitely recommend Dominicana and I can definitely understand why it was nominated for the Women’s Prize. For me, Ana is a character who I would love to meet in real life and just sit and talk with her, as I found her such an incredible force of nature to be reckoned with.
READ THIS IF :
I read Shuggie Bain with my local book club and our discussion the other evening was probably one of our best discussions yet. I’ve wanted to read this book ever since it was awarded the 2020 Booker Prize but I was uncertain whether I’d actually enjoy it or find it too much of a difficult read. So I’m glad that through the book club, I was able to finally sink my teeth into it.
Hugh ‘Shuggie’ Bain is a sweet child who spends his childhood being brought up on a run-down public housing estate in Glasgow, Scotland. Margaret Thatcher's policies have put husbands and sons out of work, and the city's notorious drugs epidemic is waiting in the wings. Shuggie's mother Agnes means to do well, to be a good mother, to have a house with its own front door but unfortunately, she increasingly finds solace in drink, and she drains away the little money they have on cans of extra-strong lager, which she then hides in handbags or pours into tea mugs. With no father, grandparents or older siblings around, Shuggie is left to take care of his mother on his own but as a young boy, he too has his struggles with becoming the ‘normal’ boy that he desperately longs to be. The story follows Agnes’ addiction journey and Shuggie’s heartbreaking reality of 20th century poverty.
Let me begin by saying that Shuggie Bain was just as bleak (if not more) than I thought it would be and comes with a lot of trigger warnings regarding alcoholism, drug use, addiction, neglect and abuse; to name a few!
I think the main thing that stood out to me was how so many of the characters were heartbreakingly let down in this novel. Agnes was let down by her parents, her second husband and the men around her. Shuggie was also let down by his parents and basically every adult around him, as were his brothers and sister who thankfully got out whilst they could. The whole community was let down by the Government, given just £38 a week to live on. With no job and no hope of having anything better, I’m not entirely surprised that alcohol and drugs were the only way for these people to get through every day. It's an unbelievably bleak reality, yet I guess what’s even more heartbreaking is that this narrative is very similar to the generation that lived through the late 1970s/1980s and even more shockingly, those communities that are living in poverty today.
As the reader, you spend chapter to chapter hoping and praying from the bottom of your heart that that things will turn out good; that Agnes won’t choose drink, that Shuggie will be able to go to school and not have to worry about coming home to a drunk mother but, in line with the theme of this book, you as a reader are let down too. There were actually moments in this book where I completely forgot how young Shuggie was, which is perhaps not only because of his educated way of speaking but also in part due to the fact that he needed to grow up so quickly because of what he had been privy to.
There are SO many topics of discussion you could have with this book which we as a book club fully took advantage of and I guess that is what makes this book so great. You can take each individual character, even the less prominent ones, and dissect their personality, discussing all the reasons why they did what they did. In the end, my heart broke for nearly every character in some way and left me with a lot of questions about how as a country, we allow public housing estates like the one Shuggie and his mother lived on, to just fester in a bleak world of poverty, crime and addiction.
READ THIS IF :
Hugh ‘Shuggie’ Bain is a sweet child who spends his childhood being brought up on a run-down public housing estate in Glasgow, Scotland. Margaret Thatcher's policies have put husbands and sons out of work, and the city's notorious drugs epidemic is waiting in the wings. Shuggie's mother Agnes means to do well, to be a good mother, to have a house with its own front door but unfortunately, she increasingly finds solace in drink, and she drains away the little money they have on cans of extra-strong lager, which she then hides in handbags or pours into tea mugs. With no father, grandparents or older siblings around, Shuggie is left to take care of his mother on his own but as a young boy, he too has his struggles with becoming the ‘normal’ boy that he desperately longs to be. The story follows Agnes’ addiction journey and Shuggie’s heartbreaking reality of 20th century poverty.
Let me begin by saying that Shuggie Bain was just as bleak (if not more) than I thought it would be and comes with a lot of trigger warnings regarding alcoholism, drug use, addiction, neglect and abuse; to name a few!
I think the main thing that stood out to me was how so many of the characters were heartbreakingly let down in this novel. Agnes was let down by her parents, her second husband and the men around her. Shuggie was also let down by his parents and basically every adult around him, as were his brothers and sister who thankfully got out whilst they could. The whole community was let down by the Government, given just £38 a week to live on. With no job and no hope of having anything better, I’m not entirely surprised that alcohol and drugs were the only way for these people to get through every day. It's an unbelievably bleak reality, yet I guess what’s even more heartbreaking is that this narrative is very similar to the generation that lived through the late 1970s/1980s and even more shockingly, those communities that are living in poverty today.
