Read whatever, whenever, however.
In brief: Victoria’s life is changed after meeting a stranger on the street of a small town. What she does next will be guided by his parting words, ‘go as a river’. The good: Well written and captivating story. The not-so-good: I read this over the course of a weekend! Why I chose it: Thanks... Continue Reading →
In brief: A collection of poems, fiction and essays by modern Ukrainian writers translated into English. The good: A combination of diverse writers. The not-so-good: A lot of poetry, some of which didn’t really work for me. Why I chose it: I’ve only ever read Andrey Kurkov’s writing in translation before. Year: 2022 (originally 2017,... Continue Reading →
In brief: The sequel to It Ends With Us, this time including Atlas’s point of view. Basically, it’s how he and Lily get their happily ever after. The good: Easy, comfortable read. The not-so-good: Was a sequel really and truly necessary? Why I chose it: Well, if a sequel by the original author is on... Continue Reading →
In brief: Hannah has always dissed her Korean heritage. After she gets dumped for not being into K-pop and dramas, her summer looks a lot different. Then former friend and K-drama superstar Jacob comes to stay… The good: Good fun. The not-so-good: Not really much in the way of subplots. Why I chose it: Christina... Continue Reading →
In brief: Maddie is always there for her family – and they don’t return the favour. When Maddie spreads her wings, tragedy strikes. Can Maddie become her own person? The good: Sad, funny and well written. The not-so-good: I just wanted to keep reading and reading… Why I chose it: Sounded like an interesting read.... Continue Reading →
In brief: The story of the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK – warts and all. The good: A gripping read, even though I knew what would happen next! The not-so-good: It doesn’t pull any punches on what went wrong. Why I chose it: I’m interested in learning all I can... Continue Reading →
In brief: Saima is a matchmaker for the Desi community, but things aren’t going well. When a rich couple ask her to find a match for their son – with a big cheque to match – it seems like things could improve. The problem? Saima already knows Kal and they don’t really get along. The... Continue Reading →
In brief: The Garnett girls are adults, but each is tied to their larger than life mother and crumbling house on the Isle of Wight. Will they muster the courage to say what they really want? The good: A lot going on with each character. The not-so-good: Some parts I felt needed a bit more... Continue Reading →
In brief: Collated columns from Dolly’s life advice UK newspaper column. The good: Who doesn’t love reading agony aunt columns? The not-so-good: By being grouped by theme, it sometimes got a little bit ‘same-same’. Why I chose it: In the digital age, there just aren’t enough agony aunt columns. Year: 2022 Pages: 216 Publisher: Penguin... Continue Reading →
In brief: The story of Amazon’s rise from online bookshop to one of the biggest companies in the world. The good: Some parts of how the company worked were fascinating. The not-so-good: I guess I was thinking that the book was about how Amazon works, not its history and future directions, based on the title.... Continue Reading →
Sam Still Reading 