Scan barcode
amyvl93's reviews
902 reviews
Dear Dolly: On Love, Life and Friendship, Collected wisdom from her Sunday Times Style Column by Dolly Alderton
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
The advice in here isn't revelatory, but it is reassuring and it feels like a hug on a page.
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Kate Atkinson is always a must-read author for me, and Shrines of Gaiety is definitely a favourite out of her most recent releases that I've read.
This novel puts us in 1920s London, and a world of underground nightclubs where the guests get to live out their hedonistic dreams after the despair of the First World War, but where organised crime is rampant and young women are the ones paying the price. The novel has a sprawling cast of characters - Nellie Coker, queen of the London nightclub scene and her six children; Frobisher, a police detective bent on shutting her down; Gwendolen, who comes to London to find some missing girls and who gets pulled into Frobisher's case and Freda, a teenager who runs away to London to find stardom.
Despite this sprawling cast, I still found myself interested in every story - if anything, there are some characters that I would have liked to know more about. Atkinson is great at developing characters in relatively few pages, and each felt distinctive (aside from those that were purposefully bland) and I think I would have happily read books about all of them. The sense of place here is also excellent, I really felt like I was in the clubs, on the streets of Soho, and there's part of me that's slightly saddened that I won't get to experience a Lyons Tea Room.
Atkinson's prose is often humorous, which is needed when much of the content is quite dark. This isn't a novel that has a neat perfect ending (far from it), and the slight time slipping that Atkinson utilises to give us slightly more information than the characters worked well for me. The focus on the the role of women in a period where they had experience independence and played key roles during the war, and the way they were seen as lesser or entirely disposable by men on their return was really interesting. There were a couple of things about the plot I wasn't wild about, for instance, I could have done without the sprinkle of romance as I didn't really feel like any of those characters really knew each other well enough for it to take up so much of their brain space.
On the whole, really enjoyed this and it feels ripe for a fun TV adaptation.
This novel puts us in 1920s London, and a world of underground nightclubs where the guests get to live out their hedonistic dreams after the despair of the First World War, but where organised crime is rampant and young women are the ones paying the price. The novel has a sprawling cast of characters - Nellie Coker, queen of the London nightclub scene and her six children; Frobisher, a police detective bent on shutting her down; Gwendolen, who comes to London to find some missing girls and who gets pulled into Frobisher's case and Freda, a teenager who runs away to London to find stardom.
Despite this sprawling cast, I still found myself interested in every story - if anything, there are some characters that I would have liked to know more about. Atkinson is great at developing characters in relatively few pages, and each felt distinctive (aside from those that were purposefully bland) and I think I would have happily read books about all of them. The sense of place here is also excellent, I really felt like I was in the clubs, on the streets of Soho, and there's part of me that's slightly saddened that I won't get to experience a Lyons Tea Room.
Atkinson's prose is often humorous, which is needed when much of the content is quite dark. This isn't a novel that has a neat perfect ending (far from it), and the slight time slipping that Atkinson utilises to give us slightly more information than the characters worked well for me. The focus on the the role of women in a period where they had experience independence and played key roles during the war, and the way they were seen as lesser or entirely disposable by men on their return was really interesting. There were a couple of things about the plot I wasn't wild about, for instance, I could have done without the sprinkle of romance as I didn't really feel like any of those characters really knew each other well enough for it to take up so much of their brain space.
On the whole, really enjoyed this and it feels ripe for a fun TV adaptation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Murder
Minor: Drug use and Mental illness
From the Corner of the Oval Office: One Woman’s True Story of Her Accidental Career in the Obama White House by Beck Dorey-Stein
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Run Away by Harlan Coben
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.5
Well, don't I feel like a buzzkill. I was so excited to pick up 84 Charing Cross Road as I enjoy epistolary writing and I'd heard this was really a love letter to books. And I was left quite disappointed.
This edition contains both 84 Charing Cross Road a collection of letters between Helene Hanff, a New York-based writer, and Frank Doel, a bookseller at Marks & Co - an antique bookshop - in London as well as others in Doel's family and within the wider Marks & Co family; and The Duchess of Bloomsbury, Hanff's diary of the visit she finally makes to London after the letter collection is published.
