Five Star Friday #3 - Sweet Home by Carys Bray

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Hi!

Every so often, usually a Sunday, I like to take a few hours for myself and spend them browsing different book websites, stocking up my Kindle, and adding to my always-growing TBR pile. One such Sunday, I came across this collection of short stories by Carys Bray, author of A Song for Issy Bradley.

Published | 2012
Page Count | 156
Genre(s) | Fiction, Short Story, Contemporary, Magical Realism

PLOT

A collection of 17 short stories themed around family or parenting. There's a fairytale element to some (The Ice Baby, a story about a man who carves a much-wanted baby from ice to please his wife), but overall it's a fascinating take on family and the various trials and tribulations parents go through. Stand out stories include "The Rescue", in which a father is trying to save his son from the grip that drugs hold over him; "Love: Terms and Conditions", where a mother is determined not to make the same mistakes her own parents did, and "The Countdown", which takes a look at the worries of a first time father. Some of the stories are not for the faint of heart - they can get very, very dark and touch on subjects that may be uncomfortable for some to read about.

WHY FIVE STARS?

Even though some of the stories had a slight fantasy element to them and others veered into very dark territory, this was a relatable, interesting collection. At the core, most parents worry about the same things. Whether their children will fall in with the wrong crowd (whether or not their children are the wrong crowd), bullying, drugs, making mistakes, repeating history - each story is a slice of someone's life and gives just enough information about them so that we can get a feel, a snapshot, a few moments in their head.

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(click a cover for more information)

Books I Read in May

Not Sponsored | No Samples | ARCs Clearly Defined

Hi!

I have 13 books for you this month:

The Rick O'Shea Book Club

Join the Book Club Here

The picks for May were "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers and "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. I bought both, but chose to read the latter.

In this book, Dawkins presents facts about organised religion in order to prove there is no God. Do I agree with him? Not on everything, no. I think that while the facts were interesting and the hypocrisy of some religions are glaringly obvious, I think that Dawkins can be quite preachy and mocking of those who have a particular faith. It was a bit condescending, but it was definitely an interesting read.

Review Copies 

I'm really trying to get through my Netgalley requests, I've stuff sitting there since last September - so I got through four review copies this month.

My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry
Reviewed in full here, this is the story of two women who both have a huge role in one man's life. As the book opens, the man, Ed, has been murdered. The story is then told from the POV of Ed's muse, Carla, and his wife, Lily, over a period of fifteen years. I enjoyed this a lot.

Homecoming by Tanya Bullock
I received an email a while ago asking if I would like to read "the strangest love story ever told" - who can resist that? This is a short little novella, under 100 pages, but it was sweet and touching. It addressed a lot of issues that we don't often see in books - I don't want to give the plot away so I'd recommend taking a chance on it.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
I somehow ended up with two ARCs of this one - billed as Barack Obama's favourite book last year. This is the story of a marriage, that of Lotto and Mathilde, two hipster model types who fall for each other instantly and marry within weeks. Mathilde is mysterious, Lotto is creative. We get a look at their marriage from both sides - the first half from Lotto, the second Mathilde. Both paint a very different picture of their marriage and one has been hiding quite a lot. I found the book okay, but boring compared to what I was expecting.

Until Beth by Lisa Amowitz (YA)
Beth is a stellar guitar player, so much so that she ends up in a school for talented youths. Her boyfriend is one of a number of teenagers who have inexplicably gone missing, but could someone at the school hold the key? This was alright, but I've seen it a million times before. If "chosen one" or "divergent" or "immune" or "special" or "unique" stories are your thing, you may enjoy this. Personally I want to see strong independent female characters who don't just rely on some sixth sense to get by.

Audiobooks

I listened to three this month while doing housework or cooking, I find it such a great way to get more books in. Funnily enough I haven't been able to concentrate on any fiction yet, I tend to zone out, but I'm enjoying working my way through the autobiography section on audible and the library (there's a blog post here about how to borrow audiobooks from the library).

Is it Just Me? by Miranda Hart
I was really disappointed with this - I actually gave up halfway through. But poor wifi and having nothing else to listen to made me finish it one day, and it improved a bit - I just found it a bit repetitive, especially when half the stories have already appeared on Miranda's TV series. The main gripe for me was "18 year old Miranda" (Miranda using a high pitched moany teenager voice) popping in every few minutes, using slang like "sozbuckets". No.

