Recent Reads

09:57

I love to read all year round but the cold and dark nights of autumn make me want to curl up with a good book more than ever! Here are three books I've recently read that I recommend picking up.

The Time Traveler's by Audrey Niffenegger
I'm putting this book in here but my feelings about it are slightly mixed. It's the story of Clare and Henry, who meet when Clare is six and Henry is thirty-six and get married when Clare is twenty-two and Henry is thirty. This is possible because, as I'm sure you have guessed by the title of the book, Henry is a time traveler. I think this book is quite slow to get into, it's a slightly confusing scenario to get your head around as the narrative jumps about frequently. I also think certain scenarios and moments can feel very slow in pace and this book could probably be slightly shorter. This aside,I did enjoy the plot and felt very invested in Clare and Henry's relationship. If science fiction isn't normally your cup of tea, that doesn't matter. The story at the centre is about love and the strain that can come under all relationships, time traveler or not. 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I actually finished this book a few months ago but in light of the film's release and the sequel that's just been published, I thought it should be included. On paper, this could sound like a very standard romance novel. Not Quite. Louisa is at a bit of a loose end in life, she's just lost her job and her boyfriend is a bit of a tool. She meets Will, recently paralysed from a motorcycle accident and the two don't exactly hit it off. What I found so compelling was the detail with which Moyes went into Will's struggle. His condition is not treatable, so you know this novel won't have a cliché ending. Needless to say, this is a complete tearjerker, but the relationship between the characters is so believable. They're polar opposites but they learn so much from each other. Still, don't enter this book thinking it's a regular love story, it's so much more.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
This follows the story of Ursula Todd, born in February 1910, dying before she can take her first breath. Ursula is then born again and again, living her life over several times. It's fascinating to see what effect one tiny change can have on her entire life and what other things are inevitable. We see her grow up several times and several versions of her adult life, some versions were incredibly heartbreaking and I was so relieved when the narrative began again. As always, Atkinson is an incredible story teller and it is so easy to become immersed in the Todd family. The descriptions of the war are harrowing and in this looping tale, you get to eventually see it from both sides, which makes this more than your standard war novel. I can honestly say, this is now one of my favourite books. 

So there you have it What have you been reading recently? 

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