Underrated Books #4 – Some Books You’ve (Probably) Never Heard of And Should Definitely Read!

Sometimes the best books go unnoticed… so I’m here to fix that! I’m continuing my underrated books series– because I need to share the love for books that simply don’t get the attention they deserve!

Dark Queens– I might consider this an honorary mention, because it did get nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award (and totally deserved to win I might add 😉) YET not many people have read it AND THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE! This is a real-life game of thrones, following the rivalry of two queens in the dark ages. Not only does this tale of the Merovingian dynasty tell of the lost history of women, but it also establishes the origins of French history that many will not remember.

Sword of Kaigen– lots of you may have heard of this book… but not enough! An intricate standalone, set in a fantasy version of Japan, Sword of Kaigen is more than just a war story. The characters leap of the page, with their detailed backstories and heartfelt journeys. In this is an absolute legendary tale, the author makes some bold choices… so it’s safe to say that this does not go the way you might expect. 

Unkindness of Magicians– another one you may have heard of and bypassed, this is a dark fantasy to sit up and pay attention to. With an ingenious magic system and a cast worth rooting for, this is a story that will make you all-a-flutter with excitement. 

The Hive– there’s high drama in this social media-based thriller. Fundamentally following relationships, love and deception, this is definitely a book that will have you rooting for the female leads. It’s a great example of dark sisterhood and what people will do for those they love. I particularly recommend the audiobook for this one, since there’s a great voicey element and multimedia aspects!

The Ivies– subtly satirical, this is an excellent YA thriller about what people would do to get into the college of their choice… turns out it could get a little deadly 😉 There’s a lot to enjoy about this mean-girls-murder-mystery- but most of all I really liked the motive and the fact it doesn’t all end happily. Because these are the parts that felt the most true to life. As much as you want to see different outcomes, most of the time justice isn’t truly served.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry– one of the best YA contemporaries in recent years, this is full of great messages about how it’s okay not to have it all figured out in your teens (because of course it is!!) And I respect that.

Anna K– I appreciate this retelling of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, set in Manhattan, following super wealthy teens. Amazingly, this really worked. Somehow, transposing the story onto a different setting worked super well. There were clever ways of making the original plotlines seem relevant and yet adding a modern twist.

The How and the Why– how has everyone not heard of this book??? This hidden gem is set over two timelines, getting to the heart of a teenage adoption story. In many ways, it’s about finding out where you’ve come from- and (more importantly) it’s about finding out where you’re headed!

Inheritance– here’s one that I don’t talk about much that I discovered thanks to the library. There are many stories of finding out who you are… but none quite like this one! This dramatic memoir is not about discovering a new family- it’s about rediscovering the family you already had.

Fire of Joy– this is described as poetry to read aloud- and for me that baseline thread is what holds this collection together so beautifully. That and Clive James’ beautiful commentary on each of the poems.

The Happiest Man on Earth– it’s usually hard to read a memoir about the holocaust but Eddie Jaku made it easy. This man brings light into a world where you think there is only darkness.

Poison for Breakfast– quirky and a little odd, I still really felt like I got a lot out of this (though I could not quite define what it is). While classed as a kind of adventure, it’s more about trying to tease out the nature of storytelling. And somehow in that, I learnt a lot about writing- so I’ve got to hand it to Snicket! Plus, it’s got a great title.

Elidor– okay this may be a children’s classic, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting enough attention! This anti-Narnia holds a strange mythology and an odd power to resonate with adults and children alike. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re interested in older dark YA.

And that’s all for now! Have you read any of these books? Would you like to now? And do you have any underrated recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments!

My Ultimate Heartbreak Playlist- For *All the Moods* and Stages of a Broken Heart!

Because by now I’ve had a lot of practice in this area 😉 I know that I always struggle to find the *exact right* song for every mood of heartbreak and breakups- so I’ve decided to collate some for you today- you’re welcome 😉 I promise this won’t just be Taylor Swift (though obviously there will be plenty of Taylor 😉). Let’s not waste any time and jump right into it!