The Life and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton
I love Graham Norton, I'm a big fan, and this was enjoyable. I really enjoyed the stories about other famous people - Madonna, Dolly Parton, Cher - and I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes gossip from Graham's various shows. There's a great story in here about Liza Minelli's wedding, enough to keep even the biggest gossip hound going!

The Soundtrack to my Life by Dermot O'Leary
I liked the premise of this - a life story told through songs. Just to be clear, there's no actual music on the audiobook (I naively thought there would be) - but Dermot talks about his life and career so far by dedicating a song or two to each chapter and talking about how it links in with that time period. There's the first song he played on radio, the song he listened to over and over while on holiday, songs from childhood, the song he associates with his first presenting gig, songs from T4, the X Factor, etc - my only gripe is that he talks quite fast so I couldn't always catch what he said, but this was enjoyable and it prompted me to make my own mini list about songs that I've attached to memories (I've listed them on my Goodreads review here).

Other Fiction

Wreckage by Emily Bleeker
Lillian went on a dream trip to Fiji and ended up stranded on the island after the plane crashed. One of only two survivors, Lillian is now preparing to give one final interview to the media to get them off her back. But Lillian is hiding something - what happened on the island? A great read for the first 50-60%, then it got a little silly for me.

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
This was a 5 star read for me, it's a creepy Hammer-esque novel about a man reflecting on a summer spent at The Loney, a wild place with a Shrine reported to have healing properties. Along with his parents, his mute brother, and some family friends, the boy spends the summer at the creepy Victorian mansion where his parents are convinced his brother will be 'healed'. It's atmospheric, it's weird, it's creepy, it's disturbing, and I really enjoyed it.

The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs (YA)
Written in 1973 and set in the late 1940s, Lewis Barnavelt is sent to live with his magician uncle Jonathan after his parents are killed in an accident. Jonathan lives in a three storey stone mansion, one that has an incessant ticking in the walls. While trying to impress a new friend, Lewis unwittingly unleashes real evil - can he find and stop the clock ticking? This was enjoyable, a nice read, might be a good one for young teens around Halloween.

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
This short book has been nominated for multiple prizes, more notably the Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction 2016. It focuses on Lucy Barton, who is reminiscing about a long hospital stay she endured some years before. Her estranged mother shows up and they talk about people from childhood. There are allusions made to some darkness in Lucy's past but it doesn't really go anywhere - at one point I thought the Mum was a figment of Lucy's imagination because she was so detached. This has been billed as the story of a relationship between a mother and daughter but I didn't get it - I didn't enjoy it and felt it was overhyped. But I am in the minority and it's short, so give it a go and let me know if you like it!

The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman (YA)
Described as being similar to "We Were Liars", this is a magical realism story in which teenagers are able to have their wishes granted - for a price. You want to be beautiful? Fine, but you'll have diminished intelligence as a result. You want to erase a painful memory? Okay, but here's some physical pain for you instead. This is full of secrets, lies, and it took me a while to read - I didn't love it. I liked the idea a lot but felt that it dragged a bit.

And that's it! If you have any audiobook suggestions please leave them in the comments, I'm running out of autobiographies and would love something light and easy to listen to - non-fiction if possible!

As always, you can go to my BOOKS 2016 page to access clickable book covers for all the books I read, they will take you to my full Goodreads review.

See you in July...

Five Star Friday - All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Not Sponsored or Paid | No ARCs

Hi!

It recently came to my attention (because I searched for it) that of the 407 books listed as "read" on my Goodreads page, I have given a full five stars to a mere 64 (just under 16%). I want to make book posts more regular on here, so every Friday I'm going to talk about a book I've rated 5/5. Starting with this - my first five star read of 2016.

Published | April 2015
Page Count | 544
Genre(s) | Historical Fiction | War Fiction | WWII

Winner of the Pulitzer Price for Fiction 2015

PLOT

A story about a blind French girl and a young German soldier who are linked by the horrors of World War II. We follow Marie-Laure as her city is being evacuated. Her father, a museum locksmith, is also a skilled model maker and has made a model of the city for Marie-Laure so she can learn to find her way around. We meet Werner in 1934 at the orphanage where he lives. He has a natural way with electronics, particularly radio equipment - this talent earns him a place in the National Political Institute of Education, eventually ending up with him being enlisted to the army. Although neither Marie or Werner know each other, their lives are linked and they will prove to have an effect on each other.

