Review of 'The House Gun' by Nadine Gordimer

 

I really struggled with this book. It's something that I can see fans of literary fiction, or books like Apple Tree Yard (Louise Docherty) and The Good Father (Noah Hawley) enjoying, but it was something I couldn't get into at all. 

The House Gun is a psychological narrative about parents Harold and Claudia struggling to understand how their son is being accused of murder. The charges against Duncan are that he murdered his housemate with a shared gun kept in their home after he found him having sex with Duncan's girlfriend on their sofa. The book delves into the legalities around a case such as this, sexuality, race and gender tensions.

The writing style of this kept you so distanced from the main characters that I felt I couldn't really connect with them. Duncan was a bit of a mystery in the novel - there were occasional moments where his voice broke through where I felt I might enjoy the book again, but they were very few and far between. It just felt like the book dragged on with little plot: Harold and Claudia were learning that their son wasn't who they thought he was at all and struggling to come to terms with this.

I gave this one star.

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Review of 'Ninth House' by Leigh Bardugo

 

Leigh Bardugo's usually known for her young adult books, but this new adult one was a good first foray into the genre. I'm determined to read more new adult books in 2021, and for the genre to get the recognition it needs so that fantasy written by women isn't miscategorised as YA (I'm looking at you ACOTAR series).

Ninth House is a fantasy filled with magic, murder and intrigue. Alex Stern is given a place to study at Yale in return for her forming part of a secret society that ensures that the other secret societies at the college keep in line. Alex can see the dead, which makes her an ideal candidate to make sure the magic isn't being misused, but she's plagued by her past and the mysterious absence of her mentor. She's trying to keep everyone in line whilst not quite knowing how to, and it all might end in disaster.

Although I found this a slow one to get into, I did enjoy it. I loved the mystery surrounding Alex's past, Darlington's absence (death? disappearance? kidnapping?), the magic being misused and how deep the corruption at Yale may go. The book comes with big trigger warnings for graphic sexual assault of a child, and the main scene in particular is one of the bits that I felt let down by the book in. The whole thing felt like an unnecessary plot device used to show that Alex has had a troubled past, and as foreshadowing for incidents that happen later in the book. 

I gave this four stars and would recommend it if you're a fan of dark fantasy novels. If Bardugo makes this into a series I'd definitely read the next book to see where it goes.

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Review of 'Together by Christmas' by Karen Swan

 

I really haven't read many Christmas themed books before, but every year I try to read at least one. They make me feel extra festive and I especially loved that this one was set in Amsterdam as it reminded me of visiting there a couple of years ago.

Together by Christmas is told along two timelines. One is Lee's present day: she's living in Amsterdam with her son, working as a photographer for high end galleries and magazines. The other is back when she was younger working as a war photographer out in warzones. Lee's getting ready for Christmas and trying to make it as special as possible for her son Jasper. However, when she discovers her old best friend, a war correspondent she spent her time with in Syria, has gone out for one last story before his baby is born, she must face some home truths she's been ignoring for the past five years.

I love that Karen Swan doesn't write straightforward romances: this really felt like a cross between a standard romance book and a thriller. All throughout the book you realise that Lee's harbouring a secret that's not revealed until much later. Her blossoming relationship with Sam, an author she feels an instant connection with, is captivating. I found myself completely hooked on both the present day and the historical timelines, which I usually find rarely happens.

I am putting a big trigger warning out there for sexual assault in this book. It's brought up repeatedly, and in very vivid detail. This isn't much of a spoiler as it's mentioned fairly on in the book.

I gave this 5 stars and can't wait to see what Karen Swan brings out next year!

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Review of 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury

 

It's been so long since I've read a 'classic' and this one is such an accessible read in terms of language, length and themes. It really reminded me of The Great Gatsby, not in terms of the storyline but in the overt use of imagery and a short but powerful plot.

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel set in a world in which books are banned. Montag, the main character, is a fireman whose job it is to set fire to homes that contain books. But, things start to go downhill when he begins stealing books from the infernos almost unwittingly. The book looks at the implications of owning the contraband, the impact of books on his character, and the ways in which people try to suppress knowledge.

