Hello, hello! I’m back with some more mini book reviews, a little later than planned. March came along and I found myself turning to everything other than reading, so I was a little thin on the ground when it came to book reviews that month. Hence why I’ve thrown March and April together in one post here! I’m back in the swing of things now, but I’m starting to wonder why I thought I’d be able to get through 35 books whilst looking after a baby. 2020 Claire was clearly feeling optimistic!
Read: Mini Book Reviews – January Reads
Still, I’ve discovered some brilliant reads these past couple of months. They couldn’t be more different from each other if they tried, but I thoroughly enjoyed all four of them. Let’s get stuck in…
I spotted this book at the start of the year and put it straight on to my list when I saw the blurb. A story of twin sisters who flee the town they live in, in search of more exciting prospects. However along the way they part ways and grow up living their lives completely differently – one as white, and one as black. Admittedly this took me much longer to read than usual, but that was more down to my lack of motivation than anything else, as this story truly had me hooked. I loved the characters Desiree and Stella and how their stories were such polar opposites. It was really interesting to see how their decisions then affected the lives of their own children. A really thought provoking book that I’d thoroughly recommend. Also, HBO have the rights to create a TV series of the book, so I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for that, for sure!
My rating: 4 out of 5
(Buy it here)
I discovered Beth O’Leary last year when a friend recommended The Flatshare to me (a book I LOVED) so I was really looking forward to The Switch. This was like nothing I’ve read before, where a woman and her grandmother decided to up sticks and switch lives for 2 months. Leena and Eileen are both grieving the loss of Leena’s sister, and each have problems of their own. Leena suffers with anxiety and has just had to take a 2 month sabbatical from her job, and Eileen’s marriage has ended so she’s looking for a new love. The story takes you through the highs and lows of each of their lives, and how a change of scenery is just what they both needed. Such a lovely, heartwarming book that is a nice and easy read if like me, you lost the reading mojo! I adored it, maybe even more so than The Flatshare!
My rating: 4 out of 5
(Buy it here)
I’d spotted this one doing the rounds on Instagram and thought I’d give it a go myself, and I’m so glad I did! For some reason I’ve fallen out of love with thrillers recently, so this was a great way to dip my toe back in. If I Can’t Have You is kind-of-a-thriller, kind-of-a-romance, with a dose of comedy and a lot of drama. I LOVED the way this was written – starting with a bit of a glimpse of the main character, Constance, at the end of the story (without giving too much away) then written as a letter to her love interest, as advised by her therapist. Lots of twists and turns, and a brilliant character in Constance!
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
(Buy it here)
Probably my favourite read out of the four featured in this instalment of my mini book reviews is All The Lonely People. I loved reading Half A World Away last year, and I didn’t think I could love this one more, but I really did! This follows the story of Hubert Bird, a widower who spends his days completely alone. He’s lost touch with old friends and doesn’t see a soul (though leads his daughter to believe he has a bustling social life) until he meets his new neighbour, Ashleigh. An unlikely friendship blossoms between Hubert and the young mum, and he finds a community of people that he didn’t know existed. A really lovely book that covers important topics such as loneliness, old age, grief and race. The chapters alternate between Hubert’s difficult past and the present day, and I loved finding out more about his character. I challenge you not to love Hubert Bird!
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
(Buy it here)
Read: Mini Book Reviews – February Reads
Some really brilliant reads over the past couple of months there that I’d highly recommend! In fact, I’m yet to read something so far this year that I haven’t enjoyed which is rare! I’m now well on my way through book number 11 of the year, which you’ll see in my next Mini Book Reviews post next month!
Let me know if you’ve read any of these and what you thought!
Claire
xox
[…] Read: Mini Book Reviews: March & April Reads […]