Hello!
Today I'm back with the final instalment of Book Chats for 2020. I initially set my Goodreads target for the year at 50 books which I thought was a great starting figure. I didn't factor in a global pandemic and working from home so I exceeded my expectations by reading 102 books last year, a feat I'm incredibly proud of. For 2021, I've set that same 50 book target to get me going, and we'll see how this year goes!
If you do enjoy these reviews, I've just set up a Bookstagram where I'm posting mini-reviews (longer ones will still feature here and on Goodreads) and things on my to-read list. Without further ado, here's my December reads
The Betrayals can be summed up as captivating and magical. The novel centres around an abstract concept of the grand jeu - an ancient game and mysterious concept encompassing elements like music, performance, religion, language and history. I loved that its meaning is never explicitly told to you, so this ambiguity allows you as the reader to imagine, interpret and be metaphorical in your approach to what it actually is.
We flit from the perspective of The Rat, Magister Ludi (Claire, the only female professor in what is a male-dominated field), present-day Léo Martin (a disgraced politician sent to Montverre as a form of exile) and finally Léo's diary from when he was a student there. There is an excellent balance and unfolding of the plot from these alternative perspectives, and the language itself is so beautifully descriptive and enchanting you almost feel like you're there. Whilst set at Montverre, an exclusive academy and male-only educational institute, the predominant focus is not the students but rather the teachers that work there. The intricacies of characters' relationships are woven together in ways you might not see coming (view spoiler). The novel really challenges the ideas of trust, ego, love, patience and character depth and it allows a great exploration of the human psyche that ruminates in my mind long after the final pages.
There is a fantastical and atmospheric approach, with the history of the characters being elusive until the latter stages of the book. There's a darker look at purity laws, autocratic rule and gender roles which add a sense of imminent danger to secondary characters like the students in Claire's classes. There is also a deep look into the theme of mental health with threads on grief, bullying and suicide amongst others, and they were handled crucially and delicately in ways that made my heart ache.
Ultimately this is a book of mystery, with a sub-arc looking at elitism and the suffering of a society that isn't wealthy, Catholics or men. The fantastical elements really reminded me of Carry On and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in that it's introducing a newer concept, but if you enjoy both of those series you'll be enchanted by this one.
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge sucker for a Sophie Kinsella story, especially a Becky Brandon née Bloomwood story. After receiving this book last Christmas from my lovely Grandma, I wanted to wait for the beginning of the festive season to read it and boy let me tell you, it was WORTH THE WAIT! Just like sinking into a hot bath when you're cold, or reaching out to a friend you've not spoken to in ages yet it's just the same as ever, there's a sense of familiarity and warmth and comfort that comes with a Shopaholic book for me. Even though I haven't read the other instalments of the Shopaholic series this year, I picked up this one with no issue and was sucked back into Becky's story and life quite easily.
The ninth instalment of the Shopaholic series was warm, entertaining and light-hearted fun. In typical Becky Bloomwood style, there are unbelievable antics to amuse you especially as she attempts to host Christmas for her family and friends. From thirty pounds of salmon to a llama bauble, an escapee hamster, a pet-shop lock-in and a coveted Christmas present for her husband Luke, there is never a dull moment in Becky's life. I really didn't realise how much I needed Becky's attitude towards shopping and excess to be used within a festive setting, after all why buy one Christmas tree when you can have five? When she's tasked with hosting family Christmas, it throws her into a bit of a frenzy but she's determined to make the best of the situation and makes lots of lists and tries to appeal to everyone's requests, but with her husband Luke's help she realises 'the things that the Grinch can steal isn't what makes Christmas'.
The ending was a tad predictable but enjoyable nonetheless, and the rest of the novel was a rollercoaster of hilarious and heartfelt moments that not even a sabotaging 'multiplayer sex' and hot-tub loving businesswoman could ruin. This is as brilliant as ever and is an absolute delight to read in the run-up to Christmas.
This is my second of Christie's Poirot novels, and I admit I first picked it up because I am DYING to see the new film adaptation which has sadly been delayed due to Coronavirus.
