The Little Library Project

  Started: Sunday 24th July 2022 Finished: Sunday 24th July 2022 Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast , it's always been my favourite fairytale and my best friend treated me to the book that was released alongside the live-action film a few years ago.  I'm going to share a post another time about the multiple copies of the fairytale that I own because it's a mild obsession.  I really enjoyed how this book was written in the sense that you didn't lose the music. I think when it comes to a film that you know SO WELL, you play it along in your mind as you read the book and I was hesitant as to how they would handle the musical numbers.  But they did it really cleverly, there was no bursting into song by the characters but nods were made to the lyrics in the right places and it allowed me to continue to play out the scenes in my imagination.  This story very much follows the live-action adaptation including the scene where Maurice is taken to the f

  Started: Sunday 24th July 2022 Finished: Sunday 24th July 2022 Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'd seen quite a bit of negativity around this book on Booktok so I think I'd been putting it off. But on Sunday, I had a sofa day planned and thought what better time to give Ugly Love a go.  But I ... kind of enjoyed it? I mean, Miles was a bit of a dick BUT I could absolutely relate to Tate's character and her seemingly glutton-for-punishment attitude to the whole time.  This book wasn't challenging for me and I devoured it in a few hours (I think I sat down with it about 7am and finished at about 11am?) but I was able to get stuck in which really helped.  Would I recommend it to a friend? Probably not. But would I deter someone from reading it if they said they'd bough it? Also no.  If you want a nice easy read with a smattering of spice.. I'd say go for it. 

FROM THE ARCHIVES! Written by David Nicholls, this book was recommended to me YEARS ago by my friend Jas and I found a copy a few weeks ago on one of my Charity Shop hauls. All I knew about the story, is that it follows the lives of two people, who meet in university, and the 18 years that follows, the cross overs and distances in their lives.  It was a slow burner for me initially; I found it difficult to get into. I'll put this down to the fact that the first portion of the book greatly features the culture of the early 90s which isn't something I ever brought into.  But I persevered and the hook for me was their expedition to Greece together. This was where my interest heightened.  As a side note, I've really started to see how much of a Travel Bug I'm becoming - mention a holiday to me and I'm listening! Anyway, the book is written extremely cleverly. You dip in and out of their lives on an annual basis, on the same day - 15th July. This allows for the reader to

  DISCLAIMER: I do not enjoy things that make me cry. I avoid films if I know they'll make me cry, and I do the same with books. I cannot see what enjoyment can come from a book that encourages a feeling of sadness. Remember at the beginning of the year I said I was going to read lots of books and become all cultures and shizz? It hasn't exactly panned out. Being busy with absolutely everything has kind of slowed that down, but on Monday 9th, I carved out some time and was able to sit down and read for a bit. I had no idea what to expect; I knew this book is set around WWII but that is pretty much it. However, within the first few pages you will grasp the idea. I had to put the book down at around page 30. I wasn't emotionally prepared for this. It's not devastating; but, if you're not in a strong state of mind, I dare your heartstrings to not be pulled. It's beautifully written. I can see how this book, as a relatively new publication, has been regarded and cre

I've been looking forward to this book so long but I'm just not in the right headspace for it. If you loved the writing style of Daisy Jones & The Six , you'll love this. In a similar vein, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev visits the history of these two performers in the 70s through interviews and accounts of the people that knew them.  Everything about it is fantastic, the imagery, the tone - everything.  I'm about 100 pages in and it's just not grabbing me at the moment. Could be something to do with the excessive weather we're having. So for now, I'm going to put it back on my TBR and try again another time. 

Started: Saturday 16th July 2022 Finished: Saturday 16th July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A book by Jenny Colgan, for me, is like a hug from an old friend. Back as a late-teen, I remember getting a free copy of Look For Andrew McArthy with an issue of Cosmopolitan. Ever since, I’ve done my best to follow every book. But I got out of sync somewhere along the line! Picking up Sunrise By The Sea felt like catching up with old friends as I joined the characters back off of the Cornish Coast for new arrivals to the little town and new challenges that came with them.  The story hit me on a couple of personal levels; an estranged relationship with grandparents, the dreams of Italy so I probably became quickly emotionally invested in this story - more than most would! A perfect little palette cleanser on a Saturday evening. 

  Started:  Thursday 14th July 2022 Finished: Saturday 16th July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another book where I watched the film first but many years ago and subsequently, bought the book which sat on my bookshelf until this week. Perks of Being A Wallflower is a series of letters written by Charlie, 15 years old and learning what it is to be a teenager.   From early on, it’s clear that he doesn’t feel like a typical teenager. His descriptions about his feelings and how he perceives the social situations around him may purposely written in a way to make the reader believe that he experiences neuro divergence but this is never confirmed in the book.   His writing matures throughout the letters, possibly a nod to the reading projects he’s set by Bill, a teacher at his school but also his confidence growing owed to his friendship with Sam and Patrick.   He grows as a person over the course of the writing, including his understanding of social cues and theories behind why people are the way the

