Category Archives: Contemporary

Book Review: Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton #audiobook

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Summary

“Bighearted, gritty, magical and moving, Lola in the Mirror is the irresistible new novel from international bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies , Trent Dalton.

‘Mirror, mirror, on the grass, what’s my future? What’s my past?

A girl and her mother are on the lam. They’ve been running for sixteen years, from police and the monster they left in the kitchen with the knife in his throat. They’ve found themselves a home inside an orange 1987 Toyota HiAce van with four flat tyres parked in a scrapyard by the edge of the Brisbane River – just two of the 100,000 Australians sleeping rough every night.

The girl has no name because names are dangerous when you’re on the run. But the girl has a dream. Visions in black ink and living colour. A vision of a life as a groundbreaking artist of international acclaim. A life outside the grip of the Brisbane underworld drug queen ‘Lady’ Flora Box. A life of love with the boy in the brown suit who’s waiting for her in the middle of the bridge that stretches across a flooding and deadly river. A life far beyond the bullet that has her name on it.

And now that the storm clouds are rising, there’s only one person who can help make her dreams come true. That person’s name is Lola and she carries all the answers. But to find Lola, the girl with no name must first do one of the hardest things we can sometimes ever do. She must look in the mirror.

A big, moving, blackly funny, violent, heartbreaking and beautiful novel of love, fate, life and death and all the things we see when we look in the mirror. All of the past, all of the present, and all of our possible futures. ‘Mirror, mirror, please don’t lie. Tell me who you are. Tell me who am I.” – Goodreads

Audiobook released by Bolinda/Harper Collins audio in 2023
Duration 13 hours 39 minutes
Narrator: Victoria Graves

My Thoughts

This story about a young girl with no name really touched my heart. It was tough and gritty, sad but also had it’s soft side, and at times it was very funny. Lola in the Mirror is at it’s heart, a love story, though at times it is brutal and hard to read. The author has approached the issue of homelessness in a very clever way, and at the same time, created an amazing story.

Once I started reading Lola, I couldn’t stop. I absolutely loved reading this book with it’s beautiful words and very strong, but vulnerable characters. There is so much heartbreak, but hope, love and friendship survive despite the sadness and heartbreak.

Lola in the Mirror is a roller coaster of emotions, with moments of violence, that are extremely disturbing, but there are also many very soft and gentle moments. There is so much that I would love to say about this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

I read this book without reading the back cover, so I had no idea what it was about. The reason I chose to read it, was my love for this popular Australian author’s previous books. There was no disappointment at all. From the first page Lola in the Mirror took my breath away.

“My mum never warns me about boys in cars. My mum only warns me about child protection officers in cars.”

“Mirror, mirror, on the grass, what’s my future? What’s my past? … Mirror, mirror, please don’t lie. Tell me who you are. Tell me, who am I?”

Each chapter begins with a sketch that is absolutely perfect to the story, and a great addition. I loved the way the author inserted himself into the story. That made me smile. There is every chance that this book, my second of 2024 could be my favourite book of 2024. As I listened to the audio book, I now have Lola in the Mirror on my list to re-read as a paper book or kindle.

In my opinion, Lola in the Mirror is brilliant and a ‘must read’. Also a warning, you will need tissues.

Star Rating 

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unputdownable. Would read it again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic read. Not to be missed

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable. Would recommend it.

⭐️⭐️ Wouldn’t read it again.

⭐️ Don’t recommend this book at all.

The book mentioned in this post is my own choice and has not been sent to me to review. My opinions are my own and I receive no renumeration at all for them.

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email into the box in the side bar. This will ensure you are notified of all updates.

This post is linked to Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share

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© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

Book Review: Another Life by Kristin Hannah

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Another Life
by
Kristin Hannah

Summary

After years spent trying to have a child, Angie’s marriage has broken down. Alone, she returns to her home town to reconnect with her family and help her them to save their restaurant which is failing.

Angie meets Lauren, a high school senior student who has dreams of going to university, when Lauren applies to work in the restaurant. Even though there is a large age difference, they develop a strong friendship. Lauren comes to rely on Angie when she suddenly has to cope by herself, after her mother leaves her.

Angie is also coping with coming to terms with a huge life change and comes to lean on Lauren. They become very close, giving each other strength.

Angie and Lauren are both faced with many difficulties and dramas that test them in ways they could not have imagined.

My Thoughts

I’m a fan of Kristin Hannah and was looking forward to reading this book. It didn’t disappoint at all. I would describe Another Life as chick lit with substance. Once again, Kristin has written about strong females, who are doing their best to endure.

Another Life is a love story, full of kindness and empathy, but it is definitely not a romance. It is mostly a story of friendship, love, grief and loss. But, please don’t get the idea that this is a depressing book. It is full of hope and love with many funny moments.

