Book Review: Do Not Become Alarmed

I love a good page-turner.

The kind of book you look forward to, that keeps you gripped during your commute, that makes you long for bedtime and a chance to tuck into another chapter or two.

My most recent reviewing read, Do Not Become Alarmed (Penguin, releases 6th July) is exactly that kind of juicy read. It spent far too long on my TBR pile, but as soon as I actually picked it up and dove below that blue cover I was taken on quite the journey by Maile Meloy. This book is entertaining, but also considers so big issues - family, travel, privilege, and I was often kept on the hop by the twists and turns of the narrative.

The blurb on goodreads summarises the book far more succinctly and skillfully than I can, writing this after an evening of reports, so I'll use that to set the scene. Man, I love goodreads.

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Current Reads, June 2017

May into June is always a busy time in a teacher's schedule, but I'm trying to make sure I still read a little each day. Commuting 90-plus minutes each workday and my no-screens-at-bedtime rule helps to make tearing through books a lot easier! Here are the five I'm working on just now - these are the books I'm on, or just about to start.

I love Nia Vardalos, so when I spotted Instant Mom the other day I had to pick up a copy. Like Nia it's funny, clever and kind, and I'm loving it!

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Book Review: The Hate U Give

One of my favourite things about the close of the year is the excitement of the year to come - the shows to await, the albums to look for, and best of all (for a bookworm like me), the books to get excited about. I love poring over the lists and noting down the titles of books I'm looking forward to, and pre-ordering them (or if I'm lucky and know the PR, requesting a proof).

In the 2017 lists, a book the really stood out for me was The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas.  The buzz around this book was deafening, and so many writers, bloggers and thinkers I admire were flagging it up as a book to watch. So I pre-ordered my copy and awaited delivery.

Set in contemporary America, The Hate U Give follows the story of Starr, a girl growing up in the poor neighbourhood of Garden Heights where her family have lived for generations, and who attends Williamson, a private school in the suburbs. As the book unfolds it becomes apparent that Starr struggles with belonging in either setting. At home she feels distant from peers as her school life and much of her social life takes place away from Garden Heights. Meanwhile at school she has friends with home lives incredibly different to her own, and as the narrative unfolds we see Starr struggling with her status as an outlier at school - her background and ethnicity both singles her out and gives her an allure of cool bestowed upon her by her fellow students due to her perceived otherness.

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How To Be A Grown Up

You know how some writers just chime with you?

How when you read their poetry, or prose, or journalism, and you feel you could be kindred spirits, so close to the nerve their writing goes? The writers who you feel 'get' you, who tick all those lovely empathy boxes?

For me, one of that select bunch is Daisy Buchanan. And for many others too, as evinced by her thousands of twitter followers, agony-aunt-for-Grazia gig, and her widely enjoyed and discussed writings for many other publications (seriously, I could list but we would be here a while...my faves are her witty, outspoken, wonderful writings for The Pool. I have such a soft spot for that site!).  Imagine my delight then when a couple of months ago I spotted some tweets discussing an upcoming book by the divine Ms B, which I clearly had to get a copy of to review.

A little tweeting and a quick request later, my very own hot pink proof of How To Be A Grown Up (Headline, releases on April 6th) arrived, and I devoured the thing over my winter break. This is a simply marvellous book, full of humour and intelligence, but more than that, full of kindness. Daisy writes about everything, from friendship to career, love to money, the bedroom to the boardroom and fills each chapter with wisdom, as well as funny stories and interesting anecdotes aplenty. Like sitting down with a trusted friend and catching up over a drink or two, this book is not only entertaining, you come away from it feeling enriched, like you've got some extra hints and tips to take away.

The book seems to be pitched for twenty-somethings (it certainly seems to be the case on Amazon etc) but even being in my mid-thirties there was plenty I could reflect on and learn from, as well as plenty of cringey moments I could enjoy with a little distance from my teens and early adulthood! I would have loved to have read this when I was a little younger, but could still relish it in my current season of life.

This book straddles two very different genres with skill - it's both a funny, entertaining read and a book chock-full of actionable, useful advice - combining the two is no mean feat! Throughout Buchanan's talent for a story and her ear for a well-crafted line shine through, and this is a wee gem of a read. When it releases I'll definitely be gifting a few copies to some of my best girls. Well worth your time - I'll be looking out for this bright pink cover on my commutes to work later this year!




Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book to review from the publisher. All opinions, thoughts and ponderings are my own.

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The Bear and the Nightingale

I have a soft spot for fairy tales. I think in the mystical, the fantastical, the other-worldly, stories can inhabit a special, revealing place, and I love getting swept up by a narrative that takes me to a different space.

The Bear and the Nightingale (Del Rey, out now in hardback; paperback releasing in October 2017), is a Russian fairytale, all about the sinister and unknown things which may lie around us, in the deep and unknown woods. The story, in its snowy, rural setting, is written in a lyrical and beautiful style, with vivid descriptions and exquisite pacing.

This is one of those books which hooked me from the blurb:

"In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.

But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods... "

I mean. For someone who loves a bit of Gaiman, Pullman and Morgenstern...that's my kind of intro!