The unrequited love song– Mon Histoire from Les Miserables

The other unrequited love song– Strange and Beautiful by Aqualung

The “I really shouldn’t be in this relationship in the first place” song– Illicit affairs by Taylor Swift

…But this toxic love affair is so beautiful I can’t help myself– Skinny Love by Birdy

The damn I fucked up song– Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

The just been dumped song– So Cold by Ben Cocks

The “I’m never getting over this shit” song– Haunted by Taylor Swift (can be substituted for Wrecking Ball if things get really shit 😉 )

The walking wounded song– The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars

The heartbreak sounds better in a foreign language song– Nesicha Sheli by Ivri Leder

The betrayal song– Burn from Hamilton

The not taking you back song– Apologise by Timberland

The okay I’m angry now song– Shot through the heart by Bon Jovi

The jolly FUCK YOU song– The Best by Tiffany Houghton

ANGRYYYYY!!! – Too Late by Black Sabbath (or any song by Black Sabbath)

The someone cut all contact song– Somebody that I used to know by Gotye

The relationship was bad anyway song– All Too Well by Taylor Swift

The “I hate you but I’m chill about it” song– Love Yourself by Justin Bieber

The random searching for the perfect song stage– Champagne problems from the other perspective by Julia Shappy

The not quite ready to let go song– When was it over by Sasha sloan

The giving up stage– Say Something by A Great Big World

I have no words– Let it go by Piano Guys.

The heartbreak is poetry stage– Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley

The indie phase– Don’t look back by Amarante

The alright I’ll get over it song– Let It Go by James Bay

The forgiveness song– Let it be by the Beatles

The rocking-being-single song– Solo by Jennie

I miss you (but in a really upbeat way)– Subleme la Radio by Enrique Iglesias

Yup I’m so ready to move on now thanks– Thank u next by Ariana Grande

The I want you to be happy song– Happier by Ed Sheeran

Seriously, I want you to be happy– Happier by Marshmello

The reminiscent phase– These Days by Rudimental

Ahhh I’ve finally reached that elusive Acceptance– Clean by Taylor Swift

And that’s all… for now! Do you have any favourite heartbreak songs? Feel free to add more Taylor Swift songs 😉

Merry Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

Most generic thriller plan…

What kind of person writes a generic thriller with an awful twist? Well today it’s going to be me with a generic thriller novel plan! Enjoy!

November 2021. Out in the dismal northerly wastes *ahem* windswept landscapes of the United Kingdom, The Adams family (not to be mistaken for the Addams family) are going on a staycation. 

In an incredibly overpriced holiday home (a house that has a History-with-a-capital-H) we have 7 close family members: Mr Adam Adams, his wife Mrs Adam Adams, his mother-in-law Ms Stepford, his two creepy twins darling children, his (unimportant and therefore unnamed) sister and his brother-in-law Rhett Herring. Naturally, because this is an old house with a History, they are all going to start dying, one by one… obviously starting with the unnamed sister!

But before we get to the bloody bit, we must have an obligatory row between Mr and Mrs Adams. They are discussing something that happened in the past (unspecified) and how they will overcome it (they won’t). Mrs Adams is drinking excessively for the sake of the plot because of this terrible thing that happened in their marriage. And Mr Adams is just trying to get away from the humdrum of his necessarily dull life (and a dreadful scandal unfolding at work that he is deeply embroiled in). His sister and Rhett Herring are being SUPER ROMANTIC- which is why it’s surprising when she (really I don’t have a name for her) winds up with her wrists slashed in the hot tub.

Granny Stepford is found over the body with a knife, but of course no one has any idea who did it, so they phone the police for an expert opinion. Unfortunately, all the phone lines are dead (thanks to the twins slashing all the phone lines). Everyone immediately overlooks the little rascals and starts questioning Rhett and his motives. After all, he is new to the family and how well do they really know this working-class wheeler dealer anyway?

As it gets dark and they devise a plan to drive to the nearest village, they discover that the cars have both broken down. Bummer. They shall just have to make it through the night in the old house with a history of dead bodies (and a graveyard in the back garden next to the hot tub). All Mrs Adams can do is try and figure out the mystery for herself through her alcohol-induced haze.

Naturally, she’s absolutely certain it was Rhett, because how could it be anyone else? Not her loving (but admittedly adulterous husband). And not her obviously devoted mother (who just happened to bring her professional kitchen knives for a weekend away). And not her darling children (who have more of an interest in taxidermy than should ever be healthy for ten year olds).

