Book Review: What July Knew by Emily Koch

AD* | Summer, 1995.

July Hooper knows eighteen things about her mother.

Like number thirteen: she loved dancing on the kitchen table. And number eight: she was covered in freckles.

And then there's number two: she died after being hit by a car when July was small.

She keeps this list hidden in a drawer away from her father. Because they're not allowed to talk about her mother. Ever.

But an anonymous note slipped into July's bag on her tenth birthday is about to change everything she thinks she knows about her mum.

Determined to discover what really happened to her, July begins to investigate, cycling around the neighbourhood where her family used to live. There she meets someone who might finally have the answers.

July wants her family to stop lying to her, but will the truth be harder to face?

Book Review: The Ash Museum by Rebecca Smith

AD* | Through ten decades and across three continents, The Ash Museum is an intergenerational story of loss, migration and the search for somewhere to feel at home.

1944 The Battle of Kohima. James Ash dies leaving behind two families: his ‘wife’ Josmi and two children, Jay and Molly, and his parents and sister in England who know nothing about his Indian family.

2012 Emmie is raising her own daughter, Jasmine, in a world she wants to be very different from the racist England of her childhood. Her father, Jay, doesn’t even have a photograph of the mother he lost and still refuses to discuss his life in India. Emmie finds comfort in the local museum – a treasure trove of another family’s stories and artefacts.

Little does Emmie know that with each generation, her own story holds secrets and fascinations that she could only dream of.

Reading Round-Up: May/June 2023

In this post, you'll find recommendations for each of the books I've read over the last two months, as well as information about the books I've acquired and the ones I'm looking forward to reading in the future. 

So, whether you're in the mood for a heartwarming love story, a thrilling page-turner, or a thought-provoking work of nonfiction, you're sure to find something here to add to your TBR pile. So sit back, relax, and get ready to discover your next great read!

Book Review: Where the Light Goes by Sara Barnard

AD* | A heart-wrenching exploration of grief, set in a landscape corrupted by fame and the scrutiny that comes from living in the shadow of a star.

"Lizzie Beck" is one-quarter of British pop sensation The Jinks, who launched their career via a reality TV talent show and rose straight to fame – and in Lizzie’s case, infamy, for her tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend, stints in rehab and candid confessions about her mental health on Instagram.

To Emmy, though, she will always be her older sister, Beth, the person whose footsteps she intends to follow. Except now she can’t. Because Beth, Emmy's beloved sister, has died by suicide.

Forced to face a world without the guiding light of her bright, brilliant big sister, Emmy must wrestle with the impact of private grief, public scrutiny and discover who she once was and who she will become, now that Beth is gone.

Reading Round-Up: March/April 2023

Welcome to my latest reading round-up blog post, where I'll be taking a closer look at all the books I've been reading over the past two months. From the latest bestsellers to hidden gems, I've been immersing myself in a wide range of genres and styles.

So, grab a cup of tea and settle in as we take a deep dive into the world of books and all the exciting reads I've discovered over the past two months.