In the run-up to Christmas, this murder mystery entertained me and comforted me so much as I was really able to immerse myself into the story and become intrigued by the menagerie of characters aboard the boat on the journey along the Nile. At the centre-fold of our story is Linnet Ridgeway, a gorgeous socialite, who is on her honeymoon in Egypt with her husband Simon Doyle, who just so happens to be her best friend’s former fiancé. Jacqueline de Bellefort is not one to be overshadowed by her now ex-fiancé and ex-best friend though and sets out to make the newlyweds' honeymoon less than relaxing, and so she pops up on various instances during the course of their celebrations. There is also a fantastic accompanying cast including Linnet's chambermaid, doctor, a mother and son duo who all have intriguing stories to unravel. Poirot showing up on holiday at the same time and place is rather fortuitous, however, when there are death and mystery aboard the Nile cruise that requires his attention.
The luxurious setting, much like in Murder on the Orient Express, makes for the perfect backdrop for a leisurely voyage complete with intriguing characters, death, and red-herrings aplenty. I loved trying to solve the myriad of clues along with Poirot and was still left guessing as yet further elements became revealed. I loved the complexity to the murder with the limited time window for the crime to be committed within and the characters not being who they appear to be. I was also intrigued to read that the archaeological history included in the story is actually inspired by Agatha Christie's own Egyptian trips.
There is an upper-and-lower class divide, a cultural storm, a moustached detective fiddling in people's affairs and the fast pace makes this a fantastic story - I'm already adding many Poirot stories to my 'want to read' for 2021.
Based on a slaveholding/plantation area in the deep South, this book covers two time periods - before the Civil War and after - and two women, Miss May Belle a slave conjuring woman and her daughter Rue. The scenery is described so vividly and you can really picture yourself in the post-Civil-war period when slaves were left to live on their plantations without owners, and the wonder surrounding hoodoo style conjuring plays a heavy role within that.
The mother and daughter duo are midwives, conjurers and healers of the townsfolk, and there is a prominent focus on the injustice that many slaves and black people faced during the post-war period. This is an interesting look into their newfound freedom and secrets that these people hold.
I must admit I was drawn in by the many rave reviews I'd seen of this title but I couldn't warm to either of the characters and was left feeling deflated. At times the timeline felt clunky, and there was a slow-build before anything of note really happened. If you're a lover of historical and hard-hitting fiction this would likely appeal more to you than it did to me.
On New Year's Eve, inside a London Eye pod, 443 feet above the ground, surrounded by spectacular 360-degree views of the city, Josh gets on one knee to propose to his long term girlfriend. A romantic setting with a long-term partner, who could say no? Well Jade, tells Josh no and drops the bombshell that she’s seeing another guy behind his back. The pair then spend the rest of the descent to the ground in silence, and a few weeks later when living at his parents with no job, no money, and a rabbit called Jeremy, he decides that all his life decisions should be made by flipping a coin. These decisions range from what drink to have in the morning, what pair of socks to put on, and whether to chase down a girl from a chance-encounter without knowing her name.
A story of fate being decided by the flip of a coin intrigued me greatly, but this felt a little lacklustre. His decision to make the decisions with the flip of a coin seems disjointed from the proposal story, and then from his hunt to find a mysterious girl he had one encounter with. Usually, the appeal of a good chick-lit or romance story is a sense of believability but this had none. The over-the-top quirkiness of Josh's family and the events that happened felt a little cringeworthy. I think that whilst this is meant to be a romance story, the romance doesn't happen until the latter half of the book, and even then we never really get to know the love interest. Instead, this was a story of a white man having a quarter-life crisis.
There are some stand-out amusing moments like a birthday discount faux pas and a Tinder date involving Josh's parents, but otherwise, I felt like the humour was a little too try-hard for my liking. Whilst it was great to read a romance story from a male perspective for a change, I would have preferred if Josh's character was developed a little further and the kookiness needed to be tamed back a little.
