The 2015 Catch Up - Part Two!

Last week I blogged about some of the books I'd read in 2015 and not yet reviewed.  Today I'm back for more of the same!  It's certainly taught me a lesson about keeping on top of reviews, that's for sure...

Backlash - Sarah Darer Littman

 

 

I read this book in one sitting on a plane journey and was immediately thrown into the worlds of the two pairs of siblings who told the story.  Lara and Syd and their neighbours Liam and Bree have  friends for most of their lives.  Even their parents are friends.  But when Lara starts messaging Christian, a gorgeous boy from a school a few towns away, everything spirals out of control.  At first she's flattered by the attention, but when Christian suddenly turns on her, telling her the world would be a better place without Lara in it, everything changes. This story explores how the behaviour of one family member can impact on others, the power of peer pressure and reminds the reader of the importance of being vigilant online.

This book had an immersive writing style which had me hooked from the off, and although I bought this on a whim, I'm so glad I did.  The four voices gave an insight into the story as a whole which took Backlash to another level, making me as a reader feel almost voyeuristic. 

A gripping YA read.

Favourite character - Liam

Goodbye Stranger - Rebecca Stead

 

 

 

Goodbye Stranger wasn't a book I'd heard of until YA author Keris Stainton posted a photo of its cover in her favourite books of 2015 photo on instagram.

 

I bought this book blindly, on that recommendation alone, and in doing so stumbled on a book which is difficult to categorise.  It's contemporary, set in New York and has multiple narrators - Bridge, who's life has been impacted by an accident, Sherm who's experiencing feelings of love for the first time and a mysterious high school student struggling with Valentine's Day.  Beyond that it's a lot about feeling and emotion, finding yourself and being who you were born to be.

 

Whilst I did enjoy Goodbye Stranger and thought it tackled relevant subjects such as sexting, divorce and identity, I'm unsure who the target readership is.  In fact, I noticed it was shelved in both MG and YA when I was in America (personally, I think some of the themes are too mature for many MG readers). 

 

It's a well written book, but it lacked something for me - I think I'd have preferred the story to have been told through the voices of Bridge and her immediate friendship group rather than the chosen narrators. 

 

Favourite character - Bridge



 

I'm going to have to do at least one more of these posts before I get back to normal reviews and start on my 2016 books - this is definitely the down side of going on holiday!!!

The Torn Up Marriage- Caroline Roberts, review and guest post HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

The Blurb
A memory: golden-tipped sand dunes, early June heat waves blurring the Northumberland coastline. Michael racing towards the shore, Emily on his shoulders, their laughter ringing out against the crash of the rolling waves. A family together.

Two years later, and the landscape of Kate’s marriage has changed irrevocably. When Michael came home one evening and dealt the fateful blow to their marriage, neither could have imagined the heart-wrenching journey stretching before them.

Her happy home with Michael and their two beautiful girls has been washed away like footprints in the sand.

As he tries to build a new home from home, Michael’s about to learn just how precious his family is. Kate’s left dealing with the consequences but can you ever forgive such a betrayal? And when your marriage is torn apart, all hope hanging by a thread, what will it take to stitch it back together?

The Review
This is not your typical romance- in fact, it's more of a story of survival than the hearts and flowers you might expect from the genre.  However, it's this realism which makes The Torn Up Marriage a captivating, if not heartbreaking, read. 

From the moment Kate finds out about Michael's infidelity their world is spun on it's head and life is irrevocably changed forever.  It impacts on everyone around them, the ripples of their break-up affecting their young daughters, their parents, their friends.  The novel builds on this, reminding the reader that your actions do not just affect you. 

I did get distracted at times as there were many coincidental similarities to my own life in terms of names and events, which was rather spooky!  Surely it's not just me that empathises more when a character shares my name? (I'd love to know your thoughts on this in the comments section!)  It was quite disconcerting at times and I definitely felt pity for Kate, particularly at the start of the book.

The writing was smashing, the tension seeping off the page right to the end.  Caroline Roberts has a strong voice and I feel many readers, particularly women, will be moved by her story telling. I expect there are lots of people out there who will relate the plot to their own experiences and draw parallels between Kate and Michael's story and their own.

Personally, I was disappointed by the overall outcome, but the story itself- a winner. I'll be looking out for more books by this author as she tells a powerful and emotional story. 

The Torn Up Marriage was an insightful and emotional read, not what I would have expected from a Harper Impulse book.  It was so very thought provoking and almost painful to read in parts, and a reminder that all relationships, not just marriage, require work and commitment. 

I'm not ashamed to say that this one made me cry like a baby!

With thanks to the Harper Impulse team who provided me with a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review.

 

As a special treat, Caroline Roberts has written a short piece about how The Torn Up Marriage explores warts and all love, exclusively for Books with Bunny. 

Messy love – warts and all!
by Caroline Roberts

“The Torn Up Marriage” isn’t your usual Romance novel - some readers have been surprised at how gritty the subject matter is; dealing with betrayal, complacency, making mistakes - but it is definitely about love.

