Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Published in: 2012
Pages: 369
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
My rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

My review:

This book had me laughing out loud on a train, and crying on a train. Maybe don’t read this in public…

So. This book. I was obsessed with it for a good couple of days and couldn’t put it down. I did laugh through pages of this book, this had my sort of snarky sarcastic humour that really just makes me grin. Then… well, I refused to finish the book for 3 weeks.

If you’ve read this book, you’ll know why. You’ll also work out which part I stopped reading at. Part of the reason was that I couldn’t cry on the train again, people would start to wonder what was wrong with me (lol).

So. Lou is a spitfire of a character, she’s lost and just coasting through life. She’s someone who has the potential to live a big life, but she doesn’t. She lives a safe and comfortable life with little-to-no ambition or dreams. Then there’s Will, who had the big life, who lived to the extreme, but can’t anymore. They are the opposite of each other, and of course that works out. Will teaches Lou how to live and do the things he can no longer do.

The problem, as I see it, is that you get so invested in these characters and in Lou’s mission – to make Will’s life better – and in Will’s mission – to make Lou experience life – and then the emotions come in and, well, be prepared to cry. Ahhh.

But I loved the book, I really did. Even if I perhaps wanted a different ending.

So, after this book, there are two sequals (Yes, it’s a trilogy apparently) so you know I’m going to have to read those soon.

And, there’s a movie version, from 2016, starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. You know I’m going to have to watch that too, see how it translates to the big screen!

Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17347634-me-before-you

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2674426/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_Before_You

Author’s website: https://www.jojomoyes.com/books/me-before-you/

Penguin Books: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/me-before-you-9780718177027

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Published: 2022
Pages: 320
Genre: Biography, Humour, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Mental Health
My rating: 10/10

Synopsis:

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.

My review:

WOW. This book is just wow. I laughed out loud (like, actual laughter here, out loud) so many times in this book. I was also horrified, shocked, slightly teary at times, and unable to put this book down. It was such a great book to read and so hard to read and so unbelievable.

Jennette went through so much in such a short period of time, she’s so young to have lived through that much trauma. The worst thing is that so much of her life, she didn’t even realise it was trauma she was living through because this was just normal to her. Her mum had serious mental issues, but she was still Jennette’s mum at the end of the day and she loved her. That comes through clear, this struggle between the love she had for her mum, and her deep intense hatred and the guilt of the hatred and the trauma.

There is also a lot – and I mean, a LOT – about her experience as a child star for Nickelodeon. The sleazy directors, the uncomfortable costuming, the bizarre life of a child actor – it’s all here, it’s all fascinating, it’s all frankly horrifying. This is a car-crash that you cannot look away from, and boy is it so damn good.

I have recommended it to my bookclub and most of the girls at work because I was so impressed by the book. It did the rounds as the IT-Book of late 2022, and it was for good reason. It is such a fascinating book, it is so easy to read and yet filled with so much really hard and triggering information. It is told in a way that makes dark and heavy material easy to read. Jennette is amazing. Her dark humour comes through strong and clear, and you cannot help liking her.

I want to re-read this book again, I enjoyed it so much. It’s triggering though, so it is not for everyone. It deals with eating disorders, an abusive parent, and mental health issues – so if this sort of thing is triggering, this might not be the book for you.

Linky-doos

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59364173-i-m-glad-my-mom-died
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/Im-Glad-My-Mom-Died/dp/1982185821
Dymocks: https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/im-glad-my-mom-died-by-jennette-mccurdy-9781982185824
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/i-m-glad-my-mom-died-jennette-mccurdy/book/9781982185824.html
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Glad_My_Mom_Died

What We All Saw by Mike Lucas

Published in: 2022
Pages: 313
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
My rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

Witches only exist in stories. Everyone knows that. But what if the stories are real?

FOUR FRIENDS. FOUR TRUTHS. ONE NIGHTMARE.

If you wander into the wood …
If you hear scratching sounds from the Old Quarry …
If you go too close to the edge …

WATCH. OUT.

My review:

So, this book is set 1970’s rural England and revolves around 4 kids and the scary quarry near where they live, known locally as “Hag’s Drop” – because that’s where they drowned witches in ye olden days. The local lore about the witches drowned at Hag’s Drop is just unavoidable bait to bored young kids during the summer school holidays.

The book had feelings of Stranger Things to it (young kids in a more innocent time, the paranormal feature, the horror element) but maybe less scary. I didn’t feel much of the horror element reading it to be honest, and was more interested in the mystery around Hag’s Drop.