As the reader, you spend chapter to chapter hoping and praying from the bottom of your heart that that things will turn out good; that Agnes won’t choose drink, that Shuggie will be able to go to school and not have to worry about coming home to a drunk mother but, in line with the theme of this book, you as a reader are let down too. There were actually moments in this book where I completely forgot how young Shuggie was, which is perhaps not only because of his educated way of speaking but also in part due to the fact that he needed to grow up so quickly because of what he had been privy to.
There are SO many topics of discussion you could have with this book which we as a book club fully took advantage of and I guess that is what makes this book so great. You can take each individual character, even the less prominent ones, and dissect their personality, discussing all the reasons why they did what they did. In the end, my heart broke for nearly every character in some way and left me with a lot of questions about how as a country, we allow public housing estates like the one Shuggie and his mother lived on, to just fester in a bleak world of poverty, crime and addiction.
READ THIS IF :
Since reading her other novels (Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) last year, Taylor Jenkins Reid has quite quickly become one of my favourite authors and therefore when her next novel, Malibu Rising was published, I had to get my hands on a copy and read it straight away!
Malibu Rising follows the events of one unforgettable night; Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party. The Riva family are like the Kardashians of 1983 and everyone in Malibu is hoping they are lucky enough to get an invite to the hottest event in town. Yet like all families, the Riva family have their dramas and their secrets. By midnight, the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped the Riva’s family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface. Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them and what they will leave behind.
Let me begin by saying that I personally thought this book fell a little flat in comparison to Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Yet I would also say, I know that a little unfair to Taylor Jenkins Reid because in fact Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo are, in my opinion, very different to the typical books that Jenkins Reid writes. I think Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo are very unique, standalone books that are not your typical romance fiction.
I did find it hard to not compare Malibu Rising to Jenkins Reid’s other work but in order to write a fair review, I have to focus on the bits of the story I did like. I really enjoyed how the book jumped around different timeframes and different narrators because I think as a reader, you get the whole story rather than perhaps a biased telling of events. I found elements of the story truly heart-breaking and in true Jenkins Reid style, the book did explore difficult topics which was really refreshing to read.
Yet I did struggle to form a connection with the characters, finding Nina, especially, quite bland and hard to understand. I think the other characters were much more developed and interesting to read, even the odd, supporting characters who attended the party. Obviously, that is just my personal opinion but I do believe that it was because of this lack of connection with the characters that led me not to enjoy the book as much as I thought I would.
However I wouldn’t say that this book has put me off reading her other books, as I would say that it’s made me want to read her other novels even more so I can start comparing any new work to all of Jenkins Reid’s books and not just her most popular, unique novels.
READ THIS IF :
Malibu Rising follows the events of one unforgettable night; Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party. The Riva family are like the Kardashians of 1983 and everyone in Malibu is hoping they are lucky enough to get an invite to the hottest event in town. Yet like all families, the Riva family have their dramas and their secrets. By midnight, the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped the Riva’s family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface. Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them and what they will leave behind.
Let me begin by saying that I personally thought this book fell a little flat in comparison to Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Yet I would also say, I know that a little unfair to Taylor Jenkins Reid because in fact Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo are, in my opinion, very different to the typical books that Jenkins Reid writes. I think Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo are very unique, standalone books that are not your typical romance fiction.
I did find it hard to not compare Malibu Rising to Jenkins Reid’s other work but in order to write a fair review, I have to focus on the bits of the story I did like. I really enjoyed how the book jumped around different timeframes and different narrators because I think as a reader, you get the whole story rather than perhaps a biased telling of events. I found elements of the story truly heart-breaking and in true Jenkins Reid style, the book did explore difficult topics which was really refreshing to read.
Yet I did struggle to form a connection with the characters, finding Nina, especially, quite bland and hard to understand. I think the other characters were much more developed and interesting to read, even the odd, supporting characters who attended the party. Obviously, that is just my personal opinion but I do believe that it was because of this lack of connection with the characters that led me not to enjoy the book as much as I thought I would.
However I wouldn’t say that this book has put me off reading her other books, as I would say that it’s made me want to read her other novels even more so I can start comparing any new work to all of Jenkins Reid’s books and not just her most popular, unique novels.
READ THIS IF :
First of all, I have to say that I was kindly accepted to read an advanced copy of this book before it was published through Netgalley so a big thank you and shout out to Penguin Fig Tree for accepting my request!
Before I read this book, I actually bought a ticket to Dolly’s live show in celebration of Ghosts being published. So as I tuned in to the live event (which I watched from my kitchen sink whilst washing the dishes), I found myself completely mesmerised by the things that Dolly and the interviewer and Dolly’s close friend Caroline O'Donoghue were saying. Everything that they were discussing was making me think, ‘OK, hang on a minute, is everything I want in life really what I want or am I just made to think that I want this because this is what society wants for me?’