It's written in short chapters, so there was a lot of "just one more chapter" going on while I read it. I found it easy to read and thought the main characters and settings were distinctive enough so that I never had to go back and check who I was reading about.

The book is about survival during the very darkest times - both physically and metaphorically. My understanding of the title was that it was a nod to both Marie-Laure's inability to see physically and Werner looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, but the author explains that's it literal:

It’s a reference first and foremost to all the light we literally cannot see: that is, the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that are beyond the ability of human eyes to detect (radio waves, of course, being the most relevant). It’s also a metaphorical suggestion that there are countless invisible stories still buried within World War II — that stories of ordinary children, for example, are a kind of light we do not typically see. Ultimately, the title is intended as a suggestion that we spend too much time focused on only a small slice of the spectrum of possibility.

WHY FIVE STARS?

I'll give five stars to something if it's the kind of book that gives me a book hangover - that takes me days to get over, one that I miss when it's finished. This was that kind of book - I wanted to post a picture of the cover to every book group I'm a member of, I wanted to talk about it with people and recommend it. It was a January pick in The Rick O'Shea Book Club, and I thought it was an excellent book club choice. It was wonderfully descriptive, even Marie-Laure's chapters, which is a feat in itself considering she had to rely on her other senses to describe what was going on around her.

I had one issue with one scene towards the end of the book that disappointed me - I felt that it was gratuitous and lent nothing to the story. I won't confess to knowing a huge amount about WWII, so I don't know if it was commonplace at the time, but it felt a little out of place compared to the rest of the book (it's in the "Berlin" chapter).

The rest of the book was so enjoyable that I felt it deserved the full five stars - I loved how the two characters were linked, and I thought the author did a great job of portraying the War from both sides.

I'd absolutely recommend it, apart from being a great piece of historical fiction, it's a wonderful story about survival, hope, and solace.

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(click a cover for more information)

Book Review - My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

Not Sponsored or Paid | Book Received as an ARC from the Publisher. Review Policy here. 

Hi!

A few weeks ago, I was offered a copy of this debut psychological thriller by author Jane Corry. I didn't get much information, just that the author had spent some time working in a maximum security prison and had been inspired to write this story afterwards. I accepted, and read it yesterday.

Genre | Fiction, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Published | Paperback August 2016, Available on Kindle now
Page Count | 528 Pages

PLOT

Tuesday 20 October 2015. 

The artist Ed Macdonald has been found stabbed to death in his home. It is thought that...

So begins our story. In order to find out more about the victim, we go back in time fifteen years, to when Ed and Lily were married. Lily is a newly qualified solicitor, specialising in criminal law. She agrees to take on a particularly difficult case, and it almost immediately begins to consume her. Ed, meanwhile, is a struggling artist. His paintings aren't as successful as he'd like - until he finds a muse in the form of ten-year-old neighbour Carla Cavoletti. Carla lives with her mother, a fiesty Italian woman who is struggling to keep herself and Carla afloat. Carla just wants to be like all the other children at school - whatever it takes, she will do.

I don't want to go much further into the plot - I will tell you that the story is told by Lily and Carla in alternating chapters. It spans over fifteen years, and is as much a portrait of a marriage as it is a thriller. It's also a study in human behaviour - what motivates us, what drives us to succeed, how far we will go to get what we want, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the ones we love.

THOUGHTS

It's hard to discuss without giving much away - I can't particularly say I liked any character, but I (maybe surprisingly) enjoyed the character of Joe Thomas - I found him menacing, intelligent, and liked seeing how his mind worked. Both Lily and Carla are very calculating, determined characters - but they're driven by different things. One by ambition, one by guilt.

The book reeled me in with the first hundred pages - I was determined to finish it in one day. Even though I had received a physical proof copy, I actually bought the book on Kindle as well so I could continue reading in bed.

I think this is a good choice for a holiday book this year. For me, the latter 20% fell down a little compared to the rest of the book - I just thought Lily began to unravel - but overall I'd recommend it, it's an accomplished debut. There are enough twists and turns to keep even the most seasoned reader interested.