My main reaction is one of underwhelm; I found Hanff's letters to Marks & Co to verge on the rude (maybe it's my strong British-ness) and whilst her sending of packages to war-torn and recovering London was charming, it also felt a tad strange. There's also minimal discussion of actual books in here - Hanff doesn't care for fiction, and her tastes run in the deeply academic.
The best writing comes when Hanff arrives in London - her revelling in the history of the city was lovely to read. However, her experience in London is quite a rarefied one, whilst at times fun to read about a time capsule of London in the 1970s it's quite a limited view - despite constant letters about her precarious financial state, she seems to at least know an awful lot of wealthy people, and I was slightly baffled by the splash the book made within literary circles.
This edition contains both 84 Charing Cross Road a collection of letters between Helene Hanff, a New York-based writer, and Frank Doel, a bookseller at Marks & Co - an antique bookshop - in London as well as others in Doel's family and within the wider Marks & Co family; and The Duchess of Bloomsbury, Hanff's diary of the visit she finally makes to London after the letter collection is published.
My main reaction is one of underwhelm; I found Hanff's letters to Marks & Co to verge on the rude (maybe it's my strong British-ness) and whilst her sending of packages to war-torn and recovering London was charming, it also felt a tad strange. There's also minimal discussion of actual books in here - Hanff doesn't care for fiction, and her tastes run in the deeply academic.
The best writing comes when Hanff arrives in London - her revelling in the history of the city was lovely to read. However, her experience in London is quite a rarefied one, whilst at times fun to read about a time capsule of London in the 1970s it's quite a limited view - despite constant letters about her precarious financial state, she seems to at least know an awful lot of wealthy people, and I was slightly baffled by the splash the book made within literary circles.
Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Case Study piqued my interest when it was Booker longlisted and I quite enjoyed this look at the 1960s - both in terms of psychology and the changing social mores that were beginning to be seen.
The novel is split between Burnet's fictionalised research into the psychologist Collins Brathwaite, exploring his relative rise to prominence in North London from the North of England by way of Oxford - and the diaries of a young woman who is convinced Brathwaite influenced her older sister to commit suicide, and who takes on a new identity in order to attend sessions with him.
I was surprised by how often funny this novel was, and I felt that Burnet did an good job of capturing the ways in which women could find themselves stuck by societal expectations - the unnamed narrator seems class-obsessed but it also felt like this was a response to her own position in society, and she seems (at first at least) to revel in the experiences she gives herself permission to have in her identity as Rebecca.
This really starts as a page turner, both in terms of 'Rebecca' trying to puzzle out what may have happened to her sister, in addition to grappling with her own sanity - and in unpacking the backstory of Brathwaite, a thoroughly unlikeable individual. However, as others have said, it feels like it slightly runs out of steam towards the end which left me wondering what I was really supposed to take from the novel.
The novel is split between Burnet's fictionalised research into the psychologist Collins Brathwaite, exploring his relative rise to prominence in North London from the North of England by way of Oxford - and the diaries of a young woman who is convinced Brathwaite influenced her older sister to commit suicide, and who takes on a new identity in order to attend sessions with him.
I was surprised by how often funny this novel was, and I felt that Burnet did an good job of capturing the ways in which women could find themselves stuck by societal expectations - the unnamed narrator seems class-obsessed but it also felt like this was a response to her own position in society, and she seems (at first at least) to revel in the experiences she gives herself permission to have in her identity as Rebecca.
This really starts as a page turner, both in terms of 'Rebecca' trying to puzzle out what may have happened to her sister, in addition to grappling with her own sanity - and in unpacking the backstory of Brathwaite, a thoroughly unlikeable individual. However, as others have said, it feels like it slightly runs out of steam towards the end which left me wondering what I was really supposed to take from the novel.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I definitely surprised myself by how much I enjoyed Book Lovers - I found myself reading this often with a stupid smile on my face, which speaks to how invested I was in the central relationship between Nora and Charlie.
Nora is the stereotypical work-obsessed book agent who is dumped as part of any Hallmark film when the man falls in love with a girl in a small-town; indeed several of her relationships have ended as men have fallen for lodge owners or orchard owners. After her mother passed away when she and her sister Libby were young, she is determined to provide a lifestyle for her sister and herself that her Mum would be proud of. When her pregnant sister Libby suggests a trip to a small town which happens to the be the small-town setting for one of Nora's author's in the hope of giving Nora a taste of small town life, it is Charlie, fellow big city literary editor who Nora finds herself unable to stay away from.
