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...

  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 wh...