I found it a quick read, as I couldn’t put it down, which is the case with most books written by Kristen Hannah. There are three of her books that I love the most. Alone, The Four Winds and The Nightingale. I have read them all twice. As much as I enjoyed this book, I’m not sure that I need to read it again but I do recommend it.

Star Rating 

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unputdownable. Would read it again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic read. Not to be missed

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable. Would recommend it.

⭐️⭐️ Wouldn’t read it again.

⭐️ Don’t recommend this book at all.

The books mentioned in this post are of my own choice and have not been sent to me to review. My opinions are my own and I receive no renumeration at all for them.

Have you read this book? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I promise to always reply to comments made below.

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email into the box in the side bar. This will ensure you are notified of all updates.

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© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

Book Review: Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes

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Someone Else’s Shoes
by
JoJo Moyes

Summary

Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?

“Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope–she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.

That’s because Sam Kemp – in the bleakest point of her life – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag–she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.

Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything”.
from: Goodreads

My Thoughts

I’m not sure why I chose to read this book, as the title really isn’t one that would call to me. I read Moyes earlier book, Me Before You and loved it, but have struggled a bit with a couple of her later books.

The cover makes this book appear to be chick lit, and to a certain extent it is, but it is much more than that. It’s also a book about relationships. It’s about making mistakes and making the most of second chances when they appear. I’m sure most people would identify with the horror of making a big mistake that could wreck your career and/or your relationships. Not to mention the embarassment that public humiliation causes. Where do you go from there and what do you do when the bottom falls out of your world?

I’d describe this book as chicklit with substance. It’s funny, well written and has a premise with a difference. I loved this book, and highly recommend it as a great read.

This book was my choice for the 52 Week Book Challenge, Prompt 31: Set in a workplace.

Star Rating 

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unputdownable. Would read it again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic read. Not to be missed

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable. Would recommend it.

⭐️⭐️ Wouldn’t read it again.

⭐️ Don’t recommend this book at all.

The books mentioned in this post are of my own choice and have not been sent to me to review. My opinions are my own and I receive no renumeration at all for them.

Have you read Pawprints On Our Hearts? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I promise to always reply to comments made below.

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email into the box in the side bar. This will ensure you are notified of all updates.

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

O: Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout #atozchallenge

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The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted. My theme for 2023 is Book Reviews.

You can read my reviews without worrying about spoilers. My reviews are quite brief and I give away nothing more than you would read on the back cover or on Goodreads.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-38.png

OH WILLIAM!
BY
ELIZABETH STROUT

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

“Lucy Barton is a writer, but her ex-husband, William, remains a hard man to read. William, she confesses, has always been a mystery to me. Another mystery is why the two have remained connected after all these years. They just are.

So Lucy is both surprised and not surprised when William asks her to join him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret—one of those secrets that rearrange everything we think we know about the people closest to us. What happens next is nothing less than another example of what Hilary Mantel has called Elizabeth Strout’s “perfect attunement to the human condition.” There are fears and insecurities, simple joys and acts of tenderness, and revelations about affairs and other spouses, parents and their children. On every page of this exquisite novel we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart.

At the heart of this story is the indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who offers a profound, lasting reflection on the very nature of existence. “This is the way of life,” Lucy says: “the many things we do not know until it is too late.” – Goodreads

Published in 2021. 240 pages

MY THOUGHTS

This is a quite a short novel, but that doesn’t at all detract from it’s substance, or my enjoyment of the story. Elizabeth Strout has created characters who are flawed, and are totally relatable. The story of Lucy who is in her sixties, is also the story of her ex husband William. Lucy and William have been divorced for years, but have remained friends. This is a lovely story about relationships, the worries of ageing, memories, family, and the thoughts we have that worry us.

Perhaps it’s because Lucy and William are very close in age to me, but I really did identify with these characters. I felt their pain and their joy. I also understood the importance of their memories to them, at this stage of their lives. Perhaps this was also due to the excellent writing of the author.

I didn’t realise until I finished Oh William! that it is book three in the Lucy Barton series. Not having read the first two, didn’t make Oh William! any less enjoyable. However, I now have the other three books on my TBR list. Below is a photo of the books in order.

Image – Penguin Publishing

All books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library, unless otherwise stated.

Star Rating 

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Unputdownable. Would definitely read again
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fantastic read. Not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️Enjoyable read. Would recommend.
⭐️⭐️Wouldn’t read again
⭐️Don’t recommend this book again

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads

You can find my other blogs here:
Next Phase In Fitness & Life and Tracking Down The Family

© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

N: Nightwork by Nora Roberts #atozchallenge

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The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted. My theme for 2023 is Book Reviews.

You can read my reviews without worrying about spoilers. My reviews are quite brief and I give away nothing more than you would read on the back cover or on Goodreads.