It's blindingly obvious from the start of the novel where the story is going but I enjoyed the journey all the same; it was refreshing to see a romance novel where the lead character is celebrated for having work passions, desiring a certain lifestyle and not wanting children - and having a male protagonist who thinks all these things make her awesome. I also enjoyed Henry's gentle spoofing of all the tropes that make Hallmark films so fun - a small business being saved, a blindingly attractive potential love interest.
Although I think Henry did do a nice job of crafting Nora and Libby's relationship, I did think we dwelled on the conflict here for a little too long; and I did find Libby a tad grating - which may have been the point in terms of comparing her to Nora. However, this didn't stop my enjoyment, Henry may be the only author TikTok has got nailed.
Nora is the stereotypical work-obsessed book agent who is dumped as part of any Hallmark film when the man falls in love with a girl in a small-town; indeed several of her relationships have ended as men have fallen for lodge owners or orchard owners. After her mother passed away when she and her sister Libby were young, she is determined to provide a lifestyle for her sister and herself that her Mum would be proud of. When her pregnant sister Libby suggests a trip to a small town which happens to the be the small-town setting for one of Nora's author's in the hope of giving Nora a taste of small town life, it is Charlie, fellow big city literary editor who Nora finds herself unable to stay away from.
It's blindingly obvious from the start of the novel where the story is going but I enjoyed the journey all the same; it was refreshing to see a romance novel where the lead character is celebrated for having work passions, desiring a certain lifestyle and not wanting children - and having a male protagonist who thinks all these things make her awesome. I also enjoyed Henry's gentle spoofing of all the tropes that make Hallmark films so fun - a small business being saved, a blindingly attractive potential love interest.
Although I think Henry did do a nice job of crafting Nora and Libby's relationship, I did think we dwelled on the conflict here for a little too long; and I did find Libby a tad grating - which may have been the point in terms of comparing her to Nora. However, this didn't stop my enjoyment, Henry may be the only author TikTok has got nailed.
Still Life by Sarah Winman
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some books just feel like pure joy and that was my experience reading Still Life, a novel which brings together a ragtag bunch of characters that you will grow to love as it follows them over the decades of the 20th century.
Opening during the Second World War, our protaganists of sorts are Ulysses Temper, a young British soldier, and Evelyn Skinner, an older art historian who are bought together one night on the outskirts of Florence. Their meeting sets in motion a story that moves from a community in the East End of London to the streets of Florence. Every character here jumps from the pages, from Ulysses and Evelyn, to Peg Ulysses' estranged wife whose heart is captured by an American GI and Cressie, an eccentric older gambler to the grump landlord of the pub Colm and his Shakespeare quoting parrot Claude and then the cast of characters who become part of the story as they settle in Florence. This novel could probably feel quite cheesy in the wrong hands, but Winman makes the narrative feel suitably honest and true.
I've previously had a bit of a mixed reaction to Winman's writing, but her use of real life events here doesn't feel gratuitous and her writing of the 1960s floods in Florence was really evocative. She also brings to life all kinds of love in these pages, from queer romance to late in life love to that found in chosen families.
The only reason it didn't get a perfect review from me is that I felt the last section was unnecessary and pulled away from the cast of characters we'd come to love.
Opening during the Second World War, our protaganists of sorts are Ulysses Temper, a young British soldier, and Evelyn Skinner, an older art historian who are bought together one night on the outskirts of Florence. Their meeting sets in motion a story that moves from a community in the East End of London to the streets of Florence. Every character here jumps from the pages, from Ulysses and Evelyn, to Peg Ulysses' estranged wife whose heart is captured by an American GI and Cressie, an eccentric older gambler to the grump landlord of the pub Colm and his Shakespeare quoting parrot Claude and then the cast of characters who become part of the story as they settle in Florence. This novel could probably feel quite cheesy in the wrong hands, but Winman makes the narrative feel suitably honest and true.
