Book Review: The Kicking The Bucket List by Cathy Hopkins
Harper, 9th March 2017
Iris Parker has passed away. She’s left the large amount of money from the sale of her house to her three daughters; Rose, who is tight lipped, controlled and closed down, Dee (Daisy) who is sensitive and has a big heart and the youngest sister, Fleur who is the free spirit.
The catch of the inheritance is their mother’s kicking the bucket list. The girls have to get together every other month and take part in various tasks set out by their mother. These are six weekends where Iris wants her girls to bond.
The three sisters have been estranged for years. Neither of them understand the other and not one of them is happy about having to get together. Dee needs the money as the home she has rented for years is about to be sold, Rose is distant as she has her own tragedy to face and Fleur is more lonely than she is letting on.
Can they make it through the year and get to know one another again like their mother wants them to?
This book resonated with me on such a level that it was sometimes hard to read and I imagine it would be the same for anyone who has lost a parent. That was through no fault of the book that I found some passages difficult. I didn’t want to stop reading. I just spend most of it trying not to cry.
Each woman is fighting her own battle but none want to communicate it to the other two. There are moments where you want to bang their heads together.
by 
News: Shortlist Announced For Wellcome Prize
Shortlist for Wellcome Book Prize 2017 announced.
Four non fiction books and two fiction books have been shortlisted for the 2017 Wellcome Prize.
The list includes the following:
How To Survive a Plague by David France (non-fiction,) When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (non-fiction,) Mend The Living by Maylis De Kerangal (fiction,) The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss (fiction,) The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee (non fiction) and I contain Multitudes by Ed Yong (non fiction.)
2017 could mean a posthumous win for Paul Kalanithi.
The Wellcome Prize is an annual award which is open to non-fiction and fiction novels that have been submitted by publishers and that have a central theme that has some aspect of medicine, health or illness.
by Postbox: An Updated Book Haul
2017 is promising to be a fantastic year for new book releases, if my TBR pile is anything to go by anyway.
As I have not done a haul in a while, I wanted to blog about some of the fantastic books that my letterbox has received to review. I also haven’t been able to resist buying a load of books too (much to the boy’s complaints.)
The first book in this haul is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (released by Walker Books, May 2015.) I kept seeing the trailer for the film adaptation of this book at the end of last year and it is this that brought the novel to my attention. The imagery in the trailer looked absolutely stunning and the plot looked really intriguing. I knew it was a book I had to go and buy and one I very much look forward to reading. I want to read this before I see the movie. This looks like it would be a story that resonates with a lot of people.
Connor has the same dream every night; the one he’s been having ever since his mother fell ill and stopped having treatments that didn’t seem to be working. This one particular night is different though. When Connor wakes, there is a visitor at his window. Ancient and elemental, it’s a dangerous force of nature and it is wanting the truth from Connor.
My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella was released by Bantam Press on 9th February. Becky Bloomwood is one of my favourite fictional heroines. However, I have a big soft spot for books outside of the Shopaholic series too; Can You Keep A Secret being one of my favourite books. This book looks as fantastic as you’d expect Sophie’s novels to be. The cover is incredibly cute and the subject matter does look very topical especially with Social Media seemingly taking over everywhere. This is currently sat on my pile of books to read (having brought it a couple of weeks ago,) and I am itching to read it.
Katie is living the perfect life. She has a glamorous job, a flat in London and a cool instagram feed. In reality, she rents a tiny room with no space, has to commute to a low paid admin job and what she shares on Instagram isn’t even hers. Then, to add insult to injury, she looses her job. Katie ends up moving back to Somerset to help her Dad with his glamping business. Her ex boss books in for a holiday and Katie sees her chance. Should she get revenge or try and get her job back? Also, is her boss living as perfect a life as she portrays?
by Book Review: The Other Side of You by Amanda Craig
Abacus, February 2017
Will must run from the gang that controls the estate where he lives or die. He has witnessed the murder of his Aunty and so he is running for his life. He needs to find somewhere to hide
In doing this, he ends up in the area outside the estate he has known all of his life. It’s all very different. People don’t walk around looking over their shoulder and businesses thrive.
He finds shelter in what he calls a ‘glass house.’
Soon after that, he meets Padma and falls in love. He feels he could actually make his life better. Then his past catches up with him.
This book is based around/ is an updated version of Beauty and The Beast. When I started reading, I did wonder how this was going to be achieved. The story is so well-known. It’s all be integrated really well.
The description of the green house and the plants are so vivid. I felt as though I was there. The writing is fast paced and page turning.
I read this in pretty much one sitting (it’s a hundred pages long) but it drew me in. I even like how Amanda included the roses.
Will has been told he is one thing all of his life. He assumes that all he has ever known is all he will ever be. Escaping shows him a different path. You’ve just got to want it. Also, first impressions and appearances are not always to be trusted.
This is a great addition to the Quick Reads library. I enjoyed it very much.
by Blog Tour: The One by John Marrs – Review
A big welcome today to John Marrs and the blog tour for his novel, The One which was published as an eBook in January with the paperback following in May 2017.
How far would you go to find THE ONE?
One simple mouth swab is all it takes. A quick DNA test to find your perfect partner – the one you’re genetically made for.
A decade after scientists discover everyone has a gene they share with just one other person, millions have taken the test, desperate to find true love. Now, five more people meet their Match. But even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking – and deadlier – than others…
Chris’s verdict on The One:
Imagine a world where all it takes to find your prefect partner is a simple DNA test. Should you follow the science and seek out that person, or follow convention and see where your heart leads you?
The book follows the stories of several individuals who are drawn together because they have received a notice from the DNA match website identifying their match. The characters are a strange group – Intellectuals, officials and even a serial killer.
I found that the book asks various questions; if you find your perfect match will you love them? If you fall in love with someone other than your match then will it, or can it, work out? And if you have met your perfect match will they love you despite your flaws?
The stories all occur simultaneously, following linear time though out the book, with individual chapters for each character which works wonderfully so as to draw you though the book as you always want to know what is going to happen to X or Y next.
by Book Club