RATING

Libraries Ireland - How to Borrow eBooks and Audiobooks

Not Sponsored or Paid | Nothing to Disclose

Hi!

As a child, Friday evening was the best time of the week. After school, I'd go down town in Mohill and head into the library. I'd be allowed pick 6 (or sometimes more) books and devour them over the weekend.

I'm still a library fiend - but sometimes I don't get the time to read physical books as much anymore so it takes me much longer to read, leaving me a bit daunted by the prospect of having to return them within a few weeks. I find it faster and easier to use the Kindle - especially as I can use it at night without disturbing anyone else.

A few months ago I discovered that not only do my library offer a huge range of eBooks to borrow online, but that I can also place requests, automatically renew books, borrow Audiobooks, and access a huge range of magazines.

For the purposes of this post, I'm not going to go through every County in Ireland - just Google your County and find out where your local library is - but I'll use my local one as an example to show you what's available. For free. Yep - membership of all public libraries in Ireland is now free. 

Longford County Library

This is the Umbrella for  6 libraries in Longford - Longford Town, Edgeworthstown, Drumlish, Ballymahon, Granard, Lanesborough. You can go in and join any of these libraries for free, then you'll be issued with a library card. Ask for a PIN to be set up on your account so you can access the Longford County Library site online, then you're all set. If you're already a member, just ask for your PIN to be activated. Should you need to, you can reset your PIN here.

eBooks and Audiobooks

Longford County Library uses the BorrowBox app, which is available on iOS and Android. You can install this for free on your Apple or Android device. I ran into a problem trying to get it on my Kindle Fire - but there's a step-by-step guide right here. Once you have the app, you can log in to the online library and start borrowing. Log on to your County Library website and find the eBook section. The online libraries are all on Bolinda Digital - the Longford one is at http://library.bolindadigital.com/longford. You're allowed a maximum number of Audiobooks and eBooks at a time (this varies - e.g. Longford allows you to borrow 5 of each, Galway 4 of each). You can borrow instantly and access your content through the app, or you can reserve books that are currently on loan (these count towards your total). You will not be able to borrow anything without a library card and PIN. There are adult, young adult, reference, childrens, cookery - the same selection as you'd get in a physical library. When you click borrow, you'll be given a return date (I think about 3 weeks). Once the date is coming near, you'll get an email to remind you that your time is almost up, then you can either return or renew by clicking the "return" button beside your book or "renew" provided no other member has reserved it.

You can check at the Libraries Ireland homepage here to see if your County library currently offers eBook or Audiobook services. By County library I mean the entire library network in your county - e.g. joining the library in Raheny would give you access to the entire Dublin City online catalogue, joining the library in Granard gives me access to the entire Longford County online catalogue. 

Magazines

Also available are magazines via Zinio. You can join here - Zinio. You'll need your library card number. Zinio is currently available to members of Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Donegal, Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick City and County, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford City & County, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow libraries.

With Zinio, you can download a free app (iPad, iPhone, Kindle HD/HDX, Android) to read magazines offline, or you can read online. Just scroll to the bottom of the page on the site (here) and you'll see the links to download.

There's an enormous range of current and back issues available - everything from All About Soap magazine to Top Gear, Cosmopolitan, Weight Watchers US, Cross Stitcher, Teen Vogue. You can tick a box to receive an email when the next issue is available.

Newspapers

Newspapers are provided online by Proquest. You can find a link to your County here. When you click the link, you'll get this screen:

Enter your library card number to access the site. There's a huge archive of newspapers, magazines and trade journals from all over the world, available to read instantly (1,109 at last look). You can browse through publications or search for something specific.

When you click on a title, you can choose what year, then what month, week, etc you want to look at. The articles will then be shown and you can click through them - e.g. this is an article from the May 20th issue of the North Shore Times (Sydney) about Wi-Fi - you can see that it says "7 of 55" - meaning there are 55 articles to view from that issue. This could be a lovely way to keep up with local news from home if you don't have access to newspapers from where you grew up.

Hopefully this was easy to understand - I would love if more people joined the library and encouraged their children to join too. Books have been a comfort to me throughout every stage of my life, no matter what was going on at the time - so even if you're not a reader it would be such a great thing to introduce your children (or younger relatives) to!