I've previously had a bit of a mixed reaction to Winman's writing, but her use of real life events here doesn't feel gratuitous and her writing of the 1960s floods in Florence was really evocative. She also brings to life all kinds of love in these pages, from queer romance to late in life love to that found in chosen families.
The only reason it didn't get a perfect review from me is that I felt the last section was unnecessary and pulled away from the cast of characters we'd come to love.
Love is Blind by William Boyd
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Love is Blind is a meandering story, following a young Scottish man - Brodie Moncur - as his life takes him from the oppressive household of his youth, to Paris, to St Petersburg, across the South of France and beyond at the turn of the 20th century. Brodie is a piano tuner, whose skills send him to support the management of a piano showroom in Paris. Whilst there, he becomes entangled with the Kilbarron brothers, John a famous concert pianist, and Malachi his malevolent business manager - and John's partner, a Russian singer, Lika Blum who Brodie falls for.
I would describe Love is Blind as something of a quiet novel. Brodie is a slightly bland protagonist, quietly carrying out his work and despite his great ideas, not a man who will leave much of a mark on the world. Boyd's greatest success with the novel is his drawing of place - every area that Brodie visits feels vividly written and leaps off the page, though I think he is most successful in creating the darkly threatening setting of Brodie's youth. Whilst Brodie does interact with much of the world, it also seems quite odd that there is next to know acknowledgement of the historical context that the narrative is taking place within.
For a novel about apparently about love, it was slightly disappointing how little we ever really learn about Lika. Despite his apparent love for her, Brodie tells us very little about what it is he loves about her (aside from her physicality) - we know little about her personality apart from what she herself tells us. This is unlike most of the male characters in the novel who are all vividly drawn, even those that verge slightly on stereotype.
I did generally enjoy the reading experience of that, it was a slow burn through some great settings but it is not my favourite of Boyd's novels.
I would describe Love is Blind as something of a quiet novel. Brodie is a slightly bland protagonist, quietly carrying out his work and despite his great ideas, not a man who will leave much of a mark on the world. Boyd's greatest success with the novel is his drawing of place - every area that Brodie visits feels vividly written and leaps off the page, though I think he is most successful in creating the darkly threatening setting of Brodie's youth. Whilst Brodie does interact with much of the world, it also seems quite odd that there is next to know acknowledgement of the historical context that the narrative is taking place within.
For a novel about apparently about love, it was slightly disappointing how little we ever really learn about Lika. Despite his apparent love for her, Brodie tells us very little about what it is he loves about her (aside from her physicality) - we know little about her personality apart from what she herself tells us. This is unlike most of the male characters in the novel who are all vividly drawn, even those that verge slightly on stereotype.
I did generally enjoy the reading experience of that, it was a slow burn through some great settings but it is not my favourite of Boyd's novels.
Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Love After Love was one of those novels that I knew from the first couple of pages I would enjoy. It follows an unlikely trio living in Trinidad- Betty, whose abusive husband dies leaving her alone with her son Solo, and bringing her colleague Mr Chetan into the household as a lodger.
Persuad brings to life the three characters effortlessly, they all felt very real and vivid in the pages of the novel. Whilst there are a lot of big topics covered in here; the undocumented experience in America, being LGBT in the Caribbean (reminiscent of Mr Loverman which I adored earlier this year) and the importance of found family relationships. Despite some of the tragic turns and emotional punches the novel makes, it never feels like Persaud is being manipulative with the reader, and nor does she resolve all conflict seamlessly at the end of the novel.
There were times when I found the time jumps a little hard to follow - they ranged from days to months to years in the characters lives, and I did forsee the big reveal that ruptures the unlikely family coming but overall I really, really liked this.
Persuad brings to life the three characters effortlessly, they all felt very real and vivid in the pages of the novel. Whilst there are a lot of big topics covered in here; the undocumented experience in America, being LGBT in the Caribbean (reminiscent of Mr Loverman which I adored earlier this year) and the importance of found family relationships. Despite some of the tragic turns and emotional punches the novel makes, it never feels like Persaud is being manipulative with the reader, and nor does she resolve all conflict seamlessly at the end of the novel.
There were times when I found the time jumps a little hard to follow - they ranged from days to months to years in the characters lives, and I did forsee the big reveal that ruptures the unlikely family coming but overall I really, really liked this.