I’ve always wanted to write about real-life love, warts and all. Life can be hard and love is messy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real love. I wanted to show how everyone involved would feel, the betrayer as well as the betrayed, the children, the grandparents; the idea just grew. I have had close friends who have been through affairs and break-ups, and in any long term relationship there are ups and downs. I remember the early years when my children were young being a difficult time. There are so many other factors involved, work, the demands of young children, feeling knackered most of the time, and suddenly you’ve been thrown from being a couple, with time and energy just for each other, into a whole new world.

Yet, I also wanted to show light and hope, and how love even when battered and bruised can survive. It’s definitely an emotional read. To sink myself right into the emotions of the story, I talked with friends and I also did lots of research on real life blogs – it’s amazing what appears when you google “affairs” and “betrayal”. People are so honest and the emotions they describe so raw, it really helped me to understand and empathize with both sides of the story, including the male point of view. I loved writing both sides of the drama, and wanted the reader to question what they might do in a similar situation. Would you stay or would you go? Could you ever forgive, or betray?

“The Torn Up Marriage” is about love at every level, it’s about family, friends, and trying to hold everything together when your world is crumbling. Warning - you may need a box of tissues handy; apparently I made one reader cry in the hairdressers!

Thanks Kate, for featuring me on the HarperImpulse fortnight!

 

 

The Reckoning- Edith Wharton

The Blurb

'If marriage was the slow life-long acquittal of a debt contracted in ignorance, then marriage was a crime against human nature.'

Two moving stories of love, loss, desire and divorce, from one of the great chroniclers of nineteenth-century New York life.

Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.

Edith Wharton (1862-1937). Wharton's works available in Penguin Classics are Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence, The Custom of the Country and The House of Mirth.

The Review

I was really excited by the launch of the Penguin Little Black classics books- 80 books to celebrate 80 years of the brand, all for 80p each.  Bargain!  On my recent trip to London I decided to treat myself to a few, and The Reckoning was the one I had my eye on from the off.

I've only read one book by Edith Wharton before, Ethan Frome which I first read many years ago when my husband had it as a set text on his English degree.  It has remained a firm favourite, a dark and haunting tale of deception which stays in the mind long after closing the final page.

The Reckoning is a different genre totally- two unlinked short stories, each with female protagonists with issues.  The first story was my favourite, focussing on the importance of the view from her window to a reclusive widow, but it is the second story which has stayed with me.  I wouldn't say I enjoyed it whilst reading, although the story is told with precision and a deliberate voice, but it is so immensely powerful and exceptionally thought provoking.  Marriage, and divorce, are explored in a controversial fashion in a tight wordcount- and left me with a sour taste and a lump in my throat.

I really need to read more of Wharton's work, because it is moving and controversial and so gorgeously bleak.

The Reckoning is out now, published by Penguin.

The Girl on the Train- Paula Hawkins

The Blurb

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.

Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…

The Review

Well, this book was so much more than I expected!  There's been a lot of buzz surrounding this book on twitter and in the blogging community, and I have enjoyed psychological thrillers more and more over the past few years, but I hadn't expected to be reeled in hook, line and sinker by Paula Hawkins' debut novel.

The novel is told through a tri-narrative- examining events in a suburban neighbourhood through the eyes of Rachel, Anna and Megan.  Rachel (the 'girl on the train') is a fascinating character, the alcohol-dependant unreliable witness who leaves you doubting.  I couldn't tell if I empathised with her situation or whether she was harbouring dark secrets, and that was what appealed to me about her.  As a reader I felt as voyeuristic as Rachel herself, peering into parts of life which should remain private.  Anna (the new wife to Rachel's ex husband) I found harder to warm to.  Although I felt pity for her and the situation she found herself in, she came across as a bit of a mopey old grump.  Megan is perhaps the most elusive of the three, and as the plot unfolds her past unravels.

Community, technology, trust and relationships are all examined in this novel laden in mystery, and my heart was pounding in my chest at certain points throughout.  The book cleverly leaves you doubting yourself and the first two-thirds of the book in particular were superb at creating a tense atmosphere.

The Girl on the Train is a thoroughly unsettling read which leaves you wondering how well you really know your community, your friends and your family.  A gripping, well-executed debut, I can't wait to see what Paula Hawkins comes up with next.

The Girl on the Train is out today, published by Transworld.

With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a galley copy in return for an honest review.

Being Binky- Binky Felstead

I make no bones about the fact that I love a bit of reality TV, and Made in Chelsea is possibly my favourite of all of the reality series I watch.  I like the glamour, the bitching, the fashion-plus as a bit of a London fanatic too there are regular glimpses of notable landmarks and quirky bars and cafes.  It is a far cry from life in South Yorkshire working as a dinner lady.

Binky has always been my favourite female cast member.  She seems a bit more down to earth than some of the other girls and is one of those irritating people who always appears effortlessly gorgeous.  I have a bit of a crush on her.  And I want her hair.  So when I saw she had a book out I was full of excitement.

Unfortunately, I wasn't blown away by Being Binky.  I was interested in her childhood, her experience of being bullied at school and how she came to be part of Made in Chelsea, but felt there was little in the way of juicy gossip or meaty revelations.  The book mostly covers her time up to starting on Made in Chelsea, whereas it would probably work better if it was based more around the relationships between cast members, her honest opinions on key moments in the series and how her life has changed.