Books I Read in April

Not Sponsored or Paid, ARCs clearly defined.

Hi!

Please excuse my recent absence - a combination of incredibly poor wifi, lack of inspiration, several handcrafted presents to make and a possibly insane decision to rewatch both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed from the beginning have all meant that blogging time has been non-existent lately. But much like Arnie and Eminem, I'm back (back again), and I'll be sticking around.

I've been reading at night in bed, mostly, but a weekend-long book binge at the start of the month meant that I got to add another 16 to my yearly total.

YA = Young Adult, A= Adult.

Library Books

As is always the case with the library, I got excited, overborrowed, and several of them were returned before I got round to them - but here are the ones I finished:

Dare Me by Megan Abbot (YA)
Addy and her cheerleading squad are getting on just fine until the arrival of a new coach. Colette French immediately throws the girls into a strenuous routine, proving that cheering is more than shaking your pom-poms - the girls are exhausted. They're pushed to improve their physical appearance and stamina, but there are dark secrets here - ones that could destroy lives if revealed.

This is no Bring it On. This is hardcore, bitchy, girls stabbing each other in the back, secrets, lies, obsession - I think I gave it 2/5, it just didn't suck me in.

The Snowman (Harry Hole #7) by Jo Nesbo (A)
This is the first Jo Nesbo book I've picked up. It's also my first ever foray into the much loved genre of Scandinavian crime. A mother has disappeared, and there's a sinister snowman found at the scene. As Detective Harry Hole is put on the case, it happens again and again - and always when the first snow falls. It's up to Harry and his colleagues to find out who the Snowman is and stop him before he kills again.

This was well written, I had no issues with the story or plot, but it felt much, much longer than the 383 pages Goodreads says it is. I liked Harry Hole as a character and will read more.

Triptych (Will Trent #1) by Karin Slaughter (A)
I decided to go back to the start of the Will Trent series and read them all in order. In this first book of the series, Atlanta police detective Michael Ormewood is put on the case of a prostitute who has been violently murdered. Special Agent Will Trent from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is called in to lend a hand. Meanwhile, we get an arc about a man who spent time in prison for the murder of a young girl. His recent release makes him prime suspect #1.

When this starts to click, my god is it good. Karin Slaughter is a master of her craft, she just knows how to suck people in and grab them by the gut. Really well written, and thoroughly enjoyable - not perfect, but a solid 4/5.

Review Copies

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick (YA) Published 2 June (Kindle) 9 June (Paperback)
I requested this on Netgalley. This is about teenager Timothy Mason, a High School dropout and recovering alcoholic. His friend Jason Garrett lets Tim stay in the family garage when Tim's father gives him a limit of a few months to turn his life around before he is cut off. Tim has history with Jason's sister Alice, who has issues of her own. When an old flame of Tim's turns up unannounced, it means complications for everyone.

This really dragged for me, I didn't find Alice or Tim particularly likeable and I wasn't rooting for them. I didn't like how dismissive Tim was of his "ex", nor did I like how judgemental he was about others. I just didn't enjoy it - but I'm in the minority going by Goodreads reviews so if you like Contemporary YA, give it a go.

Audiobooks

Would you believe that at almost 33 years old I had never listened to an audiobook before? I took the plunge this month and found it a fantastic way of getting another book in over a few days while cooking or cleaning.

Spectacles by Sue Perkins (A)
If you're of a certain vintage you'll remember Sue from Naked Lunch, but she's obviously better known for her role on The Great British Bake Off. This is her autobiography, and the audiobook was read by Sue. She tells her story in a warm, friendly way - she's naturally very funny and makes even the most mundane experiences sound hilarious. Parts of it are also very touching. If you like her at all I'd highly recommend this and I'd recommend you listen to it as opposed to read it.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed (A)
Ye gads. This was supposed to be a story about a woman who had a couple of really bad experiences (a loss, a marriage breakdown) and found herself again while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail alone. Instead, it's a choppy, far-fetched tale of a woman doing a bit of hiking, a lot of bragging, and a lot of shagging. At one point I went off into another room to get something and my husband came in asking me why I was listening to porn in front of the kids. Seriously. The narrator grated on me and the book was just......it irritated me and I didn't like it, I also didn't think Cheryl "found herself" at all.