I think the plot twist ending was pretty easy to work out, there wasn’t a whole lot of mystery around that ending, but despite that I found it enjoyable to read.

It was a short book, I knocked it over in 2 days, mostly in one Sunday-morning reading session. It was just a bit of fun, a nice easy read, and a good spooky book for young adults. I would say the 12-14 age range would really get a kick out of this book and feel the spooky factor.

Find it here:

Author’s website: https://www.mikelucas.com.au/what-we-all-saw
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60403237-what-we-all-saw
Penguin Australia: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/what-we-all-saw-9781761045936
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/what-we-all-saw-mike-lucas/book/9781761045936.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/What-All-Saw-Mike-Lucas-ebook/dp/B09NPPK4T5

Seeing Other People by Diana Reid

Published in: 2022
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, LGBT
My rating: 0.5/5

Synopsis:

Which comes first—those you love, or those you want?

Charlie’s skin was stinging. Not with heat or sweat, but with that intense, body-defining self-consciousness—that sense of being watched. She lowered her eyes from Eleanor’s loving gaze. Her throat taut with tears, she swallowed. ‘You’re a good sister, Eleanor.’

‘Don’t say that.’

After two years of lockdowns, there’s change in the air. Eleanor has just broken up with her boyfriend, Charlie’s career as an actress is starting up again. They’re finally ready to pursue their dreams—relationships, career, family—if only they can work out what it is they really want.

When principles and desires clash, Eleanor and Charlie are forced to ask: where is the line between self-love and selfishness? In all their confusion, mistakes will be made and lies will be told as they reckon with the limits of their own self-awareness.

My review:

This was my office’s bookclub book selection for November last year. I took it on holidays with me to read, and struggled to get into it. I tried reading it again in December, struggled again. Third time’s the charm I guess, I tried again to read it in January and forced myself to finish it. I personally try not to DNF books – there would be maybe 4 books in my life I haven’t finished, and I intend to go back at some point and finish them because I ain’t no quitter.

But this book…. holy hell.

To start with, those characters. I have rarely come across a group of characters I liked less than the ones in this book. Where they purposely written to be that unlikeable, or was that just a fun coincidence? I want to punch each and every one of them in the face repeatedly. Not a single character had one redeeming quality.

These sisters, Eleanor and Charlie, are two selfish, self-absorbed, petty children. They are awful to each other, to their romantic interests, to their housemates, to their mother, basically to anyone who happens to enter their orbit. They fall in love with the same woman, they date the same man, they screw up their relationship with each other, they are just sucky people.

The thing is, I tried. 3 times I tried with this book. I wanted to like the book. I really gave it a shot, but those characters just let me down. You can’t have a halfway decent book if your characters are so unlikeable that most people can’t get past the first few pages.

And yet, I think the biggest disappointment of all, besides reading it, is that I paid $16 for it. What a waste of money. It’s since been donated to the nearest charity store. It’s lucky it didn’t end up in the bin, tbh. The hatred was real with this one.

Links: (If you want to suffer, go on and click a link)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61084014-seeing-other-people
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/Seeing-Other-People-Diana-Reid
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/seeing-other-people-diana-reid/book/9781761150128.html
Dymocks: https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/seeing-other-people-by-diana-reid-9781761150128

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Published in: 1962
Pages: 212
Edition read: Hardcover

Book description:
A vicious fifteen-year-old “droog” is the central character of this 1963 classic, whose stark terror was captured in Stanley Kubrick’s magnificent film of the same title.

In Anthony Burgess’s nightmare vision of the future, where criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal invented slang that brilliantly renders his and his friends’ social pathology. A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. When the state undertakes to reform Alex—to “redeem” him—the novel asks, “At what cost?”

My review:
Wow, the language in this book is insane. I mean, I know slang, but this is insane. The slang is crazy, there was a helpful glossary at the back of my book which I didn’t find until I had FINISHED THE WHOLE THING (so annoying) but there was a lyrical quality to the slang that I really enjoyed. The feel of the book was something electric, I really enjoyed reading it, but the subject was so disturbing and I hated that I liked the character of Alex. I really still hate that I ended up liking his character. He’s a viscous 15 year old rapist and murderer – the exact kind of person that you know you hate. But there is just something about how this is written that makes you not hate Alex. I mean, you hate him, but not in a “you should burn in hell” kinda way, but in a “you suck, but not as much as I thought you would”.

I think the way that they spoke really got to me, the use of such interesting language – a mix of Russian and Slavic words, Shakespearean phrases and words (O my brother; thou), and a lot of teen angst and self-righteousness that just made everything work. Plus there’s the use of classical music throughout, Alex is so infatuated with the classical music in a way that most people never feel about music. He hates the pop music of the day, but big clashing classical symphonies, he cannot get enough of them – and I totally get that.