For example, Dolly was saying that when she saw the effects that childbirth had had on her best friend, it was like the bubble of this magical baby world burst and suddenly she was pulled into the very real reality of being a parent. Although probably magical in itself when you eventually experience it, as an outsider looking in on a world that you haven’t had the chance to discover yet, Dolly was asking herself and I suppose I found that I was now asking myself… ‘Is this actually what I want? Do I want my life to change that dramatically?’
So after listening to Dolly and her wisdom during this event, I knew that I had to do one thing… I had to read her first ever fiction novel, Ghosts. Ghosts is the story of 30 year-old Nina Dean - a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. Following the end of her long-term relationship with close friend Joe, she finds herself on the ‘Linx Online’ dating app where she eventually meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he's going to marry her!
A new relationship couldn't have come at a better time for Nina as so far, her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Her friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone's moving to the suburbs. There's no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who's caught in a baffling midlife makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow-motion into dementia. The story follows Nina’s journey throughout her early thirties and how she comes to terms with the changes and difficulties that life always has for us.
I found this book addictive. Ever since reading Dolly’s first books Everything I Know About Love, I have fallen in love with Dolly’s writing style, the way she keeps you hooked on every page, and quite frankly, I’ve fallen in love with how much Dolly loves talking about love and relationships. I really enjoy that Dolly is a big soppy romantic at heart. I love her honesty about dating whilst in your thirties and I love how open she is about the not-so-great parts too.
I saw a lot of Dolly in the protagonist Nina, and I guess that is what made me love her more. Yet, I absolutely adored the other characters too. I loved how crazy Lola was and how heartbreakingly desperate she was to find someone who would love her just as much as she would love them. I loved Nina’s mother, Nancy, who was quite clearly not coping with the effects of the menopause and the fact that her husband’s dementia was getting worse. I loved how Nina’s father was exceptionally funny even though his dementia was worsening and therefore spent the majority of the story confused. I also especially loved the references to one of my favourite British bands, Wham!. I honestly feel like Nina and I would have a lot in common.
I’ve read a number of reviews about this book and the majority of them mention the link between the title (Ghosts) and the story. Dolly beautifully and quite subtly explores how there are a number of different ‘ghosts’ in this book; from the ghost of Nina’s 20-year-old self, the ghost of who Nina’s dad once was, the ghost of Nina and her childhood best friend’s relationship which is now distancing due to different lifestyle choices/situations and the ghost of Nina’s love life which incorporated both the relationship she had with her ex Joe and the actual art of ‘ghosting’ which those on dating websites will definitely be aware of (whether you’re the ‘ghoster’ of the ‘ghostee’).
Overall, Ghosts is a fantastic book that explores the very real struggles of growing up, becoming an adult and the changes that it brings not just to you but for the people around you. I’m thankful that in today’s age, your twenties are no longer seen as the years where you’re supposed to know what you’re doing. I feel the general thinking has shifted a little in the fact that your twenties are now for experiences and living and it’s in actual fact, your thirties where you're supposed to settle down, start having children, getting married, moving to the suburbs and spending your weekends at children’s parties and christenings. Yet, what Dolly does brilliantly in Ghosts is prove how damaging this way of thinking can be and the pressure that those who have now entered their thirties feel. I for one have the ‘fear’ about turning 30 because that’s when I feel I have to get my act together and start behaving like a real adult even though I am a real adult now - am I not?
As my concluding point, I also really enjoyed how Dolly made me understand that love looks different to everyone but as long as it serves you and makes you happy, then you've found the right love - whether that be from your partner, friend or family member. Love is love and sometimes, in not making sense, it can end up making complete sense! (Someone put that on a t-shirt!!)
So apologies for the identity/life crisis but I promise you this book is worth a read no matter what age you are! It’s a really fun, easy read and although it does explore some quite deep topics, Dolly’s encapsulating writing style, comedic elements and heart-warming characters will leave you not wanting to put the book down!
READ THIS IF :
Before I read this book, I actually bought a ticket to Dolly’s live show in celebration of Ghosts being published. So as I tuned in to the live event (which I watched from my kitchen sink whilst washing the dishes), I found myself completely mesmerised by the things that Dolly and the interviewer and Dolly’s close friend Caroline O'Donoghue were saying. Everything that they were discussing was making me think, ‘OK, hang on a minute, is everything I want in life really what I want or am I just made to think that I want this because this is what society wants for me?’
