The memoir that made me fall in love with audiobooks.

When I asked Instagram and Twitter for audio recommendations, Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime came up again and again and again so it was only natural that I made it my first listen. To everyone who recommended it, THANK YOU. I was immediately hooked; I listened while I got ready in the mornings, during my walk to and from work, during my breaks and even in the five minute windows when Greg popped out for milk.

If you’re looking to get into audio books or are already a convert on the look for your next download, I absolutely add my recommendation to theirs. Born a Crime is equal parts eye opening and hilarious as you follow Trevor Noah as he grows up as a ‘born a crime’ mixed raced child in South Africa. The poo prayer circle was a particular favourite that had me actually belly laughing on my walk to work and attracting a lot of strange looks from my fellow pedestrians. His narration is absolutely spot on to the point that I actually think it made the various anecdotes even funnier but it you don’t have any interest in audio books, you should definitely add this to your non-fiction TBR!

Matt Haig giving us another masterclass, this time in tackling mental health with subtlety and so much heart. Well worth reading whether you're a 'grown up' or a parent sharing the story with a child. Illustrations are gorgeous too!

I absolutely fell head over heels for Karen Thomas Walker’s style of writing, her utterly mesmerising prose. I genuinely think she could write out a shopping list and I’d be hanging off every word. The first book so far this year that I’ve sat and just devoured in a single sitting.

The story itself is such a fantastic example of literary fiction. The premise, a sleeping sickness that first strikes a dorm of college teens and then slowly engulfs a fictional Californian town has the potential to read like a dodgy Syfy channel flick but it is just executed so perfectly. It’s such a thought provoking, speculative look at human behaviour under intense pressure, of selfishness and selflessness, ethics and morality and the lengths we will go to for unconditional love. Despite the narrative being divided between several sets of characters, I found myself so deeply invested in even the most minor members of the cast.

I know that some reviewers will take issue with the ambiguous ending that raises far more questions than it answers and it IS frustrating but, at the same time, fits the overall tone of the novel just perfectly. A 5 ⭐️ read for me.

A huge, huge thank you to Scribner for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thrillers aren’t usually my cup of tea, even when I enjoy them, they tend to give me a brief high while I get caught up in the suspense but are ultimately forgettable in the long-term. Regardless, I can honestly say that at least while I was reading it, this book wheedled its way into my brain and refused to be put down.

Tangerine follows the story of Alice Shipley who has moved to Tangier with her new husband as an escape from a single, terrible and tragic night. When her old college roommate appears unexpectedly on her doorstep, the events that Alice has fought to forget are slowly drawn back into focus.

The true strength of this novel lies in its hypnotic setting. I’ve never been been to Morocco but Christine Mangan paints such a vivid picture of the hustle and bustle, the underlying tensions, the markets, the noises, the smells... that I felt that I was walking there beside them, feeling a dash of Alice’s unease but a considerable amount of Lucy’s awe and sense of adventure.

The story is a gripping unravelling of obsession and manipulation that had me frantically turning pages and, once or twice, gave me actual goosebumps. It wasn’t quite powerful enough to sell me on thrillers as a whole and I did find it a fairly predictable, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride regardless. A highly atmospheric read, well written and full of page turning suspense.

A big thank you to Little, Brown for this copy of Waterstone’s book of the month!

I received a free e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I did enjoy The Light Keeper, the prose is often quite beautiful and the epic scenery really is done justice. Story-wise, I found myself wanting to just flick through to the Keeper’s chapters as they seemed to have the most depth and as an exploration of grief, this book really does hit the mark.

Unfortunately, the Sarah/Jack addition just didn’t really fit all that well for me. The last 30% of the book felt rushed, forced and just out of keeping with the languid beginning and the ending just felt rather flat. Without spoilers, there were a few other very strange elements that just didn’t add anything substantial to the narrative despite hints throughout that they’ll have a significant part to play.

3 and a half stars from me!

Small but perfectly formed. I’m only reserving the fifth star out of spite because I wanted more!