She goes to confront him and finds him skewered in the billiards room! Where he was just playing snooker with Mr Adams. The same Mr Adams who borrowed loads of money from him and then used it to cover embezzling a load of funds at work (so that he could live it up with a mistress who left him for a billionaire that could better fund her lifestyle). But Mrs Adams does not think of any of this, because she is an alcoholic with mental health problems and possibly a drug addiction (she’s also very, very stupid). Distraught, she seeks comfort in a bottle and wanders round the haunted house in the dark, scared of every creak and crank she hears.

Morning comes, as its wont to do, and she finally comes to her senses. She must confront Mr Adams… ABOUT THE AFFAIR!! She’s been brushing it under the carpet for too long! Never mind the dead people that are piling up and that her children are currently playing with some petrified rat’s bodies. She goes down into the cellar where her mother and husband are currently having a nice drink annnnd HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN FOUND POISONED! DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!

She screams loud enough to wake the dead- though not really loud enough to wake the dead. Just loud enough to get the attention of some neighbours who in turn call the local police. PC plod finally turns up to bulk up the plot… and ends up fed to the lawnmower those little rapscallion twins were using. What a terrible accident.

Now Mrs Adams is more alone than ever. She can’t phone the police again (especially since they heavily implied she had the most to gain if all those people died, since she would then be the beneficiary in any will). She begins to doubt her own sanity and wonder if she actually did do all these terrible crimes. She just can’t remember dammit.

As she’s considering walking the 15 miles over to the police station and handing herself in, her mother appears with a knife and it dawns on her… It was granny all along!! (just go with it) Granny lifts up the knife to plunge it into her- and she conveniently remembers Mrs Adams self-defence lessons and backhands her into a concrete wall. Goodbye granny.

BUT WAIT! There’s more! With her dying breaths, she rasps out that she was not actually granny all this time. You see, the house they were in was MAGIC and allows the dead to come back for one night of the year… So Granny was just possessed all along. By a dead dude. Her abusive ex-husband to be precise. So really this was a message-book all along (please give me some kind of prize!)

Mrs Adams is so relieved that this awful ordeal is over. She puts her arms protectively around her lovely children and promises to always look after them. The twins smile back.

Annnd fade to black!

Let’s Go to Dubrovnik and Then Split!

Yes, that’s right, I’ve just spent a week exploring the beautiful country of Croatia! And because I’ve taken way too many photos and because travel stories are fun, I’m going to talk about it (but you can skip to the next post for more bookish content 😉)

I started in the city of Dubrovnik– which was famously used for filming King’s Landing in Game of Thrones and thus has become a bit of a tourist hotspot. And ye gods, I’m glad I went, because it’s so much better in real life. The show does not do it justice. There’s a warmth and friendliness to the city that’ll instantly get you into holiday mode. The sites and views and historical landmarks are simply breath-taking. Obviously one of the highlights for me was the city walls, but I also saw some stunning sunsets. One day, I found myself on one of the most gorgeous beaches I’ve ever been to, tucked myself up on a rock reading a book and watched the sun go down over the water (the less glamorous part of the story was forgetting my headphones and scrabbling back down the rocks in the dark to retrieve them).

I then took a bus to the city of Split (which was super easy, inexpensive and comfortable for anyone who needs travel tips!). And ahhh what a city this was! It has such a cool vibe and is made really special by the way that the old town is embedded into Diocletian’s palace. I loved exploring the winding walkways and ancient cellars. I mean, you can see for yourself how awesome it is. I only wish I’d had more time in Split (you could always do with more time in Split!)

While I was staying in Split, I planned to do some day trips- the first of which was to the Plitvice Lakes. I was told they were gorgeous and that they were must-see- but nothing could’ve prepared me for how lovely it was. As you can see they were heaven on earth! Going to see these national parks was one of my main reason for doing this trip in the first place (years ago I was inspired by Marie @Drizzle and Hurricane’s awesome post)- and I was far from disappointed. The autumnal colours with the vivid blue of the lakes was simply to die for. I was particularly happy I booked a tour for this one as well- it was very well organised and took all the stress out of it!

Of course, I *had to* go to the Krka Waterfalls as well, which was (thankfully) less of a trek than the day before. Because of that, we not only got to see the ethereal and pretty river, but also had time to visit the picturesque Sibenik. Amazingly, the atmosphere was so different from one place to the next- I was so glad of the variety! It was another day in paradise!