In theory, this book had components to succeed - a cute cover, an intriguing premise and what seem to be interesting characters - but it fails to deliver to its full potential.
Nora and Simon run a cute little bookshop in the Cotswolds but as the festive period approaches, it may be their last as their financial troubles seem to stick around just as much as the snow that blankets the streets around them. After one of their original book purchases for the shop finally finds a new home, the pair hatch a plan to send a book gift to six members of their local community who may need a little joy or perspective.
This featured on EVERY single 'my favourite reads of 2020' post I've seen, SO many people I follow on Goodreads rated it 4 or 5 stars, and yet..... I really did not gel with it. I read countless reviews and had several discussions with fellow book lovers about this book and they all talked about being sucked in and enraptured by the plot and the middle being spectacular and I found myself looking at the pages like am I missing something here?
The story focuses on two timelines - Kya when she is younger and abandoned by her family and lives alone in the Marsh, to 1969 when popular guy Chase Andrews is found dead. The two timelines slowly interweave until we see what Kya is up to during 1969 and her connection to Chase, then the aftermath of the investigation. The majority of the novel is set in Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village, where Kya dubbed as the 'Marsh Girl', does a lot of fishing and cooking grits after her family leaves. There are lengthy descriptions of her trips out to fish, and how she struggles to make money whilst being isolated from the townspeople. Helped by “Jumpin', a local black trader and a local boy who teaches Kya to read, she navigates her voyage into womanhood, exploring the marsh and feelings of isolation from a town that is so quick to judge but not help. The plot developing is gentle like passing waves, until the uncovering of Chase and the investigation surrounding his death.
There are some beautiful descriptions of the scenic landscapes which Kya inhabits which are lovely, but they add little to the plot apart from adding further imagery in your mind of a place described fifty times before. If you're a fan of historical fiction, mid-century America, race and public perception issues, or emotional reading then this is definitely one for you. For me, the hype makes this have exceedingly high expectations which it did not meet.
One of my best friends bought this for me for Christmas as they know how much I love the movie and this book is a delight. Whilst it doesn’t have all the same plot points as the film does, it’s a wonderful picture book for children and fans of the movie alike. The illustrations are beautiful with muted colours and delicate details to bring this winter wonderland to life
This story follows Chloe Roscoe, a thirty-something, who's been in a relationship with the man of her dreams Jack Carmichael for five short months. The pair travel together, 'reckon' they love one another and have just moved in together when Jack is killed in a tragic accident. Armed with a list of plans the pair had in place, Chloe decides to go ahead with them in honour of Jack. There's a hilarious skiing incident, an Italian meal, and an adventure to find the meaning behind a photograph to keep Chloe distracted from the grief of losing a loved one. There's a certain 'journey of discovery' path that Chloe leads after he has gone where she is given a fresh perspective on her life, her job as a teacher, and the things that bring her joy.
This has a unique theme of grief - Chloe's family, friends and Jack’s don't really empathize with her grieving process, and the phrase 'it was only five months' is tossed around frequently. Her grief and their relationship are subjective to her alone. She's not only grieving the man she loved, but also the missed opportunities that come with being with someone long-term. It's an emotive and moving story, and whilst it is a slow-builder, it's got a warming burn to it. Chloe's friend Beth is a tad annoying, and the use of Liverpool dialect felt a tad strained at times, hence why I'm not rating this higher.
If you're a fan of One Day you might like this, it channels the bittersweet notion of making the most whilst you can, and a look at love and taking a chance too late. A stand-out quote that seems to be equally loved by lots of reviewers is 'So, word of warning for anybody who- like me- has fallen into the habit of taking photos of a rainbow salad; two glasses of wine by candlelight: feet on a beach: don’t. Take photos of people. You will never, ever, ever care about your toes painted neon pink on the sand, ever. But you’ll wish you had more photos of the person you loved.'
And there we have it! My 2020 books summarised. Keep your eyes peeled here, and on my Bookstagram for more book content as I'm already on book number 6 of the year!
Kisses,
Chlo x
