What I Read... January 2017

I completed six books in January 2017, and they were all fantastic.  Here are my thoughts...

 

The Legacy of Lucy Harte - Emma Heatherington

I loved this story! Maggie, the recipient of a donor heart, knows that she's not making the most of her life. A run-of-the-mill job, a brother she doesn't talk to, a fondness for drinking more than she really should...None of it is enough any more. Maggie's knows she's lost all sense of herself, but it's only when she makes contact with the family of Lucy Harte, the girl whose heart she was gifted seventeen years ago, that she truly realised how little living she's actually been doing.

It was an absolute pleasure to follow Maggie on her journey, and Emma Heatherington has done a brilliant job in balancing a serious (and at times heavy) plot with witty one-liners. The Irish flavour will appeal to fans of Marian Keyes and there's overseas travel for those readers with wanderlust. There's a hint of romance, but this is as much a love story between Maggie and Lucy as it is between her and the potential partners.

If you're looking for a January read which will inspire you to live for the moment, The Legacy of Lucy Harte could be it.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies - Louise Gornall

Although I am not agoraphobic, Under Rose-Tainted Skies brought back painful memories of my own darkest moments. I found Norah's story so easy to relate to, and I'm sure many readers who have experience of depression, anxiety or other mental health issues will recognise the awful surge of panic Norah experiences in what she feels should be 'normal' situations.

Louise Gornall's book is so very necessary as well as being beautifully written; and it's wonderful to see such an honest portrayal of a character with agoraphobia hitting the shelves (especially from an #ownvoices author). I can see why so many people have raved about this book and predict it'll be an enormous success across the water now it's been published in America.

You Know Me Well - Nina LaCour and David Levithan

Kate and Mark have been sitting next to each other in class for a whole year, but until they meet in a bar at the start of San Francisco's Pride they barely know each other.

What follows is a week-long adventure of love and friendship set against the glorious backdrop of the beautiful city of San Francisco.

It's fantastic to see a YA book with a whole cast of LGBT characters, but more than that the high hopes I had for the book were met. The plot isn't complex, but it doesn't need to be. This is the epitome of a character driven novel, and from the moment I finished the book I was left longing to know what was in store for Kate, Mark, Violet, Ryan and the rest of the gang. I really, really hope we'll get to see more of them in the future.

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman

Frances is a fan of the Universe City podcast. In fact, some might say she's more than a fan. She used the podcast as inspiration for her artwork, the one thing she has besides her A levels.

When Universe City's creator reaches out to her via the internet, Frances is shocked to discover the person behind her favourite podcast lives in close proximity.

This is a book about secrets, fandom, societal expectations and friendships. I loved the diverse, believable characters, the plot and most of all the beautiful writing. Alice Oseman - this is wonderful. Thank you.  

Saturday, 3pm - Daniel Gray

A slender volume of fifty vignettes examining the everyday pleasures of life as a football fan.

Beautiful, heart-felt prose evokes a sense of nostalgia for a by-gone era whilst reminding the reader of the simple delights not yet erradicated from the modern game. From club shops to floodlights to the excitement at passing a team bus on the motorway, Daniel Gray's book is as much about society, sociology and history as it is about football.

Saturday, 3pm is a joy to read.                  

Set The Boy Free - Johnny Marr

Read my review here.

What have you read this year so far?

Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters-Daniel Gray

Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters is quite different to books I have previously reviewed for Books with Bunny. An examination of the quirks of British behaviour and the changing face of the national game, Daniel Gray's book reads as a love story-love of Britain, love of football and love of the diversity of our nation.

Before starting a family, I had a season ticket at Sheffield United.  From 1998 until 2007 I could be found at the Lane every other week, and attended around a third/half the away games most seasons. I also went to youth team games (watching players including the now England regular Phil Jagielka), reserve games, open days, 'meet the manager' events, watched training sessions at the old training ground at Abbeydale and generally lived and breathed Sheffield United.  I met my now husband via a Sheffield United online forum and chose to come to university in Sheffield so that I could watch more games.  I have hundreds of photos of myself gurning alongside former players from waiting at the players entrance.  I suppose what I am trying to say is that I know how it feels to have a bond to a team, to feel part of that community that football creates, to have an identity that is formed largely around the team you support.  Just to prove to you that I am writing this review as 'someone who understands'.

Gray visited towns and cities across England in the 2011-2012 season, examining their relationships with the local football teams.  From Burnley to Carlisle, Crewe to Leyton, Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters explores the diversity of England and the relationship between a local team and the town they are part of.  More than purely a book about football, this is a history lesson, a social commentary, a declaration of love for the beautiful game.  Gray's acute observations will resonate with football fans such as the summing up of the anticipation of visiting a new ground with the phrase 'may nothing stop the feeling a first visit to a new ground gives'.  Portrayals of towns and the characters who reside there alongside both footballing and local anecdotes will amuse and inform in equal measure.

It is perhaps obvious to compare Gray to Hornby given the subject matter, yet the comparisons stretch beyond a passion for football.  Wry observations of the quirky behaviour of football fanatics and a dry underlying humour appear to be Gray's fortes, making Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters a highly readable and entertaining piece.  Beautifully written, nostalgic and reflective, this will also appeal to fans of Simon Armitage, Stuart Maconie and Tim Moore.

And as this is my blog and it's the first day of the new football season, I'm going to finish this entry my way-Up the Blades!

Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters is out now, published by Bloomsbury.

9/10
*With thanks to Bloomsbury for providing me with a review copy of Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters*
*You can find out more about Daniel Gray at his website *