Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

What a wild ride that was. Admittedly, I don’t read many classics. I love Contemporary stories and prefer contemporary language for ease of escapism purposes, but I did love Jane Eyre. It’s an epic story with many modern parallels, which I didn’t expect.

I’m also thrilled to finally have the opportunity to use one of my favourite Friends’ quotes in a review:

Rachel: “Uh, thank you Phoebe. Umm, well, what struck me most when reading Jane Eyre was uh, how the book was so ahead of its time.”

The Teacher: “If you’re talking about feminism, I think you’re right.”

Rachel: “Yeah, well, feminism yes, but also the robots.”

Obviously there are no robots, but I was struck by the strength of mind Jane has and her role in female empowerment at a time way before the suffragette movement – I mean, (amongst other things) she saves Rochester’s life, chooses dignity over love and is super generous with her inheritance – she’s a true heroine comparable to any of modern times.

But as his wife—at his side always, and always restrained, and always checked—forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vital—this would be unendurable.

The underlying themes of oppression and misogyny also highlight the plight of women during the era and I feel these are much stronger elements than the love story itself and Jane’s ability to see through all of this is wonderful. For instance there is a suggestion that a woman’s desire for love shouldn’t impede her sense of self.

I love a strong female lead and Jane Eyre is certainly that!

Genre: classics / romance / gothic

Rating: 5/5⭐️

The School of Starting Over – Lisa Swift

The School of Starting over was my first Lisa Swift book and I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s a feel-good book, which indulges you in all the wholesome warm and cosies you could want from a romance. The characters are a lively, eclectic bunch and there is plenty of humour from main and supporting cast members. I was invested in their stories and really rooted for them,especially since some of the issues they face are much deeper than expected.

I have to give a special mention to Xander who is the perfect, unassuming hero (ahhh, hearty-eyes).

The plot had me hooked; there was drama, secrets and a little bit of mystery throughout!

Once thing I loved was how deep the author dug for a popular reference that was probably less mainstream than most – I had a few ‘oh my god I remember that’ moments!

All in all there was nothing to dislike about this book (other than having to put it down at the end). If heartwarming, contemporary romance with laughs and feels is your thing; it’s a must-read!

Genre: Contemporary romance / Romantic comedy

Rating: 5/5

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This is Where I Leave You – Rachel Dove

Now, I’m no stranger to a Rachel Dove book, nor am I a stranger to an audiobook for that matter so when I saw Rachel’s newly titled debut was available in audio, I jumped at the chance to listen.

Rachel Dove’s books always share a common theme; real people, heart and humour and this book was no exception. The lovely writing and funny quips were a joy to listen to and the the salt-of-the-earth, genuine characters with hearts of gold (on the whole 😉 ) were wonderful. The book also features the best funeral exit I think I’ve ever come across (watch out for the air-punch moment). Cady was a fantastic heroine dealing with an Impossible situation and Luke was . . . Ahhh 😍

The book was so vivid, each chapter felt like it would be a brilliant scene in a British sitcom – if any tv producers are listening…

I loved listening so much that I bought the paperback for two reasons – I think sometimes you get a different experience from the book and I loved the story so much I’d like to read it again in book format, and secondly it was a bloody bargain!

I highly recommend both the audiobook with its wonderful narration or the paperback with the glossy new cover. Either way you won’t be disappointed.

Genre: Romantic comedy

Rating: 5/5

Getting Dirty – Rachael Stewart

Getting Dirty, in true Racheal Stewart style, is a sizzling romance that grips you from the outset. I loved the main characters socialite Coco and private investigator Ash. Their first meeting was so hot it should have come with a warning – the chemistry jumped off the page.

It wasn’t all about passion though, there was a deeper story at the core and I really enjoyed Coco’s complex family and her personal journey as well as Ash’s internal conflict of heart v work. I really bought into their stories and rooted for them. The ending was so perfect that I’d have cheered if I wasn’t sat in the hairdressers!

Genre: hot romance

Rating:5/5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The Prison Doctor – Dr Amanda Brown

Dr Amanda Brown, ‘The Prison Doctor’ gives us a first-hand account of what it was like to work in some of the UK’s most notorious prisons. Having worked in a small-town, friendly practice for most of her career, the transition to working in a prison was quite a contrast.