Short Stories

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell (YA)
A short story written by Rowell for World Book Day. Elena is Star Wars obsessed - so much so that she's never even seen the prequels (it's okay I promise it makes sense). She joins a line outside the cinema for the showing of the newest movie, hoping for lots of instagram-worthy crowd shots, but instead is met by just two people - one of whom will teach her about acceptance and being true to yourself. This was alright, it was a quick read, a nice palate cleanser in between people chopping each other up.

Sweet Home by Carys Bray (A)
A collection of 17 short stories all based on the themes of parenting and/or family. This was a real surprise for me - gloriously odd and quirky in places, desperately sad and upsetting in others. This veers into very dark territory more than once, so it's not for the faint hearted, but it's well worth a read. Stand-outs include the fantasy "The Ice Baby", in which a man carves a baby from ice for his wife, "The Countdown", about a man worrying about his first child, and "Love: Terms and Conditions" about a woman who vows to not repeat the mistakes made by her parents. Highly recommended.

The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett (A)
TV/film writer/actor Alan Benentt tells the tale of the old lady who lived in his garden for 15 years in a series of ratty old vans during the 1970s/1980s. This is the short story of how they tolerated each other and of the delicious eccentricities of Miss Shephard. It's not some saccharin sweet tale - but it's witty and funny and an interesting look at one of those real characters we don't come across too often anymore.

Young Adult

I read a couple of other YA books in April, most had been sitting on my kindle for a very long time - I find it a great genre to get me out of a reading slump.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (YA)
Eleanor and Park are very different - she marches to the beat of her own drum, but her flaming red hair and "interesting" style hide a lot of insecurities. He has a happy home life, but does he really know who he is? This is set in the 80s against a backdrop of the best music, over one school year. I didn't love it - it was okay for me, I found Eleanor's home life very upsetting to read about - but I know that others adore the book and the couple. It's being made into a film, one I'd definitely watch.

Every Day by David Levithan (YA)
Every day, A wakes up in a different body. Sometimes a boy, sometimes a girl, always a different person and never more than 24 hours. A can't  (or shouldn't) change or meddle, they are just a visitor - until A meets Rhiannon and feels an instant connection. Suddenly, everything A does is about Rhiannon - and if someone were to find out what's going on, A would be in serious danger.

Despite the insta love I enjoyed this, I liked that A was neither male or female, it was a great idea, and I'm a fan of body-switching things anyway. I didn't like that the angle of the Reverend wasn't fully explored, there seemed to be a story there that just dropped off. Overall a good read, there are prequels and sort-of sequels but I wouldn't bother with them. This was solid as a standalone.

Monster by C.J Skuse (YA)
Bathory is an exclusive Boarding School for girls. Not unlike Hogwarts, there are 4 houses in this big school full of secrets. Out in the middle of nowhere, Natasha (Nash) finds her battle to be Head Girl the least of her worries when her beloved brother Sebastian is reported missing. Add to that a mythical beast that may not be so mythical, some creepy rumours of murders, and a snowstorm that means some of the girls are stranded at Bathory, and you have an atmospheric teenage whodunnit with an element of dark humour that was really enjoyable in a kinda "Point Horror v2.0" way. I seriously laughed my arse off at the last name of the teacher, Slash fans will get it instantly. Great fun, recommended.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (YA)
David and Rachel are no strangers to working with each other - this is one in a number of books they've co-written ( see also: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List). Nick is playing with his band when his ex Tris walks in with another boy. To avoid looking like a loser in front of Tris, Nick turns to the nearest girl and asks her to be his girlfriend for the next five minutes. The girl turns out to be super cool Manic Pixie Dream Girl Norah. What ensues is a night of debauchery in Manhattan, with Nick and Norah learning about each other. I have written "boring as f*ck" in my notes for this one, and I can't remember much about it, except a feeling of utter boredom and annoyance at the use of slang.

Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here by Anna Breslaw (YA)
Scarlett is a proud member of the Lycanthrope High fandom - it's her favourite TV show and she is fully immersed in online forums devoted to it. When it is cancelled, Scarlett begins to write fan fiction but draws (a little too heavily) on those she knows in reality - her crush Gideon, his evil girlfriend Ashley, and her friend Avery. If anyone were to read Scarlett's online ramblings they'd find out exactly what she thought of those people but that's not likely to happen...........right? Scarlett's elderly neighbour Ruth is a brilliant character too, and it's nice to see the dynamic between the two generations.

