Andrea in 2021

[Hayley]

5 hours ago, ~Andrea~ said:

This is my first Joanna Harris so I think I will be trying some more.

I've never read anything by her either but I noticed she has a new book (I'm not sure if it's actually out yet) called Honeycomb that sounds really good. It made me look at what she actually writes and she has a real variety of genres!

[PaulGM]

On 8/4/2021 at 3:34 PM, ~Andrea~ said:

This is my first Joanna Harris so I think I will be trying some more.

 

She is brilliant. If you haven't already try 'Gentlemen and Players' and then 'Blue-eyed Boy', they're both very good.

[~Andrea~]

Thank you Paul. They both sound great and I hadn't heard of either of them before so thanks for the recommendation!

[~Andrea~]

The Illustrated Child - Polly Crosby

From the blurb: Romilly lives in a ramshackle house with her eccentric artist father and her cat, Monty. She knows little about her past – but she knows that she is loved.

When her father finds fame with a series of children’s books starring her as the main character, everything changes: exotic foods appear on the table, her father appears on TV, and strangers appear at their door, convinced the books contain a treasure hunt leading to a glittering prize. But as time passes, Romilly’s father becomes increasingly suspicious of everything around him, until, before her eyes, he begins to disappear altogether. In her increasingly isolated world, Romilly turns to the secrets her father has hidden in his illustrated books, realising that there is something far darker and more devastating locked within the pages…

 

Hmm. I'm not sure what I made of this book. It's described as literary fiction, but I didn't find it particularly literary myself. It's certainly unusual and the writing is good in places, but also quite simple in others, being narrated by a child. I was intrigued to find out what happened, but I didn't particularly enjoy the book. It's unpleasant in places and contains a lot of childhood neglect. I found some of the story far-fetched and couldn't quite buy into it. I did read to the end though, which says something I guess, and a lot of people loved it. I didn't love it, or hate it. It was ok, but I'd have rather spent my time reading something else.

[~Andrea~]

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine strangers join an extreme health retreat in the middle nowhere in the Australian desert, each one carrying their own personal demons. The retreat at Tranquillium House begins as you would expect it, health foods, exercise, meditation, but then things begin to take a somewhat sinister turn.

 

This is my first Liane Moriarty and I loved it. It's a comedy and it did have me laughing out loud. The characters were interesting and the plot engaging. I love anything involving inner emotional struggles or therapy and this book left me feeling satisfied on lots of counts. I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.

[France]

16 hours ago, ~Andrea~ said:

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

 

 

This is my first Liane Moriarty and I loved it. It's a comedy and it did have me laughing out loud. The characters were interesting and the plot engaging. I love anything involving inner emotional struggles or therapy and this book left me feeling satisfied on lots of counts. I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.

Oh goodness, if you loved this one then you've got a lot to look forward to as most of the Liane Moriaty fans I know (me included) really didn't like this one! It's not a patch on Big Little Lies which is really really good.

 

[~Andrea~]

Thanks France. I'm happy to have discovered a new author 

[~Andrea~]

Well, I've only completed 9 books this year, which is awful! I must try harder next year, less time playing silly games on my phone and more time reading!