This was a really interesting (and terrifying) read. The suggestion in the book is that people simply stopped feeling a need to read fiction, and instead watched the screens hoisted up on the walls of their parlours. It hit a little too close to home. I love a book with vivid descriptions in, and the colours in this book really brought it to life. You could almost see the fires eating away at people's homes. 

The book is not separated into chapters, which I found a little difficult at first. However, it does match well with the pace of the novel, which seems to get more and more frenzied as it goes on. I felt almost like I was in a fever dream by the end, but felt as though that was how I was supposed to be feeling.

I gave this 4 stars and would recommend it if you're looking into trying more classics or if you enjoyed The Great Gatsby. Though it does come with a trigger warning for attempted suicide near the start of the book. 

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Review of 'With the Fire on High' by Elizabeth Acevedo

 

After reading Clap Where You Land earlier this year, I knew I needed to finally pick up With the Fire on High off my shelves. The two books are so completely different, and I enjoyed both for different reasons. This one was a lot more romantic, and more of a traditional YA book instead of the verse narrative family-based Clap Where You Land.

Emoni is a 17-year-old single mum living with her grandmother who has a real passion for cooking. She's trying to juggle school work, the pressure of college applications, looking after her young son and hold down a part time job. Things get even more difficult when Emoni's offered a one in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Spain to learn the culinary arts, but only if she can raise the money to do it.

The book is all about family at its heart, and in particular, learning to grow up without the traditional nuclear family: Emoni never really knew her mum, and her dad is almost always absent, and a large part of the book is learning about the traditions and cultures of her two families without having the interaction with her parents she'd really like.

This book had all the classic YA tropes I loved: a romance that was forbidden (or at least tricky), heart-warming family moments and LGBT elements. The language was vivid and I enjoyed the real focus on food and family. I'd recommend this for fans of Sara Barnard's books and Angie Thomas' books.

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'Talking as Fast as I Can' by Lauren Graham

 

I'm going to preface this by saying that I'm no massive Gilmore Girls fan, or read many autobiographies. This book was something I picked up a few years ago and it's been staring at me from my shelves ever since, but I'm glad I read it. Everyone has an interesting life and I enjoyed seeing insights to the backstage of what Hollywood and actor life is really like.

Talking as Fast As I Can is Lauren Graham's autobiography that she released in the same year as the 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life' series. It tracks her early years from being born in Hawaii, to living in Japan with her father, to her moving towards a career in acting. It takes us through the trials and tribulations of trying to 'make it' as an actress, and how important Gilmore Girls was to Graham. There's a whole chapter at the end dedicated to the show's revival, that gives insights to acting around all the big names in the series and what it was like to bring the show back to life again.

If I'm honest, the final chapter was the bit that I enjoyed least out of the book. I've watched a lot of the original show, but not the revival series. However, for any Gilmore Girls fan I think this would be a must-read because it gives so many titbits of info about filming and the process leading up to it. The book was well written, and I loved hearing all about what Hollywood's like and how hard it is to get into the acting scene. It gave an insight into what it's like to be the real person behind things like audition rejections, the pressure to have a certain body in show business, and gossip columns.

I gave this three out of five stars, and it's reminded me that I do like to read autobiographies.

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Review of 'The Husband's Secret' by Liane Moriarty

 

Liane Moriarty feels like one of those authors that everyone's tried at least once and who has a real cult following. I've wanted to read some of her books for years: a bit of romance and a bit of a mystery is right up my street.

The Husband's Secret is told from three perspectives: Cecelia who finds a secret letter her husband has hidden, Rachel who is still on the hunt for her daughter's killer, and Tess who is reeling from the most shocking news she's ever received. Living in a suburb in Australia, the three are desperately trying to keep their lives together in the face of absolute turmoil. At the heart of the novel is the question of what happened to Rachel's teen daughter all those years ago. She was found strangled in a park, and her spectre haunts the whole novel and whole community as no one knows 'whodunnit'.

Sometimes I struggle with multi-perspective books, but I did enjoy this one. The three women all had distinct voices, and their stories interacted with each other, which is something that always makes me enjoy these types of books more. The book was filled with twists that I absolutely did not see coming and I was hooked. My one issue with the book (and the reason I've given it 4 rather than 5 stars) is that is was filled with fatphobic comments throughout. I found this very disappointing, and it did ruin the story a little for me. I'm hoping the same isn't the case in Moriarty's other books.

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