This was witty (you can tell the author is well acquainted with the Whedonverse), warm, funny, and Scarlett was a really great main character. A fantastic debut and I'd happily recommend this to anyone looking for a new YA book to read.

Other Fiction

In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward (A)
Rachel Jones and Sophie Jenkins were 8 years old when they were kidnapped. Rachel got away - Sophie didn't. Roll on to the present day when Rachel is now a family historian, still living in her home village of Bampton. Sophie's mother unexpectedly takes her own life - leading the local police to re-examine the original case. This was okay - it had a bit of a Happy Valley vibe but there were unnecessary elements (the nervous Groom) and we didn't need to be told repeatedly that Rachel, as a size 14, was heavy/thick/overweight/large etc. I could see this being a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, it's the type of book I'd recommend for a bit of midweek reading but it won't be one that will stay with you - I'd put it on the same shelf as The Bones of You by Debbie Howells or Beside Myself by Ann Morgan so if you enjoyed either of those, give this a go.

Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks (as Unknown) (A or YA)
This is a classic - the story of a teenager named Alice who goes to a party, takes drugs, and begins a downward spiral resulting in the destruction of her life. Originally marketed as a diary, a true story, this was later revealed to be the fictional work of Mormon Youth Counsellor Beatrice Sparks, who also fabricated other supposedly true stories. This is really boring to read - everything is great! great! great! and it's obviously not written by a teenager. This is it in two lines:

"Wheel of morality, turn turn turn, tell us the lesson that we should learn"
Don't ever try drugs, you will die.

I can imagine it was shocking at the time and it's worth a read even just to say you've read it - but it's beyond boring.

That's it! Hopefully you'll find something interesting to read, favourites this month were Sweet Home, Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here and Spectacles.

At this point I'd also like to give a shout out to a new Irish book blog started by Sara from Where is My Mind Gone? - it's called Not Another Book Blogger and you can find the blog here, the facebook here, and the instagram here. It's always a great thing to see more book blogs, especially Irish based ones - the online book community is huge and in general one of the nicer communities to be a part of.

As always, I'm a glutton for punishment and my TBR pile won't be big enough until it needs its own entry on the Register of Electors, so hit me with your recommendations in the comments.

Books I Read in March

Not Sponsored or paid, ARCs from Netgalley featured. 

Hi!

The beginning of March was slow for me, reading wise, but I found my mojo again towards the middle of the month and got through 12 books. As always, full reviews are posted on Goodreads and you can find those by going to my Books 2016 page and clicking on any book cover.

The Rick O'Shea Book Club

[Facebook, click here to join]

There was one pick this month:

Acts of the Assassins by Richard Beard
A famous cult leader has gone missing in the middle East - several people saw him die, but his body cannot be found - leading people to presume he's still alive. One by one, his followers are being killed off in gruesome ways in an attempt to lure him out. Oh, and the leader is Jesus Christ.
Interesting, great idea, but not my thing, didn't enjoy it.

Review Copies

Anyone can join Netgalley and request books to review. 

The Good Mother by A.L. Bird - Published April 4th

Susan wakes up and has no idea where she is - she has been abducted, and soon realises that her Captor, a man she finds oddly familiar, has also abducted her teenage daughter Cara and is keeping her in the room next door. But what does he want with Susan and Cara? Can they work together to get out? Promising but a huge let down for me, it tried too hard to shock and the last few chapters were messy.

My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal - Expected Publication June 6th

Leon is almost nine years old. He has the most perfect baby brother in the whole world, Jake. He looks after Jake because their Mum isn't able to, but when the boys are sent to live with a nice lady with fuzzy red hair, Maureen, a new family want to take Jake. They don't want Leon because he isn't white. Leon is determined to get his brother back - sometimes taking his anger and frustration out on those around him - and meanwhile meets some people who make him remember that everything isn't so bad. 

I had to put this book down halfway through because I was sobbing - full on snotty sobbing. It was so, so emotional. At one point, the words 'baby dinners' made me weep. I highly recommend it - it's set in England in the late 70s/early 80s, against a backdrop of the Royal Wedding, racial tension and social issues. A fantastic debut. 

