alomie's reviews
259 reviews

Loved this book, it's a really fast read, and I can see why this got so much attention and love when it was initially released! 

I can't really speak about the book without spoiling it but I will say that the format of the emails between the main suspects and the text message chain between the investigating Junior barristers was so interesting, and kept me going back for more. Basically couldn't put it down! 

Really enjoyed this one. 

Read this one for my in-person Book Club, I found it to be a little tedious at times, and gosh isn't the language flowery, why say something in 10 words when you can say it in 50, am I right?
I understand that Dorian Gray is a book on our morals and the dangers of youth, and temptation, but I found it really took a long time getting there, and in parts I found this frustrating.
There was also a lot to say about Wilde's understanding of women, it was dated, and also obvious that Wilde preferred the company of men, and it really did feel like he was writing about someone whom he admired/loved greatly, but I grew tired of the descriptions of how beautiful or wonderful or equisite Dorian Gray was, and although that was the point, I found myself skimming over the long descriptions.
As a non French speaker, I was glad I read this on my kindle, as I could look up translations on the fly, I think this would have taken me much longer if I had read a physical copy.
Overall I liked the story, and I'm glad I can say I have read it, but it's not something I will go back to time & again, I may at some point watch a film adaptation of this.

Sexism, I may come back to this but I don't think it's for me. 

I thought it was a great introduction to a space opera for a young audience and I enjoyed the ride, however it was a little lacking in depth and it was very predictable, however, it had heart and it was comforting, so overall worth a go if you like this sort of thing! 

This book was okay, enjoyed it but it also felt a bit long in the middle.

The narrated and main character Gwennie is a young girl, who dreams that she can fly, and believes with practice she can really fly, she also hears the world hum (apparently in B Flat) and objects sort of watch and silently judge her and her family. 

Her mother is mentally ill, and is set into a manic episode (?) when a neighbour goes missing and shows up dead. 

Its heavily implied that this neighbour was her lost love and possibly the father of her eldest child Bethan, and she is incredibly dismissive and cruel to Gwenni. 

I liked the bits about Gwenni trying to be a detective, and trying desperately to understand and investigate the missing neighbours death, but wholly misunderstanding the adults, or being very literal with what they say.

I don't think the mental health aspect was dealt with amazingly, however I do think she did a good Job of showing how taboo it is to talk about, and how secretive families can be, and how destructive those secrets are. 

Overall it wasn't groundbreaking but it kept me turning the page, I reckon this is a good easy summer read. 

I should not there are TW's for domestic abuse, suicide and parental abuse. 

Need to physically read this. The audio book wasn't sticking in my brain. 😂 

I loved this audio book, it was lovely, hah! 
I personally love to read letters an this was celebrities reading letters of note on the topic of love! It was beautiful, sad, heart warming and emotional. 
The audio book really brought it to life, I really loved the last two letters as they were live recordings from the royal albert Hall and it had some lovely audience feedback as a little bonus the audio book ended with nick cave singing Love Letter live. 
My favourite letter was penned by Frida Kahlo, I think it was really brought to life by Louise Bearley who read it so well, and Frida was furious, and so heartbroken and it love, it spoke to me. 

This is the first poetry collection I have read in a long time, and I really loved some of these poems, I will definitely go back to this again and again, I also can definitely see this being a gift for friends over the next few years. 

Favourite poems;
In The Event Of Zombies
Rachel
Ark
The Reward For Excellence Can No Longer Be Money
Surname 
Unclean Magdalene
Mum's A Word 
Always One
[the sound of ripping paper] 

This book was so cringy, I skimmed the last third of it, but it reminded me why I don't really read a lot of young adult books.

I imagine if I was new to the genre this would have been a cute fun book to read with a bit of a mystery mixed in, but it was predictable and the foreshadowing was like a brick to the face. 

I found the romance portions tedious and cringe. 

I found the inner monologue of Scarlett frustrating, slow and honestly she was slightly unbareable. 

This book had a real slow start, in fact it got shelved for a few months before I went back to it.

I really had to concentrate with this book, and it wasn't am easy read to begin with, there is actually quite a lot packed into this book, and it's not really surprising that it's over 500 pages long. 

There is the main plot about Benny our main character who is struggling with mental health issues following the tragic and unexpected death of his father, Benny hears objects talk to him, and also hears voices. 

There is the chapters from the perspective of a book that is Benny's story, which speaks to Benny and helps him remember things he has forgot, these parts were honestly my favourite, and I highlighted so many bits, that it's impossible to share them all. 

There is the story of Annabell Benny's mother who is isolated, friendless, in a job that is being phased out, recently widowed and dealing with the mental health problems of herself and her teenage son. 

Also there is the stories of the bottleman (a homeless poet) and the Aleph, a older girl who Benny meets in the hospital when he is committed for hearing voice, a troubled girl with a drug addiction who is also a talented artist. 

And I've not even mentioned the part of the story about the Zen monk who writes a book about tidying (think Marie Kondo) and whole chapters of that book are in this one. This book eventually helps Annabelle, make changes. 

All of this only really scratches the surface, and I really enjoyed this book but, it did take me a while to get into it, but there is some definite magic in these pages, I've given it a 4.5 because of that, and some parts dragged a bit.