The story follows Vasya, our headstrong, wild girl, the youngest child in the Vladmirovich family. Growing up without her mother, who died shortly after Vasya's birth, she is the baby of the family, who is doted upon by her older siblings. Vasya has inherited her mother's gift of the second sight and spends her time in congress with the spirits and guardians of the land around her. She befriends many of the spirits and tries to aid them as the rest of her village start to move away from them and from the ancient magic. Concerned that Vasya will never marry without changing her ways and becoming a dignified and proper young lady, her father remarries. From here, things begin to unravel, and the forces of the old magic and the modernising ways are thrown into conflict.

This is an evocative, unputdownable book, full of elegant prose and beautiful moments. I found myself gripped as the story unfolded and missed my tube stop on more than one occasion as I was so gripped by the world if snow, folklore, old gods and hearth-spirits. Recommended.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book to review from the publisher. All opinions, thoughts and ponderings are my own.

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Book Review: Scrappy Little Nobody

Picture taken from the book's own site because my high-def pic didn't save correctly. Ah, the perils of blogging at pace.

I make no bones about the fact I like to read widely. I'm happy to pick up most books, bar a couple of genres that just don't thrill me (gory horror and really out-there sci-fi/fantasy, if you're wondering, and even in those cases I'm always willing to have a go for an exceptional book that's been recommended to me). I like literary fiction, self-help, YA, thrillers, non-fiction (of a bazillion different ilks), historical fiction, classics, autobiographies, mysteries, children's books, comedy, romance, 'man-goes-on-a-quest' tomes. If there's a book in my immediate vicinity, I'll give it a read.

That being said, there are two genres which are probably my comfort zone. The two kinds of book that I've always got time for, and can read whatever my mood or situation is. The first group is chicklit. Like or loathe the term, by employing it you will know exactly what I'm talking about, and I love a good escape with Cecelia Aherne or Jojo Moyes or Sophie Kinsella. 

The second group of books I really enjoy? Is the ever-growing genre of books by intelligent, talented women in the public eye and/or the entertainment business. I adored Bossypants. Yes Please genuinely made me think and changed my life for the better. Both Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me? entertained me greatly, as well as cementing my opinion that if Mindy Kaling ever needs a fat, less-famous, British wingwoman (it's a niche role, but let's go with it), I clearly have to make the shortlist. And recently I thoroughly enjoyed The Year of Yes, by the force of nature that is Shonda Rhimes.

So when I discovered that Anna Kendrick was penning a memoir, I was excited. I've always enjoyed her acting, whether it's in Up In The Air, or the Pitch Perfect franchise, or Into The Woods. The real selling point for me, however, was Kendrick's twitter, because the woman gives amazing tweet - they are dark, funny, witty, sharp and often a little R-rated. Which I love! In a world where a lot of famous folk seem content to tweet fairly beige content or avoid the platform entirely, celebrities like Anna Kendrick and Chrissy Teigen offer a refreshing realness.

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Book Review: A Christmas Cornucopia

Now that Advent Sunday has passed, I am transitioning well and truly into Christmas mode. Trees are being trimmed, jollity abounds, and the strains of Christmas music can be heard as I busy myself writing cards, running errands, and planning fun. I truly adore this season, as Advent moves towards Christmas proper, and have been accused more than once of being a little bit of a Christmas geek.

How perfect, then, that Penguin sent me a copy of Mark Forsyth's A Christmas Cornucopia to review in the lead up to the festive season. I'm a big fan of Forsyth's other books (being an English teacher I've been gifted other books of his in the past and particularly enjoyed The Etymologicon) and was happy to hear he'd turned his talents to the delights of Christmas.

Forsyth's tone is a unique one - it always reminds me of a brilliant professor holding forth on a subject they know well. Whatever twists and turns the narrative may take, you never doubt that you are in expert hands and are quite happy to follow along with Forsyth as he traverses eras, traditions and cultures. Rather than employing a dull list format, this is a book where the prose flows, taking you on a journey, and the whole book is suffused with humour. It really was a treat to sit down and read a chapter or two after lunch or before bed.

The content of the book is fascinating. Despite being a bit of a Christmas nut I was delighted to discover that there was much contained within that I did not know already. Each chapter brings plenty of information and charm, but I think chapter 5 (entitled Santa Claus: The Biography) is my favourite; I feel I am quite the expert on Saint Nick now.

This is a sweet and illuminating book and I think it would make a lovely gift. I think I'll be sending copies to a couple of friends who love this season too, and I think it would be appreciated by fans of Christmas, history and culture alike.







Disclaimer: As mentioned above, I was gifted a copy of the book. All opinions and Christmassy glee are my own.

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Book Review: Swing Time

Many moons ago, back in the hot, hot summer of 2016, I popped over to Penguin. As an aside, my inner-bookworm-child still gets very excited by the fact that I know people at publishers, for what it's worth. While I was there I was given a couple of books to review, because I love to keep reading. One of the books was Swing Time, the new novel from the national treasure that is Zadie Smith.

Swing Time is a book about so many things - class, race, dance, friendship - and it feels specific and universal, all at once. Incredibly readable with vivid, interesting, flawed characters, this is Smith writing at the top of her game. I love how she's unafraid to write real characters and how she shies away from casting heroes and villains. The complexity and richness of the human experience and how we all react to and interact with one another fills each part and chapter.

The narrator of the book is never named, and this distance is fitting - as a character she always seems a little detached, a little distant. The other characters - Tracey, her erstwhile childhood friend; the villagers she encounters in Africa; Aimee, the popstar she works for - are all boldly drawn and described; the narrator is more shadowy and indistinct.

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