Library

I have a separate post coming about libraries and the services offered, but for now - here are the books I borrowed from the library in March.

Fallen by Lia Mills
Set in Dublin during Easter week 1916, this is the fictional account of how the Rising and the events leading up to and after it affect one Dublin girl and her twin brother. I enjoyed the book, it gave me a good idea of how the Rising must have been for ordinary everyday citizens.

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
Now a film starring Saoirse Ronan (pronounced seer-sha), this is the story of Eilis Lacey (pronounced eye-lish), a young girl from Enniscorthy in Wexford and her emigration to America in the 1950s. It follows her through her first job, her first love in America, and a tough decision. I enjoyed the setting, but I didn't like Eilis as a main character, I found her dull and overall the book bored me, unfortunately.

Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas
Six young graduates answer an ad in a newspaper looking for "Bright Young Things" for a secret project. They go for an audition then wake up on an island, with no idea of how they got there or what's going on. While the plot is alright, the best part of this 1999 novel for me were the multiple pop culture references. The author describes it as a "time capsule" and I loved it, references to things that were popular at the time had me grinning ("She's a Joey, but she wishes she were a Jen" - YESSSS!!).

Young Adult

I'm a big fan of Young Adult (YA) novels, I don't think you're ever too old to stop reading them. I read two this month.

The Storm (The Rain #2) by Virginia Bergin
In The Rain, teenager Ruby Morris was caught up in a pretty big crisis, torrential rain that makes people destroy themselves. I loved it because Ruby was gloriously normal and worried about mundane things that we don't usually seen teen heroines worry about. In this sequel, it's still raining on and off, and Ruby is searching for some people. I didn't like this as much - I felt like it was a bit muddled and tried to go a few different directions instead of just picking one and sticking with it. I also didn't like the direction Ruby's character went in. But I'd recommend the first book!

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Willowdean Dumplin' Dickson is a teenager who works part time at a fast food place with a very hot boy named Bo. Her mother is in charge of the annual Beauty Pageant, and is disappointed that Willowdean is overweight. Willowdean decides to call her mother's bluff and enter the Pageant, bringing a group of misfit friends with her. This was sold as a body positive empowering book - sadly I didn't feel that. I felt that Willowdean was incredibly insecure, selfish, and mean about others. It's a shame, because there aren't many YA books with overweight characters where it's not an issue - but throw in an unlikely love triangle and it wasn't enough to hold my interest. I finished it, but only just.

Non-Fiction

Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming
When Scottish actor Alan Cumming got the chance to participate in Geneology show Who Do You Think You Are?, he thought it would be a great opportunity to solve a family mystery on his mother's side. Instead, his strained relationship with his father became the focus as some previously uknown information was shared. Part memoir, part mystery, this read like a novel and is definitely one of the better memoirs I've read. Highly recommeded. I'm also blaming Alan for my renewed interest in finding out about past generations of my family!

Fiction

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
Bee's mother, Bernadette, has gone missing days before they were due to go on a family trip to Antarctica. Through the medium of email and letters, Bee tries to piece together her mothers life to try and find out what happened. This is darkly comic in parts, I loved the parts with the snobbish school mothers. However, about 2/3 of the way through I lost interest and didn't really buy the conclusion.

The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble
Clara and her sister Marin were brought to Aunt Verity as babies - Clara by a stork, Marin inside a conch shell. As the girls grow, it becomes apparent that Marin is slowly becoming a mermaid and needs to be returned to the sea. Aunt Verity is bound to her mountain home by a curse, so it's up to Clara and her childhood friend O'Neill to get Marin to safety. Predictably, things don't go as smoothly as that - there's a very fantasy carnival kind of atmosphere to this. It was just okay for me, parts of it felt like a lesson in morality.

The Green Road by Anne Enright
A mother in rural Co. Clare has requested that her four children join her at the family home for one last Christmas before she sells the house. They all have their own issues and stories, and we get to know them before the Christmas meeting. I loved this, really enjoyable and I'll definitely read Anne's other works.

So that's it - quite a 'meh' reading month, but three fantastic reads (Alan Cumming, Anne Enright and Kit de Waal). Have you read anything interesting lately? I'm always on the lookout for suggestions, but I can feel myself getting into a kind of YA mood so if you've read any interesting Young Adult novels lately, please let me know.