I’ve just finished reading The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much (in fact, I only bought it because it was half price!). While, my post shows I liked The Midnight Library well enough, I did, if I’m honest, find myself getting a bit

In Cilka’s Journey, the sequel of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Helen Morris explains how Lale, that tattooist survivor of the first story, revealed to her that Cilka was the bravest person he knew in the camp. This left Morris with a whole new life-story that needed telling. As

The story in Three Days in June centres on Gail Baines, a 61-year-old teacher who is furious when she’s passed over for the headteacher role at her school. She’s told she lacks people skills, and in response, she walks out, determined never to return. However, this is only a

At a friend’s suggestion, I recently decided to revisit To Kill a Mockingbird. My last significant connection to the book was back in 2015, around the release of Go Set a Watchman. That event was highly controversial, as the manuscript was published despite Harper Lee’s earlier

Kate Atkinson’s Normal Rules Don’t Apply is a remarkable collection of eleven interconnected stories that expertly blend the complexity of its narrative with profound themes of human nature, the disruption of time, and the power of storytelling. Notably, it’s her first full

I don’t usually read biographies, and Into the Wild isn’t something I would have picked up on my own, but it certainly provoked strong reactions. So much so that one of my book club friends didn’t even want to discuss it. She felt it was in bad taste to seek entertainment from

After reading Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain, I expected Young Mungo to be another gritty experience. However, I was surprised to find it more uplifting than his earlier work, which had notably divided one of my book clubs. The two books share many similarities: both are set in

I am a huge fan of Sandi Toksvig, as you’ll discover from my book review of her memoir, Between the Stops. Therefore, it was a relief that Friends of Dorothy met and probably exceeded my expectations, proving to be just as good, if not better, than I had hoped. Friends of pic.x.com/SGafi3sn1n

Although I’ve read Maggie O’Farrell’s much acclaimed Hamnet, I haven’t read any of her other works. It was a pleasure to read The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, which was my book club’s choice. Although I wouldn’t immediately pick up historical fiction, I found the storyline of

If you enjoy learning about people, where they have come from, the mistakes they make, the learning journey they go through and the essence of who they are and what makes us all human then Love Marriage is the book for you. The central character is a junior doctor Yasmin

Erin Kelly’s The Skeleton Key is a thrilling read, offering an eerie blend of fantasy, mystery, and fairytale. The novel invites readers into Eleanor (Nell)’s complex, captivating, and, at times, frightening world. The protagonist’s life has been continually impacted by The

David Nicholl’s You Are Here was an exceptionally good book. It felt like it landed in my lap as if by fate, as I’d been contemplating doing Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk. The story follows the character Michael and Marnie as they find themselves completing the walk, arranged

Claire Fuller’s The Memory of Animals is an unusual book set in what appears to be roughly contemporary times. The story unfolds through a series of letters from the narrator, Neffy, to ‘H’, who we later learn is an octopus that Neffy freed from an aquarium where she’d previously

Sara Pascoe’s Weirdo presents a captivating exploration of contemporary fiction, resonating particularly with younger readers through its fresh, accessible style and relatable themes. Initially hesitant about delving into literature seemingly geared towards a younger demographic,

Goodreads Sara Pascoe’s Weirdo sallyflint.com/book-review-on…

It took me a while to get into Sarah Winman’s When God Was a Rabbit, but once I had it was well worth the read. At times it was hard to pin down what it was actually about, but I settled on it being an exploration of family life, friendship, and the inevitable passage of time. I

In FRIENDAHOLIC Confessions of a Friendship Addict, Elizabeth Day delves into the intricate dynamics of friendships, blending her personal experiences with universal truths. I didn’t realise this when I started to read it, as I bought it thinking it was fiction! This assumption

Although not much of a user of Facebook and not at all really on Instagram or TikTok, being part of the older generation who learned Facebook, overused it, and has now more or less abandoned social media, I still found myself occasionally scrolling through the reels of Jess and