Worst book review of the year so far | 21.04.2024
A fairly productive week has seen me post two book reviews,
👋 Hello
Hello and welcome back to another bookish newsletter filled with bookish articles, updates on reading and some great book deals.
If you’re new here, welcome. If you’re not, welcome back, thanks for keeping on opening these emails!
This week has been a fairly productive week for me actually. I managed to get three articles written. I have finished a few books recently as, as I mentioned in my last newsletter, I’ve got more back into a regular routine of work schedule and such. I’m hoping to finish a couple of books over the next week.
One of the books I’ll be reading is one suggested to me by Lisa Jewell herself. I did a TikTok on this:
Other than this. You can keep scrolling as always for my usual selection of my most recent articles, my current reads and some great book deals too!
✍️ What I’ve posted since my last newsletter
MY TOP FIVE MOST-READ ARTICLES DURING MARCH 2024
“To Kill A Mockingbird always seems to hover around the top of these lists. Clearly, even over 60 yers later, it’s still a book that people are interested in reading about.
The most interesting article that keeps popping up on these lists is the one in which I answer 50 questions. Clearly either people are searching google for questions to ask other people or are interested in what I have to say. Likely the former. Either way, still interesting.”
HIGH RISE BY VANESSA LEE BOOK REVIEW
“I really wanted to like High Rise as it covers an interesting topic of climate change but some uninteresting characters, a very basic love interest and a story that never really got going until the last 30 pages and even then peters out to become something very underwhelming made for a big disappointment.
High Rise covers a very important topic of climate change but I don’t feel like it makes a powerful enough of a message or suggest anything new for it to have the impact that I’m sure the author hoped. If this is a topic you’re interested in, High Rise could be a good read. But as a general novel, I’d give it a miss.”
IN MEMORIAM BY ALICE WINN BOOK REVIEW
“ In Memoriam is a resounding success of a book if you’re looking for a real honest, human story. Gaunt and Ellwood are utterly brilliant characters and Winn’s ability to write believable, deep human beings is real talent. The plot will take you on an emotional journey that you may or may not come out the otherwise safely of. In Memoriam isn’t for the light-hearted – there’s death, heartbreak and constant reminders of the darkness of humanity. If you’ve got the resolve or are just emotionless like me though, I couldn’t recommend In Memoriam more, it’s utterly fantastic.”
📖 What I’ve been reading this week
The Drift by C.J. Tudor
After a recent haul whilst I was out in Sheringham with some friends recently, one book I picked up The Drift received quite a lot of attention when I posted the selection online, suggesting it’s a book worth reading.
I’m just over halfway through so far and it’s been a solid 4/5 so far. It’s an engaging set of three stories where I’m genuinely interested in all three with some great characters too. However, I’m waiting for the moment that takes this from being a solid thriller to a fantastic book that people have suggested it could do online.
Lie With me by Sabine Durrant
I mentioned earlier on that I DMed a few authors asking what their favourite books were and then am going to read their suggestions. Lisa Jewell was one who responded and she recommended Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant, so this is where I’ve started.
I read two chapters in bed last night and so far I’m a big fan of the writing - very engaging and the main character actually seems to have a personality which is always a bonus from a first person POV book.
📚 Book deal - buy 3, get one free on all books under £5 - World of Books
I bloody love World of Books (or WoB as they wish to be known now). Not only do they have some incredibly priced second-hand (and even new) books, they offer up this great deal AND on many of their books, money goes directly into the pocket of the author too.
It’s a fantastic website that is often the first place I’ll go if I can’t find something a a decent price on Amazon.
So in their latest deal of buy three books under £5 and get one free, I’ve picked out a great selection. This means, based on some of the prices, you could literally get 4 books for about £12!
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