It’s just such an interesting book to read, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it like I did.Now I just need to see the movie adaptation, because that’s got to be insane, if it’s anything like the book was.

Final review:
A Clockwork Orange rating: 7/10
Would I re-read it? Yes, I actually would.
Who would I recommend it to? anyone who has seen the movie, fans of classical novels but who aren’t easily offended.

Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227463.A_Clockwork_Orange
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_(novel)
Book depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Clockwork-Orange-Anthony-Burgess/9780241951446

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Published in: 2007
Pages: 277
Edition read: Hardcover

Book description:
Being immortal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Life’s hard for a Greek god in the 21st century: nobody believes in you any more, even your own family doesn’t respect you, and you’re stuck in a delapidated hovel in north London with too many siblings and not enough hot water. But for Artemis (goddess of hunting, professional dog walker), Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, telephone sex operator) and Apollo (god of the sun, TV psychic) there’s no way out… Until a meek cleaner and her would-be boyfriend come into their lives, and turn the world literally upside down.

My review:
This was a light and easy read about the Greek gods living in modern day London, living in squallor and slowly losing their powers, and two poor mortals who get mixed up in their shenanigans. I was pleasantly surprised to find some of the characters were portrayed in ways I’d not come across before – Athena is shown as batty, when she normally is a brainiac (being so smart, she is unable to portray her ideas in simple terms, meaning nobody can understand her smarts); Ares, my favourite of the gods, is a level-headed super smart strategist (whereas normally he is a beefcake with more muscles than brains); Zeus is a crazed old man; Hermes is the most successful of the gods because he’s so busy with overseeing the money of the world and ferrying the dead to the underworld. It was refreshing to see these gods in ways they normally aren’t shown.

The story was a few classic myths jazzed up to the modern era – Apollo is tricked into falling in love with a mortal named Alice, whom he has Zeus kill through trickery when Alice rejects him, and then Neal, Alice’s mortal crush, has to travel with Athena to the underworld to try to free Alice and bring her back to life. It’s cute, it’s a little funny, it’s charming in it’s simplicity, it was enjoyable to read. After a recent spate of less-than-enjoyable books, this was what I needed to get me back into the reading swing.

Final review:
Gods behaving badly rating: 7/10
Would I re-read it? Yes, this was a fun read and I’m a sucker for the Greek gods
Who would I recommend it to? Fans of Greek mythology, fantasy, humour, romances, light fluffy reads.

Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2365897.Gods_Behaving_Badly
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Behaving-Badly-Marie-Phillips/dp/0316067636
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gods_Behaving_Badly

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Published in: 1954
Pages: 336
Edition read: Paperback

Book description:
William Golding’s compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them- the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories- and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible.

My review:
What the actual hell did I just read? What even…

Ok. So. Children are marooned on an island following a plane crash, which apparently had only one adult on board, the pilot, whom they find at a later date and he did not survive. That is the unlikely premise, and then these children basically screw around for a few months on this island, failing to get rescued on numerous occasions because they suck at basic things like keeping a signal fire going, or building adequate shelter, or having a proper leader. Then they end up killing a number of the children and it all culminates in a hunt to the death for the previous leader by the crazed new leader because… they are children?

I’m sorry, but how is any of this believable? I understand they are children, but there are 12 year olds in the mix and they are smarter than this book gives them credit. They would be little barbarians, sure, but to this extent? No, I do not think so.

I didn’t like any of the characters, I couldn’t understand the motivation of most of them, I was happy when the book ended. I got so angry when the silly kids decided to burn the island to the ground because that seemed like a good way to hunt the child they were foolishly hunting – what the hell are you doing? That’s short term thinking you morons. I’m getting so angry just thinking about this book, it infuriated me so.

Final review:
Lord of the flies rating: 3/10
Would I re-read it? Er no. Not unless I needed to get really angry at something and was searching for motivation.
Who would I recommend it to? Anyone wanting to get angry? I dunno. I couldn’t think of anyone who would enjoy this book, to be honest.

Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/526.Lord_of_the_Flies

The Silver Chair by C S Lewis

Published in: 1953
Pages: 243
Edition read: E-book
Book series: Book 6 in the Chronicles of Narnia (Chronological order)

Book description:
NARNIA…where owls are wise, where some of the giants like to snack on humans, where a prince is put under an evil spell…and where the adventure begins.