As a final hurrah (and ending the trip on a high) I had an amazing adventure in a speedboat to five islands- including Hvar and the Blue Cave! It was so much fun and a truly memorable day 😊

If you do get the chance, I highly recommend taking a trip to Croatia! It’s an incredible country, with lovely people, wonderful culture and natural beauty. And the food was fantastic! There’s a great mix of cuisines- I didn’t have a bad meal and there were doughnuts galore! 😉

There are some pros and cons to going in October- it was less crowded and not as hot, but swimming was COLD! Admittedly I did get pretty lucky with the weather as well (missing most of the thunderstorms 😅).

But if you’re looking for an awesome holiday, go anytime, because Croatia is a country with something for everyone! 

Have you ever been to Croatia? Do you feel inspired to go?! I mean, look at this place!!

Why I won’t be watching “Rings of Power”

(I amar prestar aen.)

The world is changed.

(Han matho ne nen.)

I feel it in the water.

(Han mathon ned cae.)

I feel it in the earth.

(A han noston ned gwilith.)

I smell it in the air.

Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

A shadow rises in the west; a show we dare not speak of comes to the small screen. Darkness creeps into the living rooms of all. And it will take an unlikely band of fans (and possibly some normal people who cannot be swayed by flashy CGI) to resist it.

Look, I know I may sound hyperbolic, but I find this whole situation genuinely depressing. Many a franchise has fallen in recent years to corporate greed, woke ideology and nepotistic producers- yet I did not foresee the same thing happening to my beloved Tolkien.

… Boy how wrong I was. Rumours circulated long before the first trailer about how they wanted to butcher the world building and background of Middle Earth. And, inevitably, as trailer after trailer has shown, the showrunners seem to have delivered on that in a spectacular fashion: for this story bears little-to-no resemblance to the original. Even its title sounds like something a soulless corporation would come up with for their fanfic. Nay- I would not even credit it as fanfic- that does a disservice to fanfiction. For no actual fan would write Galadriel as a warrior; no actual fan would disregard all previous world building. And for goodness sakes- why write out even basic world building like the dwarf women having beards! I’m no Tolkien scholar, but my love for his books goes too deep to entertain this abomination of a show. The way they have treated Tolkien’s work with such disdain makes me think they didn’t even like it to begin with. And if they didn’t, in fact, like Lord of the Rings, why couldn’t they have left it well enough alone? Why not write their own damn story? 

We as book bloggers know there’s no shortage of stories. If they were too lazy to create their own world building and original concept, surely, SURELY they could have chosen another series to adapt. There are SO MANY options! Especially if you were looking to include more diverse casting. Crazy idea- but why couldn’t they choose a different story to give the big budget treatment to? One perhaps that was more in line with the show they wanted to create…

Just a few books that would make *killer* shows…

But no- they had to graverob a franchise that they had no interest in faithfully adapting. And thus we have a Frankenstein’s approximation of Tolkien’s world.

Now all of this may seem like the ramblings of an extremely dissatisfied fan- and that is true. However, I can also see that this show is clearly courting controversy. It never seems to be in the news for anything good- even with all the money Amazon seems intent on throwing at its PR. As much as they wish for the show to do well, they have adopted the (ill-advised) tactic of courting negative publicity and going to battle with fans. I guess they believe that it is better to be criticised than not talked about at all. Personally, I’m not of the opinion this works. For when writers do this, I tend to cut my losses- I do not think it is in my interest to watch something simply for controversy’s sake.

Perhaps I could overlook all of this if the story sounded interesting enough. Yet, what I have seen and heard has not piqued my interest in the slightest. Keeping the plot under wraps hasn’t done them any favours- for on the one hand it doesn’t leave us much to get excited about and on the other people figure it out anyway (and are disappointed with it regardless). What I have heard/seen from the leaks leaves me very unimpressed. It sounds like they are trying- yet again- to create a show to rival Game of Thrones (which, once again, proves they do not have the remotest interest in the franchise they were actually adapting).

I also do not remotely care how slick the CGI ends up looking- as many of us have learned from the Lion King debacle, throwing money and high tech at a movie does not make it good. I’m still of the opinion that a film can be styled like the Princess Bride and be a masterpiece.