  Started: Sunday 10th July 2022 Finished: Wednesday 13th July 2022 Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had a bit of a book-hangover from Orphans of the Storm so this one took a little longer to get into but We Are Not Like Them was such a powerful read, I'm glad I stuck with it. It only took me around 60 pages to be hooked and launch myself full into this version of the world that very much exists.  I've always struggled with Non-Fiction books - whilst I've read a few over the years I find them difficult to take in, for that reason I am making a concerted effort to understand social issues through Fiction works, taking time to understand that authors are drawing on their own experiences to educate and inform readers of how the world really works.  Set back in 2019, We Are Not Like Them is based in Philadelphia, a young black teen is shot by police after being mistaken for the criminal. The story focusses on two perspectives - best friends since childhood, Jenny and Riley are now sat on

  Started: Thursday 7th July 2022 Finished: Saturday 9th July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Given my obsession with the story of the Titanic in my younger years, this is the first book I've ever read which is based around the tragic disaster.  I bought Orphans of the Storm on a whim on one of my Waterstone's sprees - and I vowed to make it my next read. What I didn't realise is that it is based on the true story of the last surviving passenger from the disaster. And it was incredible.  So incredible that the minute I got home, I gave it to my mum to read and I've just bought a copy for one of my ex-colleagues because the history was common ground for us.  I didn't know what to expect - I knew it would pull at the heart strings but I didn't appreciate quite how much.  The way it's written, Imrie really allows the suspense and bewilderment to build. Of course, it's no spoiler to say - The Ship Sinks At The End - but the way it is written from two separate perspe

Started: Sunday 3rd July 2022 Finished: Monday 4th July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I definitely judged this book by it’s cover. The image of this book absolutely drew me in the moment I saw it; I didn’t care what it was about, I had to read it. And I was not disappointed. Velvet Was The Night is set in Mexico in the early 1970s and follows Maite and Elvis whilst they unbeknowingly search for the same girl amongst political unrest and activism. I know very little about the culture that this book centres around but this gave me an insight which has definitely left me wanting to know more. I have Mexican Gothic on my TBR so that is likely to feature soon.  It was a fast based book with plenty of tension and a bit of gore thrown in but not so much that I had to put it down at any stage.  My only criticism is that if you don't know much about the era and unrest that the books is set around, you won't necessarily know much more by the end of it. I personally like to read historical fic

​Started: Saturday 2nd July 2022 Finished: Saturday 2nd July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ On Saturday I travelled up to London to see Beauty and The Beast at the London Palladium and with a four hours on a train, I wanted something I could really get stuck into. I need a book small enough to fit in my bang, fast paced enough to lose myself in and lighthearted enough not to impact my mood and Murder On The Orient Express was perfect. My second delve into the Agatha Christie catalogue, I’ve already labelled her books as “filler” books - perfect for one sitting and clever enough to keep me guessing without the dreaded Book Hangover. Murder On The Orient Express sees the infamous Monsieur Hercule Poirot have an urgent recall to England, cutting his leisure time short. But oddly, the sleeper train is full, a strange and unexplained circumstance given the time of year. Through his years of connections, a temporary cabin is found to be shared with McQueen - the travel companion for Ratchett; and

Since deciding that I want to read/own 1000 books, I've been on a binge. After various moves over the years, I'm finally settled and in a position to build my own little library so this month it has been my mission to start building my collection of books! I've been on a collection spree (which I'll be sure to tell you more about as I go on) but for the time being, I wanted to share the ratings on books I've read in June... in order of how much I enjoyed them! I started this blog towards the end of the month so I haven't reviewed them all, but if you'd like to read my thoughts on them all, click the links and tell me what you think! 10. The Last Family In England - Matt Haig 9. The Flight Attendant - Chris Bohjalian 8. The Rules of Magic - Alice Hoffman 7. Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie 6. A Simple Favour - Darcey Bell 5. Red Clocks - Leni Zumas 4. Lilac Girls - Martha Hall Kelly 3. All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr 2.  They Both Die At The

​Started: Wednesday 29th June 2022 Finished: Friday 1st July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beach House Summer was the best perfect read after a few weeks of heavy going and emotional books. I love a typical Woman-Finds-Herself novel and this one ticked all the boxes. We see Joanna and Ashley form an unlikely friendship amidst a tragedy and over time they learn a lot about each other and themselves.  Both of these characters are strong. They are similar in many ways but Morgan cleverly displays the different nuances of what it means to be an independent female across two generations. The characters were developed well across the book, with secondary characters also learning from the lessons as the book progresses. And the romance amongst it all is beautiful and subtle.  I think my favourite things about this book was that there was no Fast Forward To Happy Families. One of my biggest bugbears with these kind of books is when the author visits the main characters years down the line and all is

​ Started: Sunday 26th June 2022 Finished: Wednesday 29th June 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "It takes a certain sort to withstand being locked up. Loneliness. Isolation. Monotony. Nothing for miles except sea and sea and sea. No friends. No women. Just the other two, day in, day out, unable to get away from them, it could drive you stark mad." I picked up The Lamplighters on a whim when I visited Waterstones at the weekend. The premise of the book is one I'm familiar with: In 1900, three lighthouse keepers disappeared from a Lighthouse off the coast of Scotland.  The story has been adapted into a film with Gerrard Butler called The Vanishing.  In this adaptation, three Lighthouse keepers disappear in 1972, leaving behind their three wives and plenty of speculation as to why and how these three vanished without a trace.  Through flashbacks and articles, we understand not only the mindset of the six main characters that this story circles, but also their secrets, their stories