The book was insightful, shocking and harrowing as Dr Brown recounts the stories of patients that stuck in her mind. What’s clear is her compassion and ability to remain impartial despite what crimes the patients had committed. What stood out to me was the profoundly sad backstories of the female prisoners. I felt there was so much more to tell here and it seems to be cut quite short. Some of the early parts of the book felt a little over done (the excessive descriptions of things like coffee felt more akin to a fiction book than a non fiction) however once the storytelling gets going, it’s a gripping read.

Genre: non fiction

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Trigger warning: true stories of abuse and violence.

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Becoming – Michelle Obama

Becoming is the insightful, honest story of Michelle Obama’s life before, during and a little after her time as the First Lady of the USA.

I listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend as Michelle narrated it herself, so you get the true context, emotion and feeling of her words. She’s a wonderful storyteller who speaks with eloquence and grace. What comes through is that Michelle is a person who not only understands, but sees people without judgement and has a passion to help those who need it most. She highlights causes without preaching and manages to talk about her achievements without boasting – which I think could be because she’s never forgotten her own humble upbringing.

I don’t read or listen to many autobiographies but I’d heard so much about this one I had to give it a go. I was surprised by just how good it was!

Genre: Autobiography

Rating: 5/5⭐️

Swing Time – Zadie Smith

Swing Time promised a fascinating story.

‘Two brown girls dream of being dancers – but only one, Tracy has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music and what constitutes a tribe or makes a person truly free.’

In reality, I think the book tried to do too much. Smith is obviously intelligent, and a keen observational commentator who is skilled in her craft, but there were so many key themes touched upon in the book that it never really felt like any were truly explored. The premise above, for instance, covered a relatively small part of the book, yet that storyline in itself could have been developed further.

Instead, the book spanned such a large time frame, focusing on certain events that failed to hold my interest. There was quite a bit of ‘telling’ vs ‘showing’ and sometimes the characters felt like vehicles devised to deliver pop culture references, pass judgement or opinion or make political references. These never felt to come from the character’s hearts, more the author.

Put simply, this book had all the ingredients to be amazing; culture, diversity and a promising storyline but for me, the storyline got lost and the characters didn’t pull me in.

Genre: Literary fiction

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

The Dilemma – B. A. Paris

The Dilemma is a change of direction for B. A. Paris, who’s usual thrillers always have me on the edge of my seat. This is a simple story. Happy couple Livia and Adam each know a secret they they can’t bring themselves to tell each other for they know the secret will break the other. Adam isn’t sure exactly what’s happened so wants to give his wife one last night of happiness at her 40th birthday party. Livia just doesn’t know how to tell Adam her secret for fear of how he’ll take the news. A true dilemma!

Whilst the novel sinks nowhere near the dark depths that Paris’s usual novels venture, it still manages to pull you in and have you racing through the pages. I always enjoy the way B. A. Paris draws you in and grabs you from page one and doesn’t let you go and I think even though this isn’t a dark thriller – it still has the same feel.

Genre: Family / domestic thriller

Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Power – Naomi Alderman

The Power explores a world where the common patriarchy is overthrown within a decade when women evolve and develop an electrifying superpower. Thus we have a matriarchal culture.

Initially, ‘the power’ brings protection to women in volatile situations but as more and more women develop it, the collective women seek dominance and control.

The concept is intriguing and raises many questions about society, dominance and power and Alderman proves a clever, well-researched and knowledgeable author.

I didn’t necessarily ‘enjoy’ the book. Parts were uncomfortable to read and whilst the early and late chapters are fairly gripping, the middle was a bit of a slog with lots of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ I also thought the ending was a little rushed. The emails back and forth at the start and end of the book added an interesting dimension but because the MS was presented almost as historical ‘fact’ it did sometimes read a little like an essay.

All in all this book is well written and interesting and it’s the sort of book that will be an instant classic. It would be great to study or discuss in a book club setting but for me it wasn’t a story to talk about rather than to get lost in.

Genre: science fiction / dystopian fiction

Rating: 3.5

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The Flat Share – Beth O’Leary

4.5*

I’ve been dying to read The Flat Share since seeing so many glowing reviews on social media last year. The book grabbed my straight away; I love quirky Tiffy and Leon is a dream. There was plenty of humour and I loved reading the notes Leon and Tiffy left for each other.

The Flat Share is an uplifting romcom with a great storyline and interesting subplots giving it a bit more depth than you often find in the genre. I can’t wait to read Beth O’Leary’s next book.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Rating: 4.5⭐️