Plain and simple, there is nothing about this show that appeals to me. I didn’t like the concept of a fan-made story to begin with… and this doesn’t even seem to be made by fans. So, yes, I’m going to be all precious about it and avoid the show like it was forged in the depths of Mount Doom. Because, clearly, it was.

So- what do you think of this new show? Will you be watching it? I’d love to hear from Tolkien fans and non-fans alike!! Let me know what you think in the comments!

Recent Reads That Fill Me With Joy!

Because we all need a little burst of happiness sometimes!

Get a Life, Chloe Brown– this is the book that inspired me to make this post! It’s the kind of fun, funny and sweet story I will always gravitate towards (just like how I like my love interests 😉).

Tweet Cute– I don’t talk about this book enough!! This hate-to-love YA is full of friends, family, romance… And most importantly: it comes with EXTRA CHEESE!

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry– okay yes, that title doesn’t sound joyous, but it’s filled with positive messages about hope and love and being truthful. I loved the way the characters come together as a family and find their place in this messy world of ours.

Anxious People– this may seem like an antsy novel about a bank robbery- and it’s a story that speaks to the intrinsic value of humankind. Believing in the basic humanity and goodness of us all, this inherent optimism is what makes this book memorable.

House in the Cerulean Sea– quirky and fun and uplifting, this is more than just a fantastical romance. It’s about finding and creating an oasis of love in the world- and picking up this book transports you there!

The Salt Path– a memoir about homelessness is perhaps not the kind of book you think of when you want something joyful… and yet a story about finding the drive to persevere, even in the toughest circumstances, is truly awe-inspiring. This, coupled with the descriptions of nature, fill me with a quiet kind of wonder and delight. A book like this gives me such a hunger for life.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse– speaking of hunger, I’m putting this on the list just for the cake 😉 Plus, reading this book was like getting a great big hug from the universe!

And that’s all I have for today! What do you think of these books? And what books fill you with joy? Let me know in the comments!

Monthly Monkey Mini Reviews – Making it to March 2022!

Hello all! Well looks like we’re full into 2020 part 2 2022 now… and yikes. I tried to emerge from hibernation earlier in the month…

And I went to the most incredible Van Gogh portrait exhibition, showing the many faces of the artist…

But then the world imploded and I got the flu, so I think I might just return to bed for the rest of the year 😉 Anyway, all of that is to say why I’ve been awol and explain why I didn’t read/watch nearly as much this month. But I still have plenty to say about the media I did consume, so buckle up!

Inventing Anna– a patchy, disjointed job, this tries to tell the story of a real-life con artist who pretended to be a German heiress. Yet, with poor framing for the flashbacks and too much sympathy for the devil of the tale, this didn’t quite create the allure I hoped. While there are some tense scenes and good performances, this misses the juicy opportunity to tell a salacious and near-unbelievable tale. Centring this on the journalistic investigation didn’t work for me personally. Given it was such a high-profile case and we had the information about what kind of person Anna Sorokin was at the start of the show, it wasn’t much of a mystery, so why frame it as such? You absolutely need to go into this knowing as little about the case as humanly possible… which isn’t possible for the huge number of people who already know the story. This removed so much of the tension from the story. It also didn’t help that the journalist character was fundamentally unlikeable. No shade to the real journalist, but this fictionalised version is an obsessive workaholic who’s oddly resentful about her impending motherhood and unethically befriends her subject. Fundamentally naïve, much of the plot hinges on the contrivance that she for no apparent reason believes Anna could be telling the truth. She was also used to push a bizarre #girlboss narrative, where women have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously and can’t make any mistakes (which is a frankly absurd theme to put in a show about a woman defrauding her friends). Which leads me onto my biggest question of all: why was this show so sympathetic to Anna? Anna was not a girl trying to make it in a man’s world- she was a fraudulent sociopath. And this show just loves propping her up at the expense of the actual victims (it’s no wonder so few came forward- the victim blaming and shaming is real). I find it really odd that this show seems to cheer her on to the bitter end. There was a lot of potential here- sadly it did not live up to it. 