Eustace and Jill escape from the bullies at school through a strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open moor…or does it? Once again Aslan has a task for the children, and Narnia needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the quest that brings them face to face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated if Prince Rillian is to be saved.

My review:
This book features Jill and Eustace as the main characters, and they were interesting characters both. Eustace has mellowed out since his first visit to Narnia, and he is almost  endearing now as he navigates Narnia again, but this time with his friend Jill. They meet up with a crazy frog-like character called a Marshwiggle, whose name is Puddleglum, and he’s this cynical depressed sarcastically sassy character that I bonded with from the get go. He made this book, in my opinion.

Puddleglum and co make their way through Narnia to the giant’s lands, then underground, before finally defeating an evil queen and saving the missing prince of Narnia. It was fun to read, but honestly what kept me turning the pages was Puddleglum. If he turned up in more books, I’d be happy. He was just so depressed and cynical, it was amazing. I had not thought I’d find a character like that in a 1950’s childrens book!

Final review:
The silver chair rating: 6/10
Would I re-read it? Yes, for Puddleglum’s moments of amazingness.
Who would I recommend it to? Children and young adults, fans of the series and the author, anyone whose seen the movie adaptations.

Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65641.The_Silver_Chair
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silver_Chair
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Chair-C-S-Lewis/dp/0064471098

The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

Published in: 2015
Pages: 302
Edition read: hardcover

Book description:
Peeling away the myth to bring the Old Testament’s King David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.

The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected.  We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him—from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikhal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans.

My review:
This book is told through the eyes of a prophet writing down the life of David, who is this intriguing character, he is hard to like, while being likeable. He is a musical genius who inspires loyalty in his men by being normal and flawed, and by golly is he flawed. He is prone to rages, he is deceitful and scheming, he is petty and a womaniser, he is also completely blinded by his love for his sons, and this leads to some really bad moments for poor old David.

The story goes through David’s life and times, shows his many wives and sons, his misfortunes and triumphs, and it was all vividly told. However, I found myself wishing David would die multiple times throughout the books, and feeling so sorry for his poor wives and his poor daughter – what happened to his daughter was disgusting, and his son that did all that, his death was too good for him. His son Slomo (Solomon) though, he was a spark of hope in the darkness of David’s later years, and I’d like to read a book about his life and his achievements, as it seemed that he was what the people of Israel needed after David’s reign.

It was an interesting read, but I had issues with some parts of the book and the characters, and it didn’t quite engage me as I had hoped it would.

Final review:
The Secret Chord rating: 6/10
Would I re-read it? Probably not
Who would I recommend it to? Fans of historical fiction and biblical fiction/stories.

Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611425-the-secret-chord
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Chord
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chord-Novel-Geraldine-Brooks/dp/0143109766

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Published in: 2017
Pages: 323
Edition read: E-book
Series: Book 1 in the Winternight trilogy

Book description:
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind–she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.  And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed–this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

My review:
So I joined a bookclub (yay me!) because one of my best friends joined a book club, and this was the book they were reading during March. I had literally 3 days to read the book before the bookclub meeting, so boy golly I sure managed that feat, and managed to discuss this book with others who also had read it and bookclub is honestly like heaven. It’s amazing. I never get a chance to discuss books with people.

Onto the story. This book was… weird. It took me ages to get into the book, it’s a ‘slow burn’ meaning that the book takes forever to really build up to anything. The action basically happens in the last 30 pages, so up til then, it’s all world-building. It was fascinating in that it had Russian folklore throughout, a lot of which I had never heard of.

Having discussed it in BC, I found a lot of people had the same issues I did with the book – in that it was super slow to begin, all the action was at the end, and there were so many characters that frustrated them (Konstantin was the most hated character overall), and there was this point about halfway through the book where you can tell the author went from ‘this is a one-off’ to ‘hey, this could be a trilogy or series’, and then we got all sorts of random things thrown into the story to make it longer. That was frustrating.

Thing was, by the end of it, I was enjoying it. Vasya was a strong character that I liked, she did what she wanted and didn’t care what the villagers thought of her, and I want to see how she does in the next book.

Final review:
The bear and the nightingale rating: 6.5/10
Would I re-read it? I really don’t know. It was interesting, but it felt quite ‘first book’ to me, and there was a lot of things that irritated me… so I don’t know if I would read it again.
Who would I recommend it to? Fans of fantasy,historical fiction, and fairy tales.

Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489134-the-bear-and-the-nightingale
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Nightingale-Novel-Winternight-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00X2FDZKW
Book depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Bear-Nightingale-Katherine-Arden/9781785031045