There are lists of 'top tips' for things like 'how to apply fake tan' and 'how to date a Chelsea boy' which are really not relevant to me.  This is definitely aimed at the younger market, I would say 16-18s.  The pictures of Binky growing up will give any girl hope- puberty served her well- and I was amazed at how her Mum hasn't aged at all!

Overall, I was disappointed.  I love Binky and thought there was so much potential, but this book fell a bit flat for me.  It would have been better being marketed as a teen book, as a quick look on Amazon shows that other older fans of the show have had similar thoughts to me.  I can imagine younger readers will enjoy it as an easy read and find the lists fun, but for me it could have been so much more.

Being Binky is out now, published by Simon and Schuster.

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Duff- Kody Keplinger

 

The Duff was recommended to me by my friend Anne.  She is a YA librarian in New York City and I know I can trust her judgment.  She said that The Duff would be something I'd enjoy, and because I value her opinion I bought it without knowing anything about it.  I read it in one greedy sitting, becoming totally immersed in it.

 

Bianca is The Duff- Designated Ugly Fat Friend- in her friendship group.  At least, that is what Wesley says.  She's already been hurt by her ex boyfriend and her crush on Toby, the political activist, is unrequited.   When her family face a crisis Bianca seeks solace in the most unexpected place...Can she overcome her feelings of worthlessness? And will she ever find a boy she can trust who believes she is special and not just the Duff?

 

When I read the blurb I was worried it might be a bit too close to home for me.  I have always felt inadequate, always been overweight, never been happy with my appearance.  The angst of those feelings during my teens is something I would rather forget than relive, so I wasn't sure if The Duff would be for me.  But Anne had recommended it, so I settled down to read a chapter or two...and then the next thing I knew I had finished it!

 

I could completely relate to Bianca.  She never seems sure of what she wants, doubts her own choices and wants to be a little bit selfish yet worries about how she will be perceived by others.  As a character she is 'real'-she has flaws, she knows she doesn't always make the right choices, but mostly she is just a girl trying to find her way in life.

 

Wesley and Toby were total opposites-it is like comparing Arnie in Terminator with Colin Firth at his most bumbling.  Yet as characters they were really well developed, sometime leaning towards the stereotypes of the playboy and geek respectively, but there are definitely boys like these in every school the world over. 

 

I don't want to give the plot away, but there were times I laughed, times where I wanted to cry and one moment where I almost punched the air in delight!  Whilst this is a YA book, it appealed to me as a thirty-something woman, and I am sure that there are many people within my age bracket that would enjoy The Duff.

 

As a complete aside, that Kody Keplinger wrote this at age 17- I am envious and in awe in equal measure.  I will definitely be looking out for her other books.

 

8.5/10

Unsaid Things: Our Story - McFly

 

You lot have realised I am a bit of a fangirl by now, right?  Well, I am particularly nuts about One Direction, Take That and McFly, and in preparation for the McBusted appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday night I read Unsaid Things.  It's been on my shelf for a while, but I had so many review copies to get through that it's been sat there, but I decided enough was enough-the fangirl in me won out over the reviewer in me and I read it in less than 24 hours.

 

It's fair to say that McFly/McBusted fans will get the most enjoyment out of this book, but anyone who has an interest in music and/or 'celebrity' (urgh) will learn a lot from this book.  The level of honesty from the boys is what makes this stand out from other biographies out there.  Between them they've been through mental health issues, addiction, and a LOT of women (Danny Jones, I'm particularly looking at you as I type this last bit).  They've also had a ridiculous amount of hits all over the world and have survived ten years at the top of their field.  They write songs for other artists.  They produce music.  They've done (and won) reality TV shows.  Tom is a youtube sensation.  They've even been played in space for crying out loud.

The boys take it in turns to tell the McFly story throughout Unsaid Things which makes for a pacey read and I defy anyone not to laugh as they read it.  Fans have always known they were exceptionally funny and this book just proves it.  Honestly, for a band that is made up of four very different guys (I want to say boys, but they are men now...so I'll stick with guys as a happy medium) they are all hugely entertaining-different enough to have their own identities but similar enough to share the same daft humour and wordplay. 

I was close to tears at numerous points whilst reading.  Each member has gone through their own difficult times and the pride that I get as a fan seeing how genuinely happy they appear to be at the moment is immense.  On a personal level I was especially touched by Tom's descriptions of depression.  This is something I have gone through, and will probably always be going through, myself and his descriptions of the feelings he experienced really resonated.  The 'alien at the window' is something I can understand- my own depression and anxiety is worse at night- and the fear of bed because of the emotions you know are going to haunt you is something I can empathise with completely.

Reading Unsaid Things has made me even more excited for the McBusted tour and I cannot wait to be at the Sheffield gig on 19th May jumping around like a loon. 

And Danny, for what it's worth I can forgive you your playboy antics.  Even though I wish I had been part of them ;)

9/10

Unsaid Things is out now, published by Bantam Press.