For example, Dolly was saying that when she saw the effects that childbirth had had on her best friend, it was like the bubble of this magical baby world burst and suddenly she was pulled into the very real reality of being a parent. Although probably magical in itself when you eventually experience it, as an outsider looking in on a world that you haven’t had the chance to discover yet, Dolly was asking herself and I suppose I found that I was now asking myself… ‘Is this actually what I want? Do I want my life to change that dramatically?’
So after listening to Dolly and her wisdom during this event, I knew that I had to do one thing… I had to read her first ever fiction novel, Ghosts. Ghosts is the story of 30 year-old Nina Dean - a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. Following the end of her long-term relationship with close friend Joe, she finds herself on the ‘Linx Online’ dating app where she eventually meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he's going to marry her!
A new relationship couldn't have come at a better time for Nina as so far, her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Her friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone's moving to the suburbs. There's no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who's caught in a baffling midlife makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow-motion into dementia. The story follows Nina’s journey throughout her early thirties and how she comes to terms with the changes and difficulties that life always has for us.
I found this book addictive. Ever since reading Dolly’s first books Everything I Know About Love, I have fallen in love with Dolly’s writing style, the way she keeps you hooked on every page, and quite frankly, I’ve fallen in love with how much Dolly loves talking about love and relationships. I really enjoy that Dolly is a big soppy romantic at heart. I love her honesty about dating whilst in your thirties and I love how open she is about the not-so-great parts too.
I saw a lot of Dolly in the protagonist Nina, and I guess that is what made me love her more. Yet, I absolutely adored the other characters too. I loved how crazy Lola was and how heartbreakingly desperate she was to find someone who would love her just as much as she would love them. I loved Nina’s mother, Nancy, who was quite clearly not coping with the effects of the menopause and the fact that her husband’s dementia was getting worse. I loved how Nina’s father was exceptionally funny even though his dementia was worsening and therefore spent the majority of the story confused. I also especially loved the references to one of my favourite British bands, Wham!. I honestly feel like Nina and I would have a lot in common.
I’ve read a number of reviews about this book and the majority of them mention the link between the title (Ghosts) and the story. Dolly beautifully and quite subtly explores how there are a number of different ‘ghosts’ in this book; from the ghost of Nina’s 20-year-old self, the ghost of who Nina’s dad once was, the ghost of Nina and her childhood best friend’s relationship which is now distancing due to different lifestyle choices/situations and the ghost of Nina’s love life which incorporated both the relationship she had with her ex Joe and the actual art of ‘ghosting’ which those on dating websites will definitely be aware of (whether you’re the ‘ghoster’ of the ‘ghostee’).
Overall, Ghosts is a fantastic book that explores the very real struggles of growing up, becoming an adult and the changes that it brings not just to you but for the people around you. I’m thankful that in today’s age, your twenties are no longer seen as the years where you’re supposed to know what you’re doing. I feel the general thinking has shifted a little in the fact that your twenties are now for experiences and living and it’s in actual fact, your thirties where you're supposed to settle down, start having children, getting married, moving to the suburbs and spending your weekends at children’s parties and christenings. Yet, what Dolly does brilliantly in Ghosts is prove how damaging this way of thinking can be and the pressure that those who have now entered their thirties feel. I for one have the ‘fear’ about turning 30 because that’s when I feel I have to get my act together and start behaving like a real adult even though I am a real adult now - am I not?
As my concluding point, I also really enjoyed how Dolly made me understand that love looks different to everyone but as long as it serves you and makes you happy, then you've found the right love - whether that be from your partner, friend or family member. Love is love and sometimes, in not making sense, it can end up making complete sense! (Someone put that on a t-shirt!!)
So apologies for the identity/life crisis but I promise you this book is worth a read no matter what age you are! It’s a really fun, easy read and although it does explore some quite deep topics, Dolly’s encapsulating writing style, comedic elements and heart-warming characters will leave you not wanting to put the book down!
READ THIS IF :
Personally, I thought that all the books shortlisted for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction looked incredible and I set out on a mission to read each one before the winner was announced. I didn’t quite achieve that goal but one book I’m glad I got the chance to read was How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House.
This debut novel from the brilliant Caribbean writer, Cherie Jones, is set in Barbados and follows four people’s desperate escape from their legacy of violence in a so-called ‘paradise’. In Baxter Beach, Barbados, moneyed ex-pats clash with the locals who often end up serving them: braiding their hair, minding their children, and selling them drugs. Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the Baxter Beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom and their lives.