NIGHTWORK
BY
NORA ROBERTS

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Summary

At nine years old, Harry Booth started sneaking out at night to steal from houses, in order to provide for the family, as his mother was gravely ill, and wasn’t able to work. After her death, he continued with the stealing, and became an expert, continually taking on new identities, to evade capture. Harry became friends with Miranda at school, and as they become older, she had no idea of Harry’s nocturnal activities. As Harry enters a dangerous world, he splits with Amanda, to protect her safety. Harry then takes on a very complicated job, which has been commissioned by a notorious, dangerous person. This is when Harry’s world becomes a dangerous place to be.

Published in 2022. 437 pages.

My Thoughts

This is the first of Norah Robert’s books that I’ve read, and I surprised myself by really enjoying it. I loved Harry. Even though his is definitely a criminal, he is a very likeable character and otherwise, has very strong morals. Other than stealing, of course. Even though this story line is a mystery, and could even be classed as a thriller, it is very much character based. The other characters around Harry are very strong, believable and entertaining. I found myself laughing many times. I definitely recommend this book, and will be reading more of this author.

Star Rating 

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Unputdownable. Would definitely read again
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fantastic read. Not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️Enjoyable read. Would recommend.
⭐️⭐️Wouldn’t read again
⭐️Don’t recommend this book again

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads

You can find my other blogs here:
Next Phase In Fitness & Life and Tracking Down The Family

© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

J: Just An Ordinary Family by Fiona Lowe #atozchallenge

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9

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example, April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted. My theme for 2023 is Book Reviews.

You can read my reviews without worrying about spoilers. My reviews are quite brief, and I give away nothing more than you would read on the back cover or on Goodreads.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-10.png

JUST AN ORDINARY FAMILY
BY
FIONA LOWE

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Summary

“Alice Hunter is smarting from the raw deal life has thrown her way: suddenly single, jobless and forced to move home to her parents’ tiny seaside town. And now she faces an uncomfortable truth. She wants her twin sister Libby’s enviable life.

Libby’s closest friend Jess Dekic has been around the Hunter family for so long she might as well be blood. She’s always considered herself a sister closer to Libby than Alice ever could be…

Libby Hunter has all of life’s boxes ticked: prominent small-town doctor, gorgeous husband and two young daughters. But when she is betrayed by those she loves most, it reveals how tenuous her world is…

For Karen Hunter, her children are a double-edged sword of pain and pride. She’s always tried to guide her girls through life’s pitfalls, but how do you protect your children when they’re adults?

As the family implodes, the fallout for these four women will be inescapable…” – Goodreads

Published in 2020
Paperback,

My Thoughts

I don’t usually pick up books about relationships, especially family relationships, but surprising to me, I enjoyed reading about the family, the women and the secrets in this story. The secrets and conflicts seemed very real and believable to me.

There are many tears and laughters in the story, as there were for me. As the story went on, I found that I kept changing my mind about who’s side I was on, and who was the more honest and deserving of a happy ending. This is also a story about kindness and forgiveness. Nobody is perfect, as is the case in real life. A very real and relatable read, that I would recommend.

Star Rating
Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book. For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Unputdownable. Would definitely read again
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fantastic read. Not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️Enjoyable read. Would recommend.
⭐️⭐️Wouldn’t read again
⭐️Don’t recommend this book again

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads

You can find my other blogs here:
Next Phase In Fitness & Life and Tracking Down The Family

© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

B: Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah

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14

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted. My theme for 2023 is Book Reviews.

You can read my reviews without worrying about spoilers. My reviews are quite brief and I give away nothing more than you would read on the back cover or on Goodreads.

BETWEEN SISTERS
BY
KRISTIN HANNAH

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Summary

“We all make mistakes, but for Meghann Dontess the terrible choice she made some years ago cost her everything, including the love of her sister, Claire. Meghann is now a highly successful attorney, and has put all thoughts of love completely behind her – until she meets the one man who believes he can change her mind” Goodreads

Claire has fallen in love for the first time in her life, and as her wedding day approaches she prepares to face her strong-willed older sister. Reunited after two decades, these two women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family.

Published in 2003, 428 pages


My Thoughts

I’m a big fan of Kristin Hannah which is why I decided to read this book. The topic didn’t really call to me but I was expecting to enjoy it.

Between Sisters is a book about relationships, both the good and the bad. It’s not the type of book that I would normally pick up, but I did enjoy it. I found the sisters to be very interesting characters. This story is totally different to other books written by Kristin Hannah, that I have read. My favourites are Alone and The Nightingale. Between Sisters is an enjoyable read, but I didn’t find it to be totally engrossing and memorable.

Key To My Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Unputdownable. Would definitely read again
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Fantastic read. Not to be missed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️Enjoyable read. Would recommend.
⭐️⭐️Wouldn’t read again
⭐️Don’t recommend this book again

Books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library, unless otherwise stated.

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads

You can find my other blogs here:
Next Phase In Fitness & Life and Tracking Down The Family

© 2023 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com