A mixed bag
Recommendations #6
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And winter slowly becomes spring. Blossoming, bright and hopeful. 🌷
As for February, it seemed to be over before it had started. I emerged from hibernation (aka January) and my weekends became more social and active, I went to a few book events (below) and even started my yoga teacher training with a trip to the Andalusian mountains in Spain!
Another highly rated collection of reccs for you this month 💎
Currently reading: Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal
Seeing Marian Keyes and JoJo Moyes in the space of 5 days was similar to seeing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in the same week in the early 00’s, for me anyway.
Marian (we’re on first name terms now) was as joyful and full of life as her novels are. Her story telling ability is unparalleled, whether it’s IRL or on the page. I’ve said it before but read everything she writes (including her Substack). I simply adore her.
Where Marian is outrageous and bubbly, JoJo was wise and inspiring. JoJo is known and (understandably) lauded for Me Before You (ðŸ˜) but if you haven’t read any of her other books, do! The breadth and depth of her back catalog is staggering, from The Girl You Left Behind (France, 1916), The Ship of Brides (Australia, 1946) and The Last Letter from Your Lover (which is also an excellent film). My personal fave is The Giver of Stars (my review here). Plus Me Before You has two excellent follow up books so you can reunite with Lou in After You and Still Me. Essentially, again, read everything she writes (including her Substack).
COSY & COMFORTING
You Are Here by David Nicholls
Published: April 2024
Summary: This slow and gentle love story between two imperfect humans is glorious. Marnie and Michael meet on a walking holiday in the English Countryside. It has the same poetic pace as One Day but without either of them dying and less 20’s angst.
Rating: 9
LOVE & BEING HUMAN
The City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Published: June 2019
Summary: A story of rebellious wild women. Specifically show girls in New York in 1940s. There is glamour, debauchery and messiness but all in the aid of trying to find where they belong in the world. Even though I read this book in 2019 I can still picture the Lily Playhouse and the vivid characters within it.
Rating: 9
INTENSE & REWARDING
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Published: Oct 2016
Summary: Jodi Picoult doing what Jodi Picoult does best. Follow a lawsuit on an incident where a baby dies at the hands of a nurse who had been instructed to not treat the child… This novel covers race, inequality, prejudice, death, despair and blame and yet leaves you with hope. Now more than ever this book holds a mirror up to a world that seems to be continually at war (at a community level and a global scale) and encourages us to continue to make a difference by doing Small Great Things. Plus it’s been made into a film with Viola Davis and Julia Roberts!
Rating: 10
PICK ‘N’ MIX
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Published: March 2020
Summary: This concept is barmy but the delivery is impeccable. Welcome to a world where magical beings and humans live alongside each other. However, in the typical human fashion, humans try to control what they don’t understand (as opposed to trying to actually understand it!). Meet Linus, a cog in the government wheel who gets put on a ‘secret’ mission, and fall in love with the characters he meets along the way.
Rating: 9
If you’d like to read more of my recommendations see my previous posts here:
Or if you want to see a full overview of all the books I’ve recommended see this full list here.
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Happy reading xo