I found this book extremely difficult to read purely because the events that happen in this book are not for the faint-hearted. However, even though some chapters were truly brutal and shocking, something kept me reading and I’m still quite unsure what that was. I guess the characters, especially the female characters, were mesmerizing and my heart was with them throughout the whole story. I guess I kept reading on, through all the difficult scenes, because I was so invested in the stories of the women we were reading about. It made me realise that literally every single female character in the book had at some point been badly affected by the actions of self-centred and mentally ill men. Yet because of the culture and the generations of local people used to keeping secrets about the way their men behave, it was heart-breaking that the brutal and disgusting treatment of women was ‘normal’.
The story explores a huge number of difficult topics, with the death of a new-born baby and the murder of a wealthy man at it’s heart. Yet even though I felt unbelievably sad for all of the female characters, there were also a number of male characters who due to the lifestyle they’ve found themselves in (from no fault of their own) find themselves in inescapable situations just to get by.
So obviously this is far from a light read but it is a great book that forces you to open your eyes to what is going on in other parts of the world and in other cultures, enabling us to understand further the effects that systemic and racist poverty has on generations of lonely and helpless generations.
READ THIS IF :
This debut novel from the brilliant Caribbean writer, Cherie Jones, is set in Barbados and follows four people’s desperate escape from their legacy of violence in a so-called ‘paradise’. In Baxter Beach, Barbados, moneyed ex-pats clash with the locals who often end up serving them: braiding their hair, minding their children, and selling them drugs. Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the Baxter Beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom and their lives.
I found this book extremely difficult to read purely because the events that happen in this book are not for the faint-hearted. However, even though some chapters were truly brutal and shocking, something kept me reading and I’m still quite unsure what that was. I guess the characters, especially the female characters, were mesmerizing and my heart was with them throughout the whole story. I guess I kept reading on, through all the difficult scenes, because I was so invested in the stories of the women we were reading about. It made me realise that literally every single female character in the book had at some point been badly affected by the actions of self-centred and mentally ill men. Yet because of the culture and the generations of local people used to keeping secrets about the way their men behave, it was heart-breaking that the brutal and disgusting treatment of women was ‘normal’.
The story explores a huge number of difficult topics, with the death of a new-born baby and the murder of a wealthy man at it’s heart. Yet even though I felt unbelievably sad for all of the female characters, there were also a number of male characters who due to the lifestyle they’ve found themselves in (from no fault of their own) find themselves in inescapable situations just to get by.
So obviously this is far from a light read but it is a great book that forces you to open your eyes to what is going on in other parts of the world and in other cultures, enabling us to understand further the effects that systemic and racist poverty has on generations of lonely and helpless generations.
READ THIS IF :
I decided to read The Paper Palace when it came in my #gifted LoveMyRead subscription box and when it was chosen by Reese Witherspoon to be her book of the month. I didn’t really know what to expect from this book as I went into it having not read the blurb and having not really seen it spoken about much, so as I was reading, I really felt like I was the only person reading this book and wanted everyone to read it too.
It is a perfect July morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at "The Paper Palace"--the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. But this morning is different: last night Elle and her oldest friend Jonas crept out the back door into the darkness and had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses chatted away inside. Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn't forever changed the course of their lives. As Heller colours in the experiences that have led Elle to this day, we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanours of families.
I suppose my first comment is that I did expect more action in the story because of the way the first chapter starts. Our main character has just cheated on her husband right under his nose with her best friend. So that packs a punch right and I found myself buckling myself in ready for DRAMA. Yet what I didn’t realise was in fact the story about how our main character and narrator has become the woman she is today.
So we are treated to certain flashbacks into the time Elle spent at ‘The Paper Palace’ when she was younger and the devastating experiences she had there and how this has damaged her relationship with her mother, her best friend Jonah and even her husband. She keeps this huge and awful secret from nearly everyone close to her which ultimately means that as a fifty-year-old, she doesn’t feel like she can't love her husband or her children properly. As much as I found her annoying and self-centred in some parts of the book, but then in the next moment, my heart would break for her and I would begin to understand why she acted like she did.
‘The Paper Palace’ itself was sat on the edge of a lake which Miranda Cowley Heller describes excellently and makes it sound so dreamy. As a water sign, I find that when I am near or in water, I am at my happiest and I even crave to be near water sometimes. Looking back at my life, I have also had some of my best epiphanies whilst in water so I found the setting of this book and what the water meant to Elle really relatable. I fully enjoyed those moments of the book and I suppose that is why I found Elle as a character incredibly poignant.
READ THIS IF:
It is a perfect July morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at "The Paper Palace"--the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. But this morning is different: last night Elle and her oldest friend Jonas crept out the back door into the darkness and had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses chatted away inside. Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn't forever changed the course of their lives. As Heller colours in the experiences that have led Elle to this day, we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, The Paper Palace considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanours of families.