One of Us is Lying– This is basically PLL done right! Not gonna lie, this is one helluva adaptation! While the book- a teen cross between Breakfast Club and Agatha Christie- didn’t entirely win me over, this show definitely did. Addictive and a little tense, this was a sharp Netflix flick. They took the original and improved upon it- and *spoiler warning* I liked how it implied it was going in a Murder on the Orient Express direction, when really it’s And Then There Were None. And where I wasn’t head over heels for the characters in the original, the actors certainly brought them to life and the writing gave them more depth. Bronwyn especially came across as more likeable. There were a couple of whiny side characters I could’ve done without, but overall, I was sold.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown– I knew this was going to be a good time right from the off! With its humorous tone and distinctive characters, I could see this romance was written with such joy. I really liked the emotional beats to the story as well, dealing with some deeper issues like emotional abuse and chronic pain. What’s interesting is both of those problems share the commonality of not being believed or understood. Having this couple work through their problems together really worked, especially since they were able to find common ground and empathy. These are characters with real emotional scars, helping each other to heal. I loved that. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the sex scenes- but other than that it was a pleasure to read and I definitely want to check out more from this series!

Rating: 4/5 bananas

Heartstream– this was a little too tRiPpy for me! Sold as a black mirror style story for teens, this dystopia is far less streamlined than I would have liked. Based around a girl who has become internet famous through an app that lets you share your emotions, this explores the concept of obsessive fandom. Intersecting with flashbacks to two teen superfans of a boy band, it’s pretty clear what this book is getting at (don’t get too into your fandoms kids!) Except that it’s a little odd how extreme this book becomes and why it’s so intent on demonising teen girls for fangirling. Going on tumblr doesn’t necessarily lead to kidnap, stalking and arson… at least I’ve never seen anything like that! And those are just a few of the bonkers things that happened in the book. Because I haven’t even addressed all the heartstream stuff. Forgive me if this review is confused- unfortunately the plot was all over the place! And while the themes tangentially link the stories (and *spoiler alert* an “I am your father moment), the stories don’t actually intersect that well. It would have been more interesting to connect the stories through the invention of the app perhaps- but the app ends up becoming a plot device to prove how honest the main character is being… which kind of goes against the story’s critique of marketing authenticity?! To me, the creepy af app was the interesting part of the book- yet it felt like the author didn’t know what to do with it. Oh and guessing the plot twists was the work of a moment. Overall, while this was fast-paced and entertaining in the way only an overdramatic teen drama can be, I also thought it was a load of nonsense. Points for effort, if not execution.

Rating: 2½/5 bananas

Aurora’s End– ach this didn’t set my heart afire as much as Aurora Burning. Mostly because I don’t love time travel stories and this was all about time. Unfortunately, with most of the characters stuck in a loop, it took a lot of the urgency out of the story… even with a ticking time bomb. I did like some elements- like seeing how paths were made to intersect both in the past and the future. There was a decent amount of setup for this premise and it paid off in some ways. And let’s be real, even if this wasn’t the perfect end to the series, I still adore all of the characters and will root for them to the ends of the earth- and beyond! I’m pleased I waited (wayyy too patiently) for the UK release of the audiobook, because the full cast and effects brought the story to life!

Rating: 4/5 bananas

The Wild Silence– Raynor Winn has a power with words unlike anyone else and her memoir the Salt Path took me on a journey like no other- which is why I absolutely had to pick up the follow up! This follows Raynor and her husband after they embarked on their coastal walk when they were homeless. Living in Cornwall and with her husband getting a degree, this follows their subsequent adventures. From farming to more walks to writing her book, this non-linear biography builds on the first book. I particularly liked how captured the process of her writing the Salt Path, showing us that she did it to capture the memories for her husband as he struggles with progressive memory loss. Written out of love for him, my own memory of the story has become all the more beautiful. It shows how she will go to the ends of the earth for her husband- and that is how they end up on another hike, this time in the timeless landscapes of Iceland. Full of descriptions and history and love for the land, this frozen setting offers us something new. It not only helps you get in touch with nature, but also with the way it carries ancient echoes of the past. Because of course, like its predecessor, this is a book with more to say. This is a memoir focusing on memory and loss. Flitting between timelines, it is a recording of life. Listening to this book on audio, I came to feel as if I was walking in her shoes. Coming to the very edge of the world and confronting the hardest parts of life. And I feel like with every step, I am rooting for them more.

Rating: 5/5 bananas

That’s all for now! Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments! And I hope you all had a good month! ❤

Quick Update

Taking some time out due to bereavement- I’ll return in the New Year ❤