I suppose my first comment is that I did expect more action in the story because of the way the first chapter starts. Our main character has just cheated on her husband right under his nose with her best friend. So that packs a punch right and I found myself buckling myself in ready for DRAMA. Yet what I didn’t realise was in fact the story about how our main character and narrator has become the woman she is today.
So we are treated to certain flashbacks into the time Elle spent at ‘The Paper Palace’ when she was younger and the devastating experiences she had there and how this has damaged her relationship with her mother, her best friend Jonah and even her husband. She keeps this huge and awful secret from nearly everyone close to her which ultimately means that as a fifty-year-old, she doesn’t feel like she can't love her husband or her children properly. As much as I found her annoying and self-centred in some parts of the book, but then in the next moment, my heart would break for her and I would begin to understand why she acted like she did.
‘The Paper Palace’ itself was sat on the edge of a lake which Miranda Cowley Heller describes excellently and makes it sound so dreamy. As a water sign, I find that when I am near or in water, I am at my happiest and I even crave to be near water sometimes. Looking back at my life, I have also had some of my best epiphanies whilst in water so I found the setting of this book and what the water meant to Elle really relatable. I fully enjoyed those moments of the book and I suppose that is why I found Elle as a character incredibly poignant.
READ THIS IF:
The Mercies was my local book club pick and I was really excited to read this one as I had seen a lot of people reading it on my social media and let’s be honest, the book is stunning. I actually had no idea what the book was about until I came to read it and that’s not often the case when books are so heavily discussed on Instagram and Twitter so that was really refreshing!
The Mercies is set in Finnmark, Norway, 1617 and follows the story of the aftermath of a storm which kills all the men on the island. With the men wiped out, the women of the tiny Northern town of Vardø must learn how to fend for themselves. Yet three years after the storm, the sinister Absalom Cornet arrives in Vardø from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern trials. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband's authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty evil.
As Ursa and Vardø citizen, Maren, are pushed closer together they become drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, but the island begins to close in on them with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence.
As a history nerd, I find historical fiction to be one of my favourite genres but I have to say, I have read a lot of the same sort of historical fiction stories over the years. Yet with The Mercies, I found myself reading a story that’s very familiar over in the UK (especially in the North of England) but one that I (foolishly) didn’t realise actually spread across multiple European countries with Norway being one of the worst hit countries for witch trials. The story of The Mercies was inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the winter of 1662-1663 which was one of the biggest witch trials in Scandinavia. Thirty women were put on trial, accused of sorcery and making pacts with the Devil. One was sentenced to a workhouse, two were tortured to death, and eighteen were burned alive at the stake. This was arguably because Vardø was the home to the majority of the Sámi people; indigenous Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula within the Murmansk Oblast of Russia.
I found the story to be a slow burner but I did really enjoy how Kiran Millwood Hargrave spent time building up all the beautiful settings, the complicated characters and all the emotions that the town of Vardø are feeling in the aftermath of the devastating storm. But what I enjoyed most about the story were the incredible female characters and this journey that they go on to understand how powerful they are. The book is described as feminist historical fiction and I completely agree with that statement because although some of the events in this book are truly horrific but it is told with this backdrop of feminism and love.
READ THIS IF:
The Mercies is set in Finnmark, Norway, 1617 and follows the story of the aftermath of a storm which kills all the men on the island. With the men wiped out, the women of the tiny Northern town of Vardø must learn how to fend for themselves. Yet three years after the storm, the sinister Absalom Cornet arrives in Vardø from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern trials. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband's authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty evil.
As Ursa and Vardø citizen, Maren, are pushed closer together they become drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, but the island begins to close in on them with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence.
As a history nerd, I find historical fiction to be one of my favourite genres but I have to say, I have read a lot of the same sort of historical fiction stories over the years. Yet with The Mercies, I found myself reading a story that’s very familiar over in the UK (especially in the North of England) but one that I (foolishly) didn’t realise actually spread across multiple European countries with Norway being one of the worst hit countries for witch trials. The story of The Mercies was inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the winter of 1662-1663 which was one of the biggest witch trials in Scandinavia. Thirty women were put on trial, accused of sorcery and making pacts with the Devil. One was sentenced to a workhouse, two were tortured to death, and eighteen were burned alive at the stake. This was arguably because Vardø was the home to the majority of the Sámi people; indigenous Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula within the Murmansk Oblast of Russia.
I found the story to be a slow burner but I did really enjoy how Kiran Millwood Hargrave spent time building up all the beautiful settings, the complicated characters and all the emotions that the town of Vardø are feeling in the aftermath of the devastating storm. But what I enjoyed most about the story were the incredible female characters and this journey that they go on to understand how powerful they are. The book is described as feminist historical fiction and I completely agree with that statement because although some of the events in this book are truly horrific but it is told with this backdrop of feminism and love.
READ THIS IF:
The BBC National Short Story Award 2021
Rory Gleeson, Georgina Harding, Richard Smyth, Lucy Caldwell, Danny Rhodes
All the People Were Mean and Bad - Lucy Caldwell (winner)
All the People Were Mean and Bad follows a woman's journey on a transatlantic flight with her 21-month old baby. During the flight, her daughter is reading Noah’s Ark which is where the phrase ‘all the people were mean and bad’ stems from. This particular phrase is what sparks an interesting conversation with a fellow passenger about life, grief and missed opportunities.
What I loved most about this story was how our main character analyses her own life through both internal dialogue and dialogue with the other passenger. Dealing with the loss of a family member, she questions whether her relationship with her husband is everything she wants/needs and I found it really interesting that the author, Lucy Caldwell, uses the stranger and particularly, the kindness of the stranger, to help our protagonist think about her missed opportunities and perhaps how different her life would look had she chosen a different path. A common question I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves at some point in our lives, and one which we can certainly empathise with.
The Body Audit - Rory Gleeson
The Body Audit took me by surprise as I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. The story is about a group of young lads at a residential camp who have a slightly out-of-the-ordinary tradition of reviewing each boy’s body. Each boy is called up and stands in front of the group whilst the older boys in the group talk through each part of their body, examining and assessing the teenage bodies in front of them. However, there is one boy, Greg, who is dreading the ritual more than anyone else because he is incredibly ashamed of his body; so much so, it’s left him feeling suicidal on some days.
Yet this story isn’t about body shaming, it’s about body positivity. I think so often we can assume that issues around body image only affect women but this story reminds us that men suffer from body shaming too. The short story explores the ways in which men and especially young, teenage boys are led to believe that the ‘ideal man’ has a chiselled physique, a strong jaw line and a good head of hair. Yet bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Each body is unique and should therefore be celebrated. And in this lovely short story, author Rory Gleeson does just that.
Night Train - Georgina Harding
Night Train gave me all the Agatha Christie vibes. The story follows a retired woman, Alice, who is taking her first trip on her own following the death of her mother. Her mother’s last wish was to have a ‘real life’ and so our protagonist lives out her mother’s dream by taking the sleeper train from Kyiv to Lviv in the Ukraine. During this trip, she meets the fabulous Irina, who she shares her train compartment with. Through Irina, she learns about the reality of war and the effects it has had on the Ukrainian population. The difference in experiences allows Alice to look back on her childhood and her relationship with her mother, and how these experiences have shaped her.
I found this story not only great escapism because it allowed me to feel like I was on a sleeper train travelling through the Ukraine, but I also found it beautifully heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. You can really feel that Alice is a little lost, wondering how she got this old in what seemed like such a short period of time. She seems a little lost and not just because she is in a foreign country. You empathise with her because I’m sure we’ve all felt similar to Alice before and needed some time away to find what it is that makes you you again. Yet doing that whilst coming to terms with the death of a family member makes everything even harder, which Georgina Harding depicts beautifully.
Toadstone - Danny Rhodes
I listened to Toadstone whilst out on a walk around my local country park and it was very fitting for my swampy, muddy walk. The story starts with our awkward and lonely protagonist who is waiting for a potential cancer diagnosis. This time gives him time to reflect on how he has lived his life and how the men in his family have come and gone. It is also peak ‘toading’ season, so he returns to his childhood hometown to help his parents and local community group in saving toads from being killed on the road joining his town with the other towns. It is during this experience, that our character learns about the magic healing powers of toad stones which can be found under the eyes of toads.
I really enjoyed this story as it really explored family, ageing and similarly to All The People Were Mean and Bad, missed opportunities. The pending cancer diagnosis adds an extra layer of worry and sadness to our protagonist’s story and we can’t help but want to shake him and tell him to live his life the way he wants, the way he’s always wanted. It was quite a deep and emotional story, with moments of humour and satire that in the true British way, make the moments of sadness not quite so sad.
Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast - Richard Smyth
I have to say that personally I found Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast quite difficult to follow. The story was inspired by Richard Smyth’s delve into the archives of the academic journal ‘Environmental History’ where he discovered historical information on ‘The Great Stalin Plan for the Transformation of Nature’. The story features a group of Russian scientists and officers and within the narrative conjures a world of Soviet scheming, subterfuge and suspicion that underpins a story about the power of nature, humanity and human connection.
I guess perhaps the reason I didn’t enjoy this as much as the other four stories was because it is written in report/diary format and as an audiobook, it was difficult to envisage. However, I have a slight inkling that this might actually be the winning story as includes a huge bit about moths, which actually feature on the front cover of this year’s anthology, so maybe it’s worth a re-read!
All the People Were Mean and Bad follows a woman's journey on a transatlantic flight with her 21-month old baby. During the flight, her daughter is reading Noah’s Ark which is where the phrase ‘all the people were mean and bad’ stems from. This particular phrase is what sparks an interesting conversation with a fellow passenger about life, grief and missed opportunities.
What I loved most about this story was how our main character analyses her own life through both internal dialogue and dialogue with the other passenger. Dealing with the loss of a family member, she questions whether her relationship with her husband is everything she wants/needs and I found it really interesting that the author, Lucy Caldwell, uses the stranger and particularly, the kindness of the stranger, to help our protagonist think about her missed opportunities and perhaps how different her life would look had she chosen a different path. A common question I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves at some point in our lives, and one which we can certainly empathise with.
The Body Audit - Rory Gleeson
The Body Audit took me by surprise as I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. The story is about a group of young lads at a residential camp who have a slightly out-of-the-ordinary tradition of reviewing each boy’s body. Each boy is called up and stands in front of the group whilst the older boys in the group talk through each part of their body, examining and assessing the teenage bodies in front of them. However, there is one boy, Greg, who is dreading the ritual more than anyone else because he is incredibly ashamed of his body; so much so, it’s left him feeling suicidal on some days.
Yet this story isn’t about body shaming, it’s about body positivity. I think so often we can assume that issues around body image only affect women but this story reminds us that men suffer from body shaming too. The short story explores the ways in which men and especially young, teenage boys are led to believe that the ‘ideal man’ has a chiselled physique, a strong jaw line and a good head of hair. Yet bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Each body is unique and should therefore be celebrated. And in this lovely short story, author Rory Gleeson does just that.
Night Train - Georgina Harding
Night Train gave me all the Agatha Christie vibes. The story follows a retired woman, Alice, who is taking her first trip on her own following the death of her mother. Her mother’s last wish was to have a ‘real life’ and so our protagonist lives out her mother’s dream by taking the sleeper train from Kyiv to Lviv in the Ukraine. During this trip, she meets the fabulous Irina, who she shares her train compartment with. Through Irina, she learns about the reality of war and the effects it has had on the Ukrainian population. The difference in experiences allows Alice to look back on her childhood and her relationship with her mother, and how these experiences have shaped her.
I found this story not only great escapism because it allowed me to feel like I was on a sleeper train travelling through the Ukraine, but I also found it beautifully heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. You can really feel that Alice is a little lost, wondering how she got this old in what seemed like such a short period of time. She seems a little lost and not just because she is in a foreign country. You empathise with her because I’m sure we’ve all felt similar to Alice before and needed some time away to find what it is that makes you you again. Yet doing that whilst coming to terms with the death of a family member makes everything even harder, which Georgina Harding depicts beautifully.
Toadstone - Danny Rhodes
I listened to Toadstone whilst out on a walk around my local country park and it was very fitting for my swampy, muddy walk. The story starts with our awkward and lonely protagonist who is waiting for a potential cancer diagnosis. This time gives him time to reflect on how he has lived his life and how the men in his family have come and gone. It is also peak ‘toading’ season, so he returns to his childhood hometown to help his parents and local community group in saving toads from being killed on the road joining his town with the other towns. It is during this experience, that our character learns about the magic healing powers of toad stones which can be found under the eyes of toads.
I really enjoyed this story as it really explored family, ageing and similarly to All The People Were Mean and Bad, missed opportunities. The pending cancer diagnosis adds an extra layer of worry and sadness to our protagonist’s story and we can’t help but want to shake him and tell him to live his life the way he wants, the way he’s always wanted. It was quite a deep and emotional story, with moments of humour and satire that in the true British way, make the moments of sadness not quite so sad.
Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast - Richard Smyth
I have to say that personally I found Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast quite difficult to follow. The story was inspired by Richard Smyth’s delve into the archives of the academic journal ‘Environmental History’ where he discovered historical information on ‘The Great Stalin Plan for the Transformation of Nature’. The story features a group of Russian scientists and officers and within the narrative conjures a world of Soviet scheming, subterfuge and suspicion that underpins a story about the power of nature, humanity and human connection.
I guess perhaps the reason I didn’t enjoy this as much as the other four stories was because it is written in report/diary format and as an audiobook, it was difficult to envisage. However, I have a slight inkling that this might actually be the winning story as includes a huge bit about moths, which actually feature on the front cover of this year’s anthology